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*** Official Backpacking Thread ***
- Thread starter afoaf
- Start date
It takes a minimum of two points to have a 'between'. That's just how the universe works.
Dude, those moobs freaked me out and I totally lost my place in line
KERNVILLE AND TIOGA PASS
15
sans kids. solo.
fly fishing would be good
or....mountain hookers?
am I reading this correctly or is everything open sans permit/reservation:
Start at the forks of the kern great fishing, lots of nice campsites, hike up to little kern lake and you'll be alone. Be aware of fighter jets training to run the canyon
day 1:start at edison lake.
head up to graveyard lakes, camp there.
day 2: go over pass, silver divide?, and camp at peter pande lake.
its right at 10k you can have a fire. spend another night there. checking out ann lake, and the surrounding area.
you won't regret that area for one bit. bring a trout pole too!
day 3: dink around that area or start to goodale pass and camp around there for a night.
day 4: take trail over goodale pass and back to edison lake.
get a burger and beer at the store at Vermillion Valley Ranch, Edison lake.
one of the more beautiful fun hikes i've done!
head up to graveyard lakes, camp there.
day 2: go over pass, silver divide?, and camp at peter pande lake.
its right at 10k you can have a fire. spend another night there. checking out ann lake, and the surrounding area.
you won't regret that area for one bit. bring a trout pole too!
day 3: dink around that area or start to goodale pass and camp around there for a night.
day 4: take trail over goodale pass and back to edison lake.
get a burger and beer at the store at Vermillion Valley Ranch, Edison lake.
one of the more beautiful fun hikes i've done!
Horseshoe meadows on eastern sierra is closed from the latest earthquake, but if open:
a good 3 night hike right here too:
Out of Lone Pine, park at cottonwood lakes/ horseshoe meadows parking lot.
hike into cottonwood lakes.
go over old army pass.
once at the top a bunch of watys to go, but
I've hiked to soldier lake, camped there 2 nights.
day hike up to arc pass at 13k and you can see whitney from the side angle!
hike out from soldier on day 3 and go down new army pass.
a good 3 night hike right here too:
Out of Lone Pine, park at cottonwood lakes/ horseshoe meadows parking lot.
hike into cottonwood lakes.
go over old army pass.
once at the top a bunch of watys to go, but
I've hiked to soldier lake, camped there 2 nights.
day hike up to arc pass at 13k and you can see whitney from the side angle!
hike out from soldier on day 3 and go down new army pass.
kearsarge pass/onion valley
rock creek to edison lake (always wanted to do this)
bakersfield to fresno along the 99 fwy wilderness. Been dying to try this in August
rock creek to edison lake (always wanted to do this)
bakersfield to fresno along the 99 fwy wilderness. Been dying to try this in August
I haven't backpacked enough in the eastern sierra north of Mammoth, and agree with lililib03 in the other thread that said later in summer is best for way high alpine (and IMO into fall for main stem Kern is best for fishing the prime spots)
Cottonwood/Langley pass is a quota'd area and the rangers check permits like they do at Whitney. The gate to the lot might still be closed but you can park on the road and go in. You can still get them. It's not a lottery like Whitney but worth checking and weekdays are possible entry dates, exit dates don't seem to matter. Go to recreation.gov to find openings. Lone Pine station is closed so you can't pick up permits, so they email them to you which is totally epic in comparison. I've got permits for this next week.
An alternative to ^^ and if you want to catch some of the only native goldens in existence (on dries and all day long to boot) in small creeks with a light fly rod is same trailhead (Horseshoe Meadow) but go over Trail Pass south instead of north then cut west. It's not quota'd but for $6 or whatever to not worry about a ranger writing you a ticket, meh. I've backpacked dozens of times in GTW without a permit. You could plan any number of your own customized loops with the Tom Harrison Golden Trout Wilderness map. I did a 4 day through route a couple years ago and didn't see anyone for 2 days. Once you get over Trail Pass the hiking is a breeze. I like the GTW area especially because the geography is way more diverse than high alpine lake areas and changes as you go (alpine meets forest, huge meadows, marshes, volcanic flows, xmas tree groves, tall pines, big creeks, small creeks, upper south fork Kern river). It's probably the most scenic place I've been in the southern sierra and I'd do that trip instead if I had never been to Cottonwood/Langley.
Forks to little kern lake in that direction would be a grueling trek there (not back), but little lake is one of the prime spots that holds some of the biggest native trout in the entire river. Go from Lloyd or Jerky trailheads. This time of year is also super important to check the main stem flows and expected flows if you head out there.
Some pics of GTW and deep upper main kern.
