Golden Staircase - John Muir Trail
Looking WSW back down Palisade Creek towards Le Conte Canyon from the top of the Golden Staircase switchbacks a half mile short of Palisade Lakes...This was the last section of the JMT completed...in 1938...and required extensive blasting to forge the trail up the steep slopes/cliffs from Le Conte Canyon up to the Pallisade Lakes. Once completed, the route allowed the JMT to run more directly past Pallisade Lakes and over Mather Pass as opposed to the initial route along the Middle Fork of the Kings River to the SW. California, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Kings Canyon National Park, Golden Staircase. John Muir Trail Mile 145.