Advice on Routes between Lake Reflection and Upper Kern

[Cross Country]

It was "about" 1986

[canyonfish]

I have been up the Reflection side of Milly's. It is a steep class 3, and even though it is not "exposed", it seems a fall would carry a high probability of injury. I would not personally want to go up or down it with a pack. Going down it would require downclimbing skills (if anyone disagrees I'd be curious to hear them).

I was not comfortable returning down MIlly's (on a day hike with a light pack), so we opted for Lucy's on the return to East Lake. I was comfortable going down (the north side), but it was slow even without a pack, and tons of rock fall so one at a time for the top 500' or so. Going up the north side of Lucy's would be MISERABLE. Loose sand slog that would be extremely taxing and time consuming, especially with a group because of the one at a time mandate.

In terms of alpine beauty, though, standing on the snow field below the Lucy's chute on the north side is one of the most sublime alpine experiences I have ever had ( I was waiting a while for my hiking partner to come down since we were taking it one at at time). Spires on either side, but particularly to the east (Ericson Crags, I believe). Milly's was pretty spectacular in it's own right on the north side.

[kursavwilage]

I have done Milly's 5 times, 2 times as a day hike from Lake Reflection and back and 3 times with a pack from Lake Reflection heading to the upper Kern. The down climb of the class 3 chute at the top was pretty hairy without pack especially one of the times it was filled with snow and was a little terrifying. The last time that I did Milly's we were heading to a lake in the upper Kern just below Casper lake and then planned on coming back to East Lake but after climbing the last part of Milly's we decided that we would not want to down-climb the upper portion of Milly's with packs so we elected to come back over the Kings Kern divide via Lucy's. Lucy's was easy from the Upper Kern side and the Kings Canyon side was steep and loose but not too terrifying and I think preferable to down-climbing Milly's. We were lucky to be doing it in a low snow year and didn't encounter much hard-pack snow at the base of the steepest section on the Kings canyon side. I would think that on a heavy snow year you might run into some pretty icy snow at the base of the steepest section.....

[Wandering Daisy]

Good information here! I am considering the upper Kern this year too.

I did Harrison years ago, in tennis shoes. I had a foot problem that, while healing, preculded wearing boots or sturdy shoes, so I hauled a 14-day ration (heavy pack) up Harrison in my regular tennis shoes. Needless to say "footing" was absent, but I had an ice axe and planted the axe in the sand each step and pulled myself up. Ugh! It was a high-snow year so about a quarter of the pass was on snow, which actually was preferable to the loose scree and sand. That said, I got up it with a few hours of hard work. I have not been there recently, but I think the approach "trail" shown on the map is still damaged- not really a trail but a lot of walking through rockfall and scrub.

The choice between Harrison and the others may be strenuous-miserable vs tecnical and more scarey (for those who do not like exposure).

Does anyone have an actual photo from the north side, looking up at the correct chute for Little Joe Pass? Alpine Mike, your verbal description of it being between Millys and Lucy's does not match the yellow line you draw on the map in your write up on "passes". I am confused.

[alpinemike]

Hi Wandering Daisy. When I say it's in between Milly's and Lucy's I just mean geographically speaking there isn't another known crossing on the King's Kern Divide. The yellow line is there to illustrate which chute is the correct one for Little's Joe's itself. Hopefully that clears up any confusion.

[Harlen]

"Milly's was pretty spectacular in it's own right on the north side." canyonfish
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I just found a photo of the south side of Milly's, taken from the basin below Lucy's, where my family had come from the night before. It certainly looks a heck of a lot harder than that side of Lucy's, which was just an amble down. Thankfully, because we had quite a time getting up the north side as it was a snowy spring.
I'm not sure where the exact route of the pass is; "kursvwilage," can you describe it for us in this photo? Thanks, Harlen. p.s. I'll crop it and send an enlargement too

milly's.jpg

[Harlen]

Here's that enlargement. I reckon Milly's is the low point, tight in next to Mt Genevra.
Can you recognize that small, black peak far away in the left skyline? Harlen.

IMG_2701.jpg

[kursavwilage]

Great photos of Milly's and Mt Genevra! Harlen you guessed correctly. From my photos it looks like Milly's one notch to the right ( in your photo )of that obvious black V in all that shadow on the northeastern ridge of Mt Genevra. Head to the right of that V and you should pick up the use trail to the correct location. It really isn't that bad from the Upper Kern side but once you get to the top and look down it can be quite intimidating, especially with snow in the chute.