Top of Trail Pass looking down to Mulkey Meadow:
Lava flows near volcano meadow
Big kern lake w/ little lake in the far bg off the pic (same trip).
Little kern lake area
Cottonwood/Langley pass is a quota'd area and the rangers check permits like they do at Whitney. The gate to the lot might still be closed but you can park on the road and go in. You can still get them. It's not a lottery like Whitney but worth checking and weekdays are possible entry dates, exit dates don't seem to matter. Go to recreation.gov to find openings. Lone Pine station is closed so you can't pick up permits, so they email them to you which is totally epic in comparison. I've got permits for this next week.
An alternative to ^^ and if you want to catch some of the only native goldens in existence (on dries and all day long to boot) in small creeks with a light fly rod is same trailhead (Horseshoe Meadow) but go over Trail Pass south instead of north then cut west. It's not quota'd but for $6 or whatever to not worry about a ranger writing you a ticket, meh. I've backpacked dozens of times in GTW without a permit. You could plan any number of your own customized loops with the Tom Harrison Golden Trout Wilderness map. I did a 4 day through route a couple years ago and didn't see anyone for 2 days. Once you get over Trail Pass the hiking is a breeze. I like the GTW area especially because the geography is way more diverse than high alpine lake areas and changes as you go (alpine meets forest, huge meadows, marshes, volcanic flows, xmas tree groves, tall pines, big creeks, small creeks, upper south fork Kern river). It's probably the most scenic place I've been in the southern sierra and I'd do that trip instead if I had never been to Cottonwood/Langley.
Forks to little kern lake in that direction would be a grueling trek there (not back), but little lake is one of the prime spots that holds some of the biggest native trout in the entire river. Go from Lloyd or Jerky trailheads. This time of year is also super important to check the main stem flows and expected flows if you head out there.
Some pics of GTW and deep upper main kern.
Top of Trail Pass looking down to Mulkey Meadow:
Lava flows near volcano meadow
Big kern lake w/ little lake in the far bg off the pic (same trip).
Little kern lake area
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Start at Lake Mary by Mammoth, over Duck Pass and camp at Purple Lake--good fishing there. Then cross Muir Trail and take trail down to Cascade Valley, Fish Creek. Follow Fish Creek down to Iva Bel Hot Springs, one of the very best wilderness hot springs anywhere. Then take Fish Creek back around to Reds Meadows where you can catch a shuttle back out to Mammoth.
View from Duck Pass with Mammoth Mtn on the right and Ritter, Banner, and the Minarets back to the left.
Getting ready to cross the Muir Trail at Purple Lake and head down to Cascade Valley and Fish Creek. This was my first trip out with my grandson and my dog...big responsibility!
Got down to Fish Creek and it was raging! We neglected to think about late afternoon snowmelt and had to cross this creek a little farther downstream...stressful but doable.
But it was so worth it! Hot spring coming out of granite, not what usually happens but I guess this is on the western side of the Mammoth Caldera..105° perfect.
Then hike down Fish Creek Trail which comes out above the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River and goes by Rainbow Falls and on to Reds Meadows.
View from Duck Pass with Mammoth Mtn on the right and Ritter, Banner, and the Minarets back to the left.
Getting ready to cross the Muir Trail at Purple Lake and head down to Cascade Valley and Fish Creek. This was my first trip out with my grandson and my dog...big responsibility!
Got down to Fish Creek and it was raging! We neglected to think about late afternoon snowmelt and had to cross this creek a little farther downstream...stressful but doable.
But it was so worth it! Hot spring coming out of granite, not what usually happens but I guess this is on the western side of the Mammoth Caldera..105° perfect.
Then hike down Fish Creek Trail which comes out above the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River and goes by Rainbow Falls and on to Reds Meadows.
www.highsierratopix.com has an excellent forum worth checking out for current info, trip reoprts, etc.
up to date TR on mosquitos, fires, SAR, snowmelt.
up to date TR on mosquitos, fires, SAR, snowmelt.
west end of Duck Lake.....grandma camped at same site every year at Lake
Mary for something like 20 summers.
Mary for something like 20 summers.
If you need permits after securing on recreation.gov, call 760-873-2483. It's a recording and says to press "0" for a human. Don't listen to the recording, just hit 0 over and over until it starts ringing. If it disconnects, call back and keep pressing 0, and a person will eventually pick up. Last week it took about 15-20 minutes and today only had to call back twice and pressed 0 about 20 times. Done. The convenience of this email method is SO much better than having to arrive a day early or within your entry date window, show up at the Lone Pine visitor center, wait in line, etc.
The horseshoe lot is closed because the campground is closed, so it's an extra mile or so from the gate.
The horseshoe lot is closed because the campground is closed, so it's an extra mile or so from the gate.