Heather, Trees & Shaky Knees!!
Meet: Saturday on September 12th, at the Hecuba Statue @ 6am
Return: Sunday ~6pm
Member: (87$) Non member: (114$)
Participant Driver (1): (35$)
Participant drivers will also have all gas reimbursed!
Activity: Frolicking, Swimming, Watching stars
Difficulty: (6/10) Medium Distance: 9 miles / 12.9 km Elevation: 2400 ft / 730 m
Recommended Prior Experience: Some hiking experience
Location of Trip: Sequoiaaaa National Forest
Native Land: Nyyhmy (Western Mono/Monache)
Join your favorite guides Sofia and Armen for the most fun, amazing, and memorable trip to Sequoia National Forest to get away from the crowds, INSANE LA heat, look at the stars, swim in the crystal clear lake, and eat some bomb food. We will start our day by first meeting at the Hecuba Statue on Saturday at around 6 a.m. Then we will start driving to Sequoia, passing by the famous Tunnel Log and continuing to our first destination, which is the General Sherman Tree, known to be the largest living tree on Earth by volume, crazy no?! That will be a very short loop hike, about 3 miles of purely walking around and enjoying the views.
Our second destination is a beautiful waterfall that is located near our campsite, which we will head to shortly after taking fire pictures for the gram. We will have lunch after and head out to our camp, where we will start setting up our tents and play some fun games while dinner is being made. And then! Star of the show, we will head to Moro Rock during sunset and drive above the clouds on the way to watch the beautiful stars (see what I did there, star of the show and we are going to watch stars lol). Anyway, we will hit the Moro Rock trailhead, which is just stairs up to the viewpoint, where in complete darkness we will be able to see our galaxy and thousands of stars that are visible only when there is no light pollution in the area. We will then head back and either have some fun fireside chats or get a good night’s sleep, preparing for the second day.
The second day, we will wake up, eat some yummy food, and hit the trailhead to Heather Lake. You guys better bring some swimwear because it is going to be probably the most refreshing dip in water you have ever had. The hike itself might feel like a little bit of a grind, as we will be gaining elevation on the whole walk to the lake, but it is okay because we will be taking a decent amount of stops and taking pictures along the way, so fear not! Once we get to the lake, we will set up a little base for us to hang around, have a little snack, relax our legs, and have a great time. Then we will head back down and start driving back, making sure we have enough time to catch up on leftover homework and have a nice shower before Monday.
Contact the Guides:
Armen Tovmasyan (atovmasy@usc.edu)
Sofia Cabrera (secabrer@usc.edu)
What to Bring:
*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Mess kit (utensils and bowl/plate/tupperware)
3+ liters of water
Hat/sunscreen/sunglasses
Comfortable hiking shoes
Comfortable hiking clothes
Toiletries/medications
Headlamp/flashlight
Warm clothes for night/sleeping
Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):
Snacks
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times
Any technical gear required (ie. kayaks, snowshoes, snorkels, backpacking packs, sleeping bags, fishing rods, etc.)
All group / shared gear (tents, stoves, bear cans, first aid kit, etc.)
Any permits or campsite reservations needed
Cost of gas reimbursed for participant drivers
Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:
All SC Outfitters trips have a no-refund policy unless a substitute participant can be found. In the event your trip requires added reporting measures of participants (plane tickets, external providers, rental services, etc.) dropping the trip close to the date of the trip will not allow for the spot to be re-filled. See the details on trip pages for specific deadlines and reference our complete cancellation/refund policy here.
TRIP DIFFICULTY RATING SYSTEM
Difficulty rating for trips
1: No physical activity.
2: Leisurely walk.
3: 2-5 miles less than 1000 ft of total elevation gain on well maintained trails. About 2-3 hours continuous activity
4: 4-6 miles, about 1000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. About 3 hours of continuous activity.
5: 6-8 miles, about 1500ft of elevation gain on maintained trials. 4-5 hours continuous activity
6: 8-10 miles, about 2000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. 4-6 hours of continuous activity.
7: 10-14 miles, over 2500 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.
8: At high altitude. 12-16 total miles, over 3000 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.
9: Technical skills may be necessary. At high altitude with physical elevation gain. Scrambling over rocks likely involved.
10: u gunna die
**If you have any questions or concerns about the physical activity, recommended prior experience, or gear needed on any kind of trip please contact the guides as soon as possible!!
This program is open to all eligible individuals. SC Outfitters operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact the guides listed above on the trip page. We request that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.