Trans-Sierra Backpacking - Day 3
Explore Landscapes #121
Day 3 of the Trans-Sierra backpacking route took us from Big Wet Meadow / Cloud Canyon to Colby Lake [6.32 miles / 2,257 ft ascent / 348 ft descent]
Moon above Glacier Ridge from the Colby Pass Trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
Introduction
I just backpacked across the Sierras, through Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, on a Trans-Sierra Xtreme Challenge (TSX) trek with the Reciprocity Rx™ team. Reciprocity Rx™ is the brainchild of Sydney and Barry Williams (aka Hiking My Feelings® and WITW Consulting).
Over the coming weeks I’m going to publish a post for each day of the trek featuring route descriptions and reflection prompts from Sydney Williams, my responses to those prompts, plus exerts from my journal that I kept during the trek. In those responses I’m opening myself up, and being 100% authentic and real, so please be kind. Plus, of course, I’m including images that I took along the way.
As a landscape photographer it was a hard decision for me not to take my ‘big’ camera with me. As I was hiking with a group, I knew that I’d only be able to take snapshots throughout each day, and that I’d be carrying supplies for eight days, so adding 5+ lbs in weight made no sense. Consequently, all images were shot on my iPhone 17 Pro Plus.
NOTE: trekking miles and ascent / descent varied significantly between the GPX route files (whether viewed on AllTrails or Gaia GPS) and the data that my Garmin Fenix 7X recorded as I was trekking (it varied by 15 miles over the 8 days). I’m going to be using the Garmin data in the posts. I’m going to do some digging to try and figure out why this might be. I’ll share what I find out!
Here’s the previous days posts for this backpacking trip in case you missed them:
Tumanguya (Mt. Whitney) Backpacking Route - Day 3
Day 3’s Route Guidance
From Sydney Williams, “Day 3 may be shorter on paper, but it is not a small day.
Today’s theme is: Build Capacity.
The shape of the day is beautifully clear: we move up canyon, up a feature, up canyon, up a feature, and then up canyon again to Colby Lake. The climb unfolds in chapters, giving us a chance to practice breaking a big effort into smaller, more manageable pieces.
We’ll continue through Cloud Canyon, turn onto the Colby Pass Trail, climb along the base of the Whaleback, and make our way toward the higher basin of Colby Lake. As we gain elevation, notice how the landscape begins to change: trees may thin, granite becomes more present, the air gets thinner, and the high country starts to reveal itself.
This is a day to practice moving at the speed of your breath. Not the speed of comparison. Not the speed of anxiety. Not the speed of “I should be faster by now.” Breath.
As we climb, look for the Whaleback beside us and the peaks ahead: Centennial Peak, Milestone Mountain, Milestone Mesa, and Midway Mountain. Let the names be part of the invitation. Today is about milestones — not just the obvious ones, but the quieter ones too.
Today’s reminder: capacity grows through listening, not overriding.”
The pyramid aspect of Whaleback from Big Wet Meadow | © 2026 Jon Norris
Trans-Sierra Backpacking - Day 3
I woke up pre-dawn, and enjoyed watching the last of the stars in the sky for a few minutes as I came to. I was relieved to have had the best night’s sleep since leaving home. There’s something about complete physical exhaustion that’ll do that for you.
Cowboy camping was great—and surprisingly, I hadn’t been bothered by mosquitos, bugs, or anything else during the night. It also has the advantage that you don’t have to pack up a tent first thing in the morning. A big plus.
I enjoyed my habitual two coffees, and then a breakfast fit for a king—a toasted english muffin, Jimmy Dean sausages (don’t judge me - but they’re amazing when backpacking), cream cheese and honey. It most definitely hit the spot.
Looking up towards the hanging valley (an elevated glacial trough) that holds Josephine Lake | © 2026 Jon Norris
I felt energized this morning and led off from camp with Sydney who set a good pace for us both. The views ahead of us were spectacular. Looking up to the right I could see the hanging valley that held Josephine Lake. It was amazing to think how few people get to see this landscape. There’s no road into this part of the park. If you want to see it, it’s two days (22 miles) of backpacking. In our first few days on the trail we only saw 2 other people.
