Distance: 13.8 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 11188'
Prominence: 828'
Elevation Gain: 4866'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.5
Round trip time: 10 hours
Recommended water: 160 oz.
Parking/Fees: $35 National Parks Fee
Difficulty: Strenuous
Leisa and I camped at Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia National Park with several hikes on the agenda. We drove up on the 2nd and I realized I had left my hiking boots at home. Uh oh. It was the start of a series of SNAFUs. After setting up camp, we drove to Fresno where I picked up some boots at REI. Not a relaxing start to the weekend. Packing for the hike the next morning, I realized the fresh batteries I installed in the GPS were dead. Also dead was my flashlight and I couldn't get it open. I still had a headlamp, if needed, but things were already going wrong.
We walked 0.2 miles across the campground to the Twin Lakes trailhead. I hadn't done much research on Silliman (SPS #201), expecting it to be similar to Alta Peak we had done the year before. We were heads down hiking on the smooth trail, then a GPS check showed we had passed the exit point to the use trail. We gave up some elevation to return to the use trail that started behind a sign at the Silliman Creek crossing. The trail shadows Silliman Creek on the east side (right). Water was running in the creek and with Silliman Lake ahead, we weren't worried about water. Downfall plagued the use trail, but it was otherwise in good condition. When we reached Silliman Meadow, we had not gained much elevation, a bad omen leaving most of the gain packed into the final two miles.
A wide granite basin loomed above the meadow. The use trail led into chest high bushes with faint paths traced in multiple directions. Leisa and I both had GPS tracks, but different ones. Mine led toward a cliffy gully on the right. Hers led toward the basin on the left. We followed mine until the way forward was unclear, then we backtracked and followed hers. That got us through the bushes and onto the slabs. The slabs were wide and chunky, similar to the slabs on Sub Dome. Ascending required switchback moves to reach the next ramp. The sideways movement put too much pressure on Leisa's still healing toe. With 1900' of gain left, she decided to return to camp. She encouraged me to continue, and persuaded me that she could find her way back with her own track. I stayed with her until she got off the slabs and watched her blend back into the bushes. Ignoring the GPS, I went straight up. Near the top of the slabs, I met a fat marmot who had no need or interest in any food I might have.
Silliman Lake was blue green and glassy in a bowl of rock. The way up was through a grass filled gully and a series of ledges. Nothing exceeded class 2, but route finding was important. Soon, I reached a smaller unnamed lake I called Upper Silliman Lake. Although I wasn't low on water, I decided to fill up my one liter filtered bottle. It was a nice place for a break before the last ridge. While I was resting, a couple approached from the other side. They were Joe and Christie Alfano from Wuksachi. They asked if I had been up Silliman before, and I learned this was also their first attempt. They had come up the gully right of the slabs. They continued up along a visible use trail. I wrapped up my break and followed, catching them before they got out of sight. None of us was moving quickly, but my pace was slightly faster. The rest of the route was a mix of sand and class 2 boulders.
I arrived at the summit about 10 minutes before the Alfanos. The views were fantastic in all directions with big drops on the north and east sides. Wind gusted around the top and dark clouds had silently built up in the afternoon, even though the forecast was for sunny skies. I found a benchmark and signed the register. When the couple arrived, we took photos of each other and shared well wishes before I started down. The clouds were concerning, and I might have heard lightning as I passed below the lake, but wasn't sure. In any case, I was well below the high point and felt safe.
I followed the track I had down the gully. It appeared cliffy, but always revealed a workable path. Eventually, I reached the bushy area, then the meadow. The heat rose back to 80F as I descended. Gnats annoyed me just before the main trail so I put on my bug net until they gave up. I had plenty of water but was hot when I got back to camp. I was greatly relieved to find Leisa made it back, and impressed with her ability to navigate back alone. She did get a nasty cut on her leg from climbing over fallen trees. I walked to my truck to sit in the AC for a few minutes and was shocked when it barely started. I let it run for 10 minutes, then tried to start it again. It took several tries before the engine turned over. We discussed our options and since it was late, decided to camp another night and hope it started in the morning. There was no cell service for hours, we didn't have jumpers, and our options were few. If the truck didn't start, we might be stuck for days trying to get help. The next morning, we packed up camp and crossed our fingers. The truck started on the third try. There were no warning lights, so I guessed it was just the battery. We drove to Visalia, found a Pep Boys, and left it running while I went inside. With luck, they had the right battery and installed it in less than an hour. We debated whether to drive up to Sequoia again for one more day, but decided to return home and not dare the gods to deal us any more bad cards.
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