SHORTEST WAY TO KERN HOT SPRING

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
richlong8
Topix Expert
Posts: 837
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:02 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: SHORTEST WAY TO KERN HOT SPRING

Post by richlong8 »

I have hiked to the Kern via Trail Pass in the Cottonwood area, about 18 miles, pretty easy walking, for the most part. However, this only puts you at the ranger station, about 1/4 mile upstream of Coyote Creek. On the plus side, i was able to hike out in one long day. I think it would take about the same time to get there by Mineral King, but this would put you down in the Rattlesnake Creek confluence area, closer to the hot springs. There is great fishing downstream from Coyote Creek, but it is great around Rattlesnake as well, Depends on where you want to go, and how much time you have. A person could spend a lifetime fishing this river, and never fish it all. I have looked down the 1000's of feet to the river from near the Funston Lake area, and personally, I don't think it is worth the effort. Here is a link to a trip report from my trip a few years ago, if interested. http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... f=6&t=7043
User avatar
ClassVtony
Topix Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 11:46 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: SHORTEST WAY TO KERN HOT SPRING

Post by ClassVtony »

Did It from the Whitney end. Portal to Kern Flat.
https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5B3B7677
User avatar
jrad
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:49 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: SHORTEST WAY TO KERN HOT SPRING

Post by jrad »

From atop The Chagoopa Plateau in 1975, I scoped out a route down the east side of Kern Canyon and hiked it successfully with a friend in 1980 (red line). We came from over New Army Pass and camped at the green marker on night 2. It was a VERY wet winter so even in late June snow was deep all the way to that nice mostly dry saddle above Rock Creek.

RED LINE: The next day we hiked down to the South side of a large draw and had zero problems, it being easy though somewhat steep Class 1 & 2. Not a single drop off or cliff anywhere. I don't recall the exact route but it was close to what the red line indicates. Only problem is it was about 32F when we started and I left my heavy parka on the whole way down (took less than 1 hour) so that when we came out at the bridge (almost exactly!), my very heavy down parka was totally soaked with sweat. Dumb! Being late June - no problem; just annoying.

BLACK LINE: About 10 years later, I did a late October solo down the black line in the middle of a large loop trip from the S. Fork of the Kaweah (Hockett Plateau trail) to Siberian Outpost and back. I thought I was doing the 1980 route (zero view down through forest at top until I was at about 8800 ft contour) but forgot that the funnel-shaped gully was just a well-remembered landmark but NOT the route!

By the time (8800 ft contour) I was certain I had gone down the wrong way, I decided to try to scope a route as I went but could never see far enough down to be sure I'd succeed. I ended up with a harrowing trek, with no water, that took me past a 200 ft dry cliff near the top (scary but avoidable) and down, one after another, 15 small cliffs with no certainty that I could make it all the way until I was about 200 feet above the valley floor. I had a 55-pound pack and really, really did not want to have to climb back up, even if possible. It would have been maybe 3+ hours back to any water and I was very tired, having started the day near Siberian Pass.

One drop-off about 2/3 the way down involved me having to step off a small cliff into a tree 3 feet away, which I shimmied down. It was safe and easy but I'm not sure, as was the case with most of the little cliffs (worst maybe 20 foot drop), I could have reversed my climb. That one critical tree may no longer be there now! Probably is, but I'll never know. A few of the other drops may have been almost impossible, with a heavy pack and no rope, to climb back up.

When I eased down the last little cliff, I heard water, found a gushing spring, drank maybe half my body weight of wonderful cold spring water (felt like gallons anyway).

Ten minutes later I was slogging across the sandy valley bottom towards Kern HS in the shadows with the cliffs still illuminated by the setting sun, saying to myself over and over - "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh my God!". Just one impassible cliff and I would have been in serious trouble. Instead I reached Kern HS shortly after dark and had the whole valley to myself. It was one of my "Halloween Trips" - end of October solos when I never saw any fresh human tracks (saw over 100,000 bear tracks one trip in Little Kern watershed - bears too lazy to get off nice sandy trails) much less people anywhere - leaving me in pristine solitude with maybe 300 square miles of the High Sierra all to myself.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
frozenintime
Topix Regular
Posts: 295
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:06 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: SHORTEST WAY TO KERN HOT SPRING

Post by frozenintime »

@jrad... this is quite a story!
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: DaveB, freestone, Google [Bot] and 126 guests