Old TR: Upper Kern Peak Bagging 8/20-27 2005

[Wandering Daisy]

This was a CMC (California Mountaineering Club) trip. I did not lead this trip but just attended. The photos are not mine; I did not take a camera and one member send me only a few he had taken. Sorry but the photos are not that good.


Day1. 8/19/05: Drive and half mile up Symmes Creek (0.5 miles, 320 feet gain)

We all met at the trailhead mid-afternoon and walked about half a mile up the creek to camp at the last water and spent the rest of the afternoon acclimating and visiting. I did not take a camera so photos below are from another CMC member; Unfortunately, I cannot remember his name.

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Day2. 8/20/05: Symmes Creek to above The Pot Hole (6.6 miles, 9 hours, 5200 feet gain)

We got a crack-of-dawn start and slowly and steadily walked up to pass when it was cool. Partway up the sun hit the trail and it soon became hot. After a 2,400-foot gain we lost 850 feet of hard-earned gain and crossed a side creek where fortunately water still trickled across the trail. Slowly continuing past Mahogany Flat and Anvil Camp we reached The Pothole. We decided to continue up to timberline, where the others camped in tight spots between scrub-timber. I continued up to the bench above and camped on rock slabs where the view was better and a breeze kept the annoying gnats away. This was an act of faith that the weather would hold, as my campsite was very exposed. It was a hard day and I was beat.

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Day3. 8/21/05 Pot Hole to 10,850 on Milestone Creek (8 miles, about 6 hours, 2250 feet gain/1750 loss)

After the previous grueling day, we got a late start but made good time. There was a small snowfield east of the pass. We continued down on a well maintained trail, and about a quarter mile north of the PCT junction, we cut across off-trail. The cross-trail and drop to Milestone Creek went quickly. Wading across the Kern River and one member struggling with altitude slowed us down. We stopped and set up camp about half a mile from goal and camped on rock slabs at about 10,850 feet elevation above a large shallow pond (swamp on the map)

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Day4. 8/22/05 Climb Midway and Milestone Mountains (6.5 miles, 3665 feet gain/3435 loss)

First we headed to the large lake at 11915, east of Midway Mountain and continued up the East Ridge to the summit. It was all easy class-2 travel. Traversing the south ridge to Milestone Pass proved to be more complicated. From Milestone Pass we climbed over scree and rock a bit over the ridge onto the west side. The summit block was fun and challenging class-3. We returned directly down the drainage, which also turned out to be a bit of a navigation puzzle. Unfortunately I was not sent any photos of the climb.

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[Wandering Daisy]

Day5. 8/23/05: Divergent Objectives

One CMC member had to leave. I day-hiked to the beautiful drainage to the southeast and then moved to a base camp in the valley above Casper Lake at 11,200 feet, enjoying this stunning drainage; the remaining CMC members needed to climb Table Mountain as one of their SPS list Peaks. After climbing the peak, they would move down to the junction with the Cross Trail after the climb and meet me the next morning to climb Thunder Mountain. Although Table and Thunder Mountains are less than a mile from each other, the ridge between is difficult if not impossible, requiring a long hike down to the Kern and back up to the valley above Casper Lake.

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Day 6. 8/24/05: Climb Thunder Mountain

The CMC climbers would meet me mid-morning so I got to sleep in! I packed up my gear and stashed my pack in a tree. First we climbed up the ridge northeast of the drainage to the unnamed lake at 12,300 feet. The saddle shown on the map just south of Thunder Mountain is really a short knife-edge class-4 ridge. We roped up for this section. Back at my campsite we left and returned to the campsite at the trail junction. I had to haul my pack down but it was light at this point. We enjoyed an evening chatting about our climbing successes.

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Day7. 8/25/05: Cross Trail junction to Lake above Shepherd Pass (5.6 miles, 1855 feet gain)

The CMC group and I also had different goals but we would travel together to Shepherd Pass where I would go up to a small lake at 12,385 southeast of Shepherd Pass and they would continue out. I had time to bathe and experiment with making biscuits in my BearVault. Well, they were somewhat cooked but pretty doughy. I studied the north face of Mt. Tyndall, a bit worried as my route looked hard.

