I finally got around to writing up a few trip reports for 3 different trips I did in the Sierra over the past few years. Note that the conditions described in the reports are not descriptions of the current conditions in these parks. However, I have included a lot of maps, pictures, and other info that may be relevant to other people. I am happy to answer any questions about the itineraries.

As far as current conditions, it sounds like the Rae Lakes Loop is finally open again, though you need to proceed with caution when crossing the South Fork of the Kings River (the bridge here is gone). For the other crossings, trekking poles are recommended. Much of the snow on Glen Pass is now melted and no technical gear is needed to pass through.

For Clouds Rest, it sounds like the Tenaya Creek (at the beginning of the hike) has gone down a ways and is now only ankle-ish deep. Probably will still want to take off shoes and ford the creek, but it sounds like it's not waist deep anymore.

For Mineral King, the High Sierra Trail is mostly snow free up to Kaweah Gap. There is a bit of snow left, but it can be avoided. Sawtooth Pass still had snow/ice as of 8/11 and trekking poles and route finding skills were recommended at the time.

#1 - A report on backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon NP. We did this in July, 2016. The loop is ~40 miles long and we hiked it in 4 days. The views are really great and the trail forms a perfect backpacking loop. We loved almost everything about this hike. The only downside was that it is a bit crowded and popular. Full report here: https://backpackersreview.wordpress.com ... akes-loop/



#2 - A report on backpacking in the Mineral King area of Sequoia NP in September, 2015. This was a 45 mile loop in which we went up over Sawtooth Pass and then hiked up along the High Sierra Trail. The views along this trek were some of the best I have seen, and this has been my favorite backpacking loop. I though it was prettier than the Rae Lakes Loop and we saw hardly any other hikers. Full report here: https://backpackersreview.wordpress.com ... eral-king/



#3 - A report on a car camping and hiking trip to Yosemite NP. We camped at Crane Flat and did the Clouds Rest hike, visited Tuolumne Meadows, and hiked up on top of the Lembert Dome. This trip was in July of 2015. We really loved hiking up to Clouds Rest and views are amazing. Full report here: https://backpackersreview.wordpress.com ... ouds-rest/