A hiker rests along a trail overlooking the Great Western Divide near the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp. Some worry the camps are disruptive, but Bill Tweed of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks says they are “a pleasant leftover from a world with much fewer human beings.” (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
Camp manager Carolyn Pistilli gives employee Tom Hagan a haircut. Workers get two days off, but most opt to stay in the area. (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
A group hikes beyond Bearpaw camp, which is 30 yards away from the wilderness. (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
Dan Patten of Hemet takes in the Sequoia Park’s morning view with a cup of coffee. With hot showers, beds and home-cooked meals awaiting them, Bearpaw camp guests can experience the wilderness without having to sacrifice certain modern-day comforts - except for electricity and phones. (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
Richard Craig, 72, of Hanford, Calif., fills his plate with a home-cooked dinner. Guests dine on frittatas, pork tenderloin and molasses bread. (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
After an 11 1/2-mile hike, campers stay in a tent village at Bearpaw High Sierra Camp in Sequoia National Park. (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
Campers gather around the fire pit, complete with tree-stump seats. (Brian Vander Brug / LAT)
