High Sierra Topix

sukhoi_584th wrote: ↑Fri Jun 25, 2021 2:31 pm Nice report! What's the Kern trail like from around the Milestone turn-off down to the Tyndall junction? I'm going to be coming up the Kern from Colby in a couple weeks and am curious what to expect and how hard the travel is going to be.

Do you mean the cutoff that runs straight east-west from near Milestone straight over to Tyndall, or the one that loops up via LSA?

The cutoff is really good, obvious with excellent tread. There is one spot where I always lose it, where it skirts the north shore of a small lake/meadow, but otherwise it's in great shape. Just look for it to cut across a little finger of meadow and then pick it up as it climbs away from the lake.

The Lake South America trail is SUPER faint, especially as it climbs away from the junction with the cutoff trail. It's still broadly follow-able, but it takes a bit of hunting around. Luckily the area is flat and non-technical enough that you can generally make your own way until you pick it up further up.

Hi Shtinkypuppy,
For my money the view one gets at the top of Shepherd's pass makes the climb worthwhile. And as you pointed out, the panoramas just keep stopping you in your tracks as you work your way around that area.So great to see strikingly blue skies and no smoke! Thanks for the TR!

And for what it's worth, your 3rd photo is the spot I descended on my one time over Lucy's (back when I was young/stupid). Never again. I've said this before and I will again, Lucy had to have been one tough cookie. Ditto for Millie. These routes are not for the faint of heart. Close your eyes and hope for the best. Then again, I've not tried Little Joe's, so maybe that's the charmer? Cameron

shtinkypuppie wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:49 pm The cutoff is really good, obvious with excellent tread. There is one spot where I always lose it, where it skirts the north shore of a small lake/meadow, but otherwise it's in great shape. Just look for it to cut across a little finger of meadow and then pick it up as it climbs away from the lake.

That's exactly where I lost the trail. A little searching on the way out of the meadow and it's fairly easy to reconnect.

shtinkypuppie wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:49 pm

sukhoi_584th wrote: ↑Fri Jun 25, 2021 2:31 pm Nice report! What's the Kern trail like from around the Milestone turn-off down to the Tyndall junction? I'm going to be coming up the Kern from Colby in a couple weeks and am curious what to expect and how hard the travel is going to be.

Do you mean the cutoff that runs straight east-west from near Milestone straight over to Tyndall, or the one that loops up via LSA?

The cutoff is really good, obvious with excellent tread. There is one spot where I always lose it, where it skirts the north shore of a small lake/meadow, but otherwise it's in great shape. Just look for it to cut across a little finger of meadow and then pick it up as it climbs away from the lake.

The Lake South America trail is SUPER faint, especially as it climbs away from the junction with the cutoff trail. It's still broadly follow-able, but it takes a bit of hunting around. Luckily the area is flat and non-technical enough that you can generally make your own way until you pick it up further up.

Ahh I was a bit confused about the "cutoff". Map for discussion: I now understand you were talking about Trail 4, and it's good to hear that has good tread. For some reason I thought you had gone south and come up Route/Trail 3. My original question was to try to learn how rough/hard to follow/bushwhacky Trail 2 is. I'm suspicious of the Kern trail north of the HST turnoff to Wallace as there's so little traffic.

Do you recall what the camping options are like along Trail 4? We'll be getting to the 1/2/4 junction toward the end of the day so I'm guessing we may want to camp at the lake at the junction, or the one just a bit east along Trail 4. It sounds like Trail 1 may be difficult to try to take all the way to LSA at the end of the day.

Finally, I presume Trail 5 to LSA is also good tread (in case we actually make it there the prior day)? On Strava Heat Map it looks to have similar traffic levels as Trail 4. Thanks!

sukhoi_584th,

There was a discussion thread earlier this year about trail 2 on your map. Here it is:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21323&hilit=upper+kern+canyon

Super helpful link! That eases my concerns about that stretch of trail.

What a lovely trip

@sukhoi_584th There is a good site right at the lake near the junction of 1/2/4 and there is a good site just to the left of your number 4. You could probably find a place in between those twos sites, but from what I remember, there is not a lot of level ground in that area. I'd stay at the lake junction if I passed through the area again.

Fantastic Trip Report! Lovely photos, great route, nicely written up too. Thanks a lot. We'd spend a lot of time in the upper Kern too if dogs could come. I have done Lucy's FP, and it was one of our only scary epics.

I hauled our young sons up on ropes (they were easy, and kept their cool), and then top-roped/hauled two novice adult hiker friends, one of whom found the event very scary. All's well that ends well- we made it, and enjoyed some of the very same places you visited. Cheers SP.