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[Wandering Daisy]

Day8. 8/26/05: Mt. Tyndall, U Wright Lake, Rockwell Pass (7.7 miles, about 9 hours 3200 feet gain/loss)

The class-3 North Rib of Mt. Tyndall is a classic with beautiful solid rock, ledges, slabs, and a great view. The top few hundred feet were quite steep. My hope had been to be able to drop down the south face and traverse to the saddle on the west ridge. Thankfully I had a “Plan B” of going back via Upper Wright Lake. Fairly soon on the descent it was obvious that I could not safely get to the saddle. I also did not want to go down the horrible talus filled northwest gully to Upper Wrights Lake, in spite of its much lower angle. I ascended a bit to traverse southeast above a cliff until I could find a route down to the eastern shores of Upper Wright Lake. From the outlet of the lake, I stayed high, north of Wright Creek as I descended gradually to the lakes at 11450. Taking a poor route over Rockwell Pass slowed me down and I was very tired and relieved when I reached the trail. It seemed I would never get back to my tent; thankfully the weather held. I was quite happy with the climb and the bonus of the unplanned visit in the beautiful upper Wright Lake basin. Nearly out of food, I cooked a meager meal as the wind picked up. It was a cold, windy, somewhat sleepless night.

Day9: 8/27/05: Out to Trailhead (8.7 miles, about 6 hours, 740 gain/6655 loss)

Now I had to simply slog out to the trailhead. Having just been up this trail there were no surprises. Expectedly, my knees protested loudly and I wished I had trekking poles. My main regret was not taking a camera since others in the group would send me their photos. But I did not get any documentation of my other side-trips. It was a fun trip where each of us could also fulfill our various objectives and accommodate each member’s vacation schedules. I was not the leader of this trip, just a participant.

[Gogd]

Nice TR. That is a Tough hike! The west bound leg of your route route approximates the eastern portion of a winter ski traverse known as the Dave Beck Sierra High Route. The Symmes Creek trailhead in Owens Valley is at one of of the traverse; the other is on the west side of the Sierra, accessed by following the Great Western Divide further south of Milestone Mountain, then taking the Kings-Kaweah Divide into the Table Lands to Pear Lake, then down to Lodgepole or Wolverton. I did that trip 3 or four times in the 80s and 90s - I don't recall the exact number. The portion of the Great Western Divide where your crew peak bagged a handful of summits is tough enough when snow smoothes over the topography, so I fully appreciate your comments about the area being demanding terrain.

BTW: the unidentified vista (the 6th, 7th & 8th images in the TR) are of Milestone Mountain. Milestone is sometimes referred to as Finger Peak, because it gives the appearance from certain angles that the peak is giving the viewer the finger, even more so in winter, when the surrounding terrain is dressed in white, making for a stark contrast to the summit tower's dark earth tones.
Ed

[richlong8]

Wonderful trip report. I have traveled in that country a couple times. The last time there, when I ran into John Dittli, several years ago, I wanted to get into that valley above Casper, but ran out of time, or changed my mind, for whatever reason. Great country- I only wished the NPS would allow dogs in the back country, so I could take my German Short Hair.

[Harlen]

WD wrote:

After climbing the peak, they would move down to the junction with the Cross Trail after the climb and meet me the next morning to climb Thunder Mountain. Although Table and Thunder Mountains are less than a mile from each other, the ridge between is difficult if not impossible, requiring a long hike down to the Kern and back up to the valley above Casper Lake.

I think I can supply a few photos from around Thunder Mountain, and the ridge you speak of:

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Here's part of that ridge, seen from high up in the valley above Caspar Lake.

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Here's the extension of that ridge up near the summit, probably where you guys roped up. (That red arrow points to the gap in the ridge, I think.)

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Here's a nice view west from Thunder Mtn., with Table Creek below, Cloud Canyon, with Glacier Ridge beyond.