The hour long drive from our campground to the Road Ends Trailhead meandered through Kings Canyon, sometimes with steep granite walls, and included a spectacular view of the Kings River below. Along the way we stopped to take the obligatory picture in front of the National Park sign and then another in front of the trailhead sign … standard procedure!
Off we go! The first couple trail miles were flat as it followed Bubbs Creek at the bottom of Avalanche Canyon. This is a short hike for nearby campers and day-trippers but most stop at the bridge over the junction of Woods Creek from the north and Bubbs Creek from the east. We continued to the east where the trail rapidly ascends along Bubbs Creek, now cascading over the granite. Even after all the pre-trip conditioning, we were quickly reminded how higher altitudes (now 6,000’) affects the body and slows travel. Lunchtime provided the perfect excuse to stop and enjoy the beautiful scenery near the junction of Bubbs Creek and Sphinx creek.
Up Bubbs creek switchbacks 
After a rest we were ready for the climb up Sphinx Creek … or at least we thought we were ready. The climb from the junction is very steep, hot and dry. We were baking! The trail itself was a feat of backcountry engineering carved into the canyon wall and built into zigzagging switchbacks up narrow chutes. After a few hours of climbing we reached the shade of the forest and a small creek. We stopped, refilled our water bottles and had a snack. It sure felt good to douse our heads in the cold spring-fed water.
Looking up the Sphinx 
The Sphinx switchbacks
At around 3 pm, we found camp in a great spot near Sphinx creek. We set up camp and took turns taking a ‘bath’ in Sphinx creek. We all were pretty tired and after a small and short campfire we found our tents at dusk. We did a total of 7.84 miles and climbed 3,452 feet, ending elevation ~8,400’.
Journeys with Jeff and Ellen 