TR: Headwaters Kern R

[Wandering Daisy]

My choice of Onion Valley TH had nothing to do with elevation gain. I have never been on the portion of JMT from Vidette Meadow to Forester Pass, had never seen Center Basin or Vidette Lakes and never had spent any time exploring the lakes on the east side of Kearsarge Pass, but had been over Shepherd Pass three times. I always am looking to see new terrain! Although getting to the Kern watershed was a main goal, it was not my only goal. My route choice usually has more to do with where I want to wander in the mountains, not the easiest nor fastest way to get somewhere. My only limitation is how much food I am able to carry. Last year (in the Wind Rivers) I did a 14-day ration but it was miserable the first week. In the Sierra it amounts to what fits in the bear can! A 10-day trip is becoming my new limit - if I fish I can usually squeeze in another day. As for daily mileage - that depends on when my old knees get too stressed.

A good deal of the route decision also was to pick places where I most likely would avoid the smoke from the Aspen Fire. My second trip was a short easy trip up N. Pine Creek/Palisades. It would have been preferable to do the short trip first, but when I drove through Bishop there still was too much smoke - could not even see the Palisades! By the time the Kern Headwaters trip finished, the smoke had cleared significantly.

I like to change plans and adapt to conditions. This is why I seldom reserve permits. So far, knock on wood, I have never had any trouble getting a walk-in permit.

Just a note- there now is a lot of smoke up here east of Sacramento. There is a fire burning near Forrest Hill. We were thinking of going to Desolation this weekend, but decided we have to go farther south to get out of the smoke.

[BakoGal]

I pulled out my map and really enjoyed “arm chair” travelling with you. Thanks for taking the time to write this up and include those awesome photos!

I smiled at your lower Vidette Lake issue….I was there two weeks ago, also with a very wet Tarptent Moment and no morning sun!

[Trailguru]

Wandering Daisy

Great Trip Report.

I love it when someone pieces together a trip from different parts of the Sierra I've been to. Somehow it becomes an entirely new thing to read about as if I've never been there.

[lostcoyote]

great trip report.
thank you for sharing & bringing back great memories.

[LMBSGV]

To add to the echo, a great trip report and photos. You come up with really creative and interesting routes. I also enjoyed your observations of our fellow humans. So one now gets cell reception on Forrester Pass, so it will continue to transform what should be a sublime place to stop and spend some time into a place to get over and continue on.

Thanks, as always, for sharing your experiences.

[sekihiker]

Thanks for posting the detailed report and great photos.

[kpeter]

A wonderful narrative which I followed (maps in another window) step by step. A well written travelogue like yours makes the journey come alive. I also appreciated the photography. The photos of 3645 were particularly stunning. Nicely done!

[Hobbes]

That's a really nice area. I did the semi-loop SSSDave mentioned by going in over Kearsarge and exiting @ Shepherd last year. In typical rush fashion, I hiked to the lake below Forester from OV on day 1, spent the night, then headed over Forester, x-c across Tyndall, and back down to the Shepherd TH the next day.

I did it the first week of June, so the only people I ran into were the vanguard of PCTers. I talked to one guy at the top of Forester who got there the same moment I did from the south. He was about my age and doing the entire PCT. I saw only two groups of 3 after that, then was by myself all the way down Shepherd.

If the HST meet up goes off next year, I'm thinking a Horseshoe to Shepherd trip might be a fun way to attend.