Total mileage for Eagle Scout and Mount Stewart was 50 miles, of which 40+ miles was out-and-back on the High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadows to Kaweah Gap. The first 11 miles to Bearpaw Meadows is on well groomed trail with gentle ups and downs making it very runnable. Beyond Bearpaw Meadows the trail descends to cross Lone Pine Creek before ascending in a rocky stretch of trail to round a shoulder into the Hamilton Lakes drainage. After crossing Hamilton Creek the trail is in ascent mode all the way to Kaweah Gap but the incline is fairly moderate throughout. The Hamilton Lakes amphitheater is one of the most scenic areas in the High Sierra with towering granite faces of the Valhallas including the famous Angel Wings rock wall, Cherubim Dome, Hamilton Dome and many other sweet rock features. At the head of the amphitheater on opposite ends lies Mount Stewart and Eagle Scout Peak making them a perfect pair to tag on the same day. The area is so beautiful I haven’t figured out how to spot taking photos each time I visit, including nearly 200 photos when I did the complete High Sierra Trail for an FKT. From the beautiful sapphire blue waters of Upper Hamilton Lake the trail switchbacks before traversing to a spectacular view overlooking the lake and Angel Wings. The trail then reaches a picturesque tarn and then Precipice Lake. 
At aptly-named Precipice Lake, the sheer cliffs of Eagle Scout Peak tumble right into the waters of the remarkably clear lake. This stunning view was immortalized by Ansel Adams in 1932 with his shot “Frozen Lake and Cliffs.” Shortly after Precipice Lake, one reaches Kaweah Gap which opens up a new world of scenery in the upper Big Arroyo River drainage including the Nine Lake Basin and the Kaweah Range. From Kaweah Gap, go south for Eagle Scout Peak and north for Mount Stewart. Both climbs are straightforward and offer different, but both marvelous, perspectives on the Hamilton Lakes and Nine Lakes Basin areas. The view of Precipice Lake from the summit of Eagle Scout Peak is particularly inspiring. The overhanging summit block of Eagle Scout Peak is indeed the precipice with the clear blue waters of Precipice Lake 2,000 feet below the sheer cliffs. Meanwhile, Mount Stewart offers an amazing view of Sabertooth Ridge, Tamarack Lake, and the rugged north side of Black Kaweah. The complete photo album for this trip is here. 
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I started out just after 4 am from Crescent Meadows with perfect nighttime weather. The High Sierra Trail is an excellent trail for running all the way to the crossing of Lone Pine Creek (~13 miles in) with no major climbs and relatively smooth trail by Sierra standards. Beyond, the trail gains nearly 2,500 feet over the next 7 miles to Kaweah Gap and becomes a bit more rugged. I made it up to Precipice Lake with the first rays of sunlight illuminating the cliffs of Eagle Scout Peak. I reached Kaweah Gap a little over 4.5 hrs after starting and continued on through gorgeous Nine Lakes Basin. Travel through the basin is very straightforward and I was soon at the upper lakes beneath Black Kaweah and beginning the scramble up Lawson Peak. Lawson has great views, particularly the angle of Milestone Bowl and the upper reaches of the Kern-Kaweah River. After Lawson I continued on or near the ridgecrest to Kaweah Queen. Kaweah Queen is arguably the best vantage of the rugged north side of the Kaweah Range with the rugged spires of Koontz Pinnacle and Pyramidal Pinnacle closest at hand. The magnificent panorama also encompasses the elongated Lake 11,692 beneath the sinister north face of Black Kaweah, desolate Kaweah Basin and the Great Western Divide. Across Kern Canyon and Kern Basin I could make out most of the peaks on the Sierra Crest from Mount Keith south to Mount Langley. The descent from Kaweah Queen was extremely loose rock characteristic of the Kaweahs so caution was required. Back at the lakes, it was easy cross country travel back to Kaweah Gap. On the way back I stopped to enjoy lovely Precipice Lake and Hamilton Lakes before completing the run back to Crescent Meadows on the High Sierra Trail. The following photos are in chronological order. Strava route here.