What a privilege it was to be here in the stunning wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park. My eyes were popping out on stalks. Several expletives were uttered (repeatedly as the landscape revealed itself) that I won’t repeat here.
Before leaving Big Wet Meadow behind us there were several areas where we were treated to a beautiful rainbow of wildflowers that lined each side of the trail.
Video and Image: Roaring River along the Cloud Canyon Trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
For much of the morning the Cloud Canyon Trail ran close to Roaring River—the beautiful sound of the flowing water a constant companion. We had several river crossings—only one of which I needed (opted) to remove my trail shoes for as I don’t like hiking in wet shoes.
I took a lot of photos and video clips with my iPhone—which I had easily accessible in a pouch on my backpack harness. I’m actually glad that I didn’t bring my ‘big’ camera with me, as I don’t think I’d have had the energy, patience or time to use it properly. I certainly wouldn’t have been popular if I’d held up the group’s progress to ‘just’ take a photo.
If I go back and repeat this route (which I’d like to do), either solo or with another photographer, then I’d slow down the pace and take time to warrant having a camera and tripod with me.
Glacier Ridge towering more than 2,000 feet above Cloud Canyon Trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
As we continued to climb up Cloud Canyon Trail, a glance to the right was rewarded with a majestic view of Glacier Ridge, towering more than 2,000 feet above us. The trail steepened, and as it did so, the switchbacks started.
Sydney Williams (of Hiking My Feelings) at the start of the switchbacks on Colby Pass Trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
As we followed the switchbacks each and every turn revealed a little surprise for us. Just as you thought you’d gone the wrong way the path forward would slowly reveal itself, and you’d continue upwards. It was incredible to see the tenacity of the fir trees that had rooted themselves in large cracks between boulders and how many of them were thriving.
Pines (both dead and alive) stand like sentinels along the trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
Some of the larger trees had lost their upwards momentum as water became scarcer for them, and what was left was just a contorted sun-bleached trunk and a few shorter branches. Many of them were fifty feet or taller and remained standing, surveying the landscape beneath them.
A dead fir stands tall along the Colby Pass Trail as we continue to ascend | © 2026 Jon Norris
The trail continued to twist and turn upwards gaining elevation quickly. I continued to be fascinated by the details I could see on the trail floor as I put each foot in front of the other and stepped upwards. The chaotic complexity of the tree roots, leaves, pine cones, stones, pebbles, rocks. All of the myriad different things that had come together to form the trail we were walking along.
The chaotic complexity of the forest floor trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
Every now and again you’d come up close to a huge boulder of monzogranite, some of which had the most fantastic inclusions in the grain structure of the rock. The image below shows one particular inclusion that was so striking as it was geometrically rectangular with straight edges right across the boulder.
A huge geometric inclusion in a large block of monzogranite | © 2026 Jon Norris
The views back down the Colby Pass Trail towards Big Wet Meadow were jaw-dropping beautiful. We worked hard for those views but it was all well worth it.
Looking back down towards Big Wet Meadow from the Colby Pass Trail | © 2026 Jon Norris
As we neared the edge of the tree line we moved onto the huge granite slabs that formed the trail for the next section of the climb up to Colby Lake.
Whaleback, that had appeared to be a pyramid when we first saw the peak from the bottom of Big Wet Meadow, was now a huge, broad expanse of granite, that rightly earned its name.
Looking across the huge slabs of granite, across the Roaring River to the huge flank of Whaleback in the background | © 2026 Jon Norris
After climbing up almost 2,000 feet from Big Wet Meadow I was more than ready for lunch. We had lunch sitting on the huge granite slabs at the edge of the tree line taking in the incredible views of Whaleback and listening to Roaring River (which wasn’t roaring when we were there). I can only imagine what the river sounds like when it’s in spate.
Lunch was wraps with peanut butter and raspberry jam - with a side of dried mango slices. I was grateful for this tasty energy and pleased that were seconds available.
