TR: Bouncing Down the east side Sierras & misc. add ons...

[michaelzim]

This was really a kind of spontaneous trip born of cabin fever and a need to get a pack on my back somehow. It should really be called “Ejected from the East Side” as I did not make it into the high country very far, so added on some other side adventures to add some zest (and craziness). Like many of us I’m keen to know what conditions are like in the Sierra and this is a minor attempt at giving some of that from a purely backpacking point of view. I am not super snow experienced nor geared for it. In case you are champing at the bit for a bit (sic) of information and some story whimsy, here is an abridged version of my travels.

It started with my new ice axe. A many decades snow experienced friend (and HS Topix lurker) offered to “train” me in its use. Thus my first stop on April 25th was the Echo Pass sno-park on Hwy. 50 where snow levels were many feet above our heads. I spent a number of entertaining axe-swinging hours plunging off a snow-bound roof, then down a longer north facing slope to really get up some speed. Falling in every way possible was quite creative and I figured it out in the end, though adding a heavy pack was a whole different game. Much harder to flip over, etc. so very much worth practicing.

I drove down 395 marveling at the snow being quite high all along the route until it started to end around Tom’s Place. This meant I car camped at my favorite spot just north of Bishop close up to the mountains on a sandy dirt road. Wherein I nearly drove straight into a creek wash that was never there before! Seeing as last weeks’ heat wave had not hit yet, not sure what melt-off made that happen???

The next morning (Wed. April 26th) I drove to the Pine Creek trail-head (7,400 ft.) to see if I could day-hike in a bit. I had hiked up to lower Pine Lake in early May 2021, but this year is different of course. The snow was about 2 ft. deep around the TH and increased going up. In which I did not get very far. Short story, I kept “falