Cirque Country

Grouse Lake to Goat Crest

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In this section, the SHR crosses over Monarch Divide - from the basin of South Fork Kings to that of Middle Fork Kings.

From Grouse Lake, proceed north over a divide and back down into the upper reaches of Granite Basin. Continue north to the crest of Goat Divide. Here, the SHR crosses Monarch Divide.

Next is a descent into beautiful basin of Upper and Lower Granite Lakes. Upper Granite Lake is alpine and Lower Granite Lake is subalpine, occupying a hanging valley in the Horseshoe Creek basin.

From Lower Graniite Lake, there is a Class III descent into the tablelands of upper Horseshoe Creek basin, a lodgepole pine forest on the west side of Windy Ridge. This section ends at a group of meadows tucked into the forest.

Landmarks:

Goat Mountain (12,206) - Named (mistakenly) for the Bighorn Sheep that originally inhabited the area.

Granite Basin - Brewer's field party of the First California Survey camped here in 1864.

Monarch Divide - Originally named "Dyke Ridge" by the Whitney Survey, it was later renamed by the US Geological Survey in its first 30 minute map of the area. "Dyke" refers to Whitney's impression of the divide as volcanic in nature-a huge lava dyke separating the two rivers. (Many of Whitney's interpretations of California geology were quickly overtaken by science.)

Munger Peak (12,076') - Named for Maynard Munger, a local business/civic mover who was important in preserving the Sierra's three national parks.

Mt. Hutchings (10,785') - Named for James M. Hutchings, an Englishman who came to California in 1849 and was one of the first non-Indians to see Yosemite. Later, he ran a hotel there and became a prolific writer and promoter of the Sierra and Yosemite.

Below is a 2x profile of this section of the SHR. Using the time-honored Sierra Club formula of 1 hour/1,000' (vertical) + 1 hour/3 miles (horizontal), the hiking time for this section should be 2.2 hours plus breaks.
From Grouse Lake, the Sierra High Route continues over the ridge in the background. It is part of the divide between Granite Basin and Grouse Lake.
The east shore of Grouse Lake with Mt. Hutchings peaking (pun intended) over the lake.
Cross-country travel toward the divide between Grouse Lake and Granite Basin, the first of two climbs in this section.
Cross-country travel toward the divide between Grouse Lake and Granite Basin, the first of two climbs in this section.
The view of Granite Basin from the divide between it and the Grouse Lake/Copper Creek basin.
A glacier-carved pinnacle on the divide between Granite Basin and Grouse Lake/Copper Creek Basin.
The view from the High Sierra. Looking back down at Grouse Lake with Sphinx Divide in the background and most of the Southern Sierra beyond that.
The descent into the upper reaches of Granite Basin. Goat Crest on Monarch Divide is the low point ahead.
This is what Cirque Country is all about. Glacier-carved bowls and gleaming granite pyramids on Monarch Divide.
The highest lake in this section of Granite Basin. The mountain fastness of Monarch Divide.
Onward and upward - through beautifu, alpine Sierra meadows toward Goat Crest on Monarch Divide.
Looking back toward the divide crossed over earlier and the pinnacle.
The final, mellow stroll over Goat Divide.
On Goat Crest is a little lake that prefers not to be in either the South or Middle Fork Kings basins, but, in certain conditions, drains into both.

The Pallisades at over 14,000' are in the distance. The SHR will traverse the basin that is visible at the base of the peaks.
A view of the divide between Granite Basin and Grouse Lake. The diagonal slabs will be the start of the next section of the SHR, Grouse Lake to Goat Crest.