Video: Granite as far as the eye can see. Image: Looking up at Triple Divide Peak and Pass in the distance | © 2026 Jon Norris
After lunch several of us took advantage of a natural water slide on one of the polished slabs that fed into a deep pool of ice cold mountain water. And it was most certainly ice cold. I was in and out of the water as quickly as I could be and then stretched out on the rock to dry.
Enjoying the phenomenal scenery of Kings Canyon National Park | © 2026 Barry Williams
We had a good long break on the slabs before finishing off what was deliberately planned to be a shorter day than our first two days. I was pleased to be able to maintain a reasonable pace (despite all that lunch) and happily made my way uphill.
Nearing the top of the slabs approaching Colby Lake | © 2026 Jon Norris
Caught in the act of documenting the trek | © 2026 Barry Williams
I made sure to stop and take in the view as much as possible while I hiked—not just to photograph it, but to really stop and look, and to take in the details. Hopefully some of my photos show the feeling of wonder and awe that this amazing landscape provoked in me.
Looking back along the Colby Pass Trail as we near Colby Lake | © 2026 Jon Norris
As we reached Colby Lake the sun was still quite intense but fortunately there was a good breeze that took the edge of it a little. I didn’t need much (any) persuading to strip down to my shorts and jump into the lake.
Jumping into the lake from a rock ledge about 6 feet up from the surface was invigorating and in an instant washed away the day’s trail grime. I also used the opportunity to wash my clothes—a blessing after 3 days of hiking.
As the afternoon wore on my energy was dropping quickly, but picked up after eating dinner. Tonight’s dinner was minestrone soup and then veggie tacos with beans, guacamole, wraps, cheese and salsa. We had Oreos for desert. It was delicious.
My bedroom for the night. Cowboy camping next to Colby Lake | © 2026 Jon Norris
I found a great spot to cowboy camp in a flat dip in the granite—with a view across the lake.
Late afternoon sun hits the Great Western Divide ridgeline that forms part of the boundary between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks | © Jon Norris
After dinner I sat down and caught up on my journaling and then sat and watched the light change on the Great Western Divide ridge line at the top of the lake. I was asleep before it got completely dark.
So far this trip has exceeded my expectations. Till next time - and Day 4!
Day 3’s Camp Reflections
Prompts from Sydney Williams, with my responses.
Daily Reflections:
What did you notice outside yourself today? The visual weight and scale of the granite cliffs on both sides of the meadow; then the enormous hulk of Whaleback when viewed from the side. The scale is breathtaking.
What did you notice inside yourself today? I had great energy today and felt really good going uphill. It took me about 15/20 minutes to get my hip flexors to release and relax - but then I was walking at a good pace.
Where did the landscape match your inner experience? The trail matched my inner experience following each twist and turn of it as it made its way uphill. The steps felt like they’d been placed just for me. Also, the way markers seemed to drop into place as they were needed.
Where did it challenge it? The river crossings challenged my balance at times—and my preferred way of doing a crossing was to take off my trail shoes, put on my sandals, walk across, and change again on the other side.
What moment from today do you not want to forget? Jumping into Colby Lake. The sensation of the cold water enveloping me was invigorating. It momentarily took my breath away, but almost immediately you regain focus and swim to the shore.
Theme Reflections:
What did your body teach you today about capacity? My body sometimes surprises me with how ready it is to do a tough hike. I feel confident and positive and should learn to trust in myself more often than I do.
What helped you break the day into smaller, more manageable pieces? The change of landscape made the day more manageable: hiking across Big Wet Meadow; the trail moving upwards and criss-crossing the Roaring River; the fir trees on the edge of the alpine landscape; then the wide open alpine landscape with large slabs of exposed granite.
What milestone — from today or from your life — are you proud of reaching?I’m most proud of my wonderful, loving and supportive family that give me my reason, strength and drive.
Story Invitation:
As we look ahead to tomorrow’s pass, what are you ready to leave behind, and who do you want to be as you cross into the next chapter? I’m ready to leave behind the nervous anticipation and doubt of whether or not I can do this backpacking trip and summit Mt. Whitney. I want to become a better person for my wife and daughters—and for myself. I want to focus my energies on living the life that we want and valuing/enjoying every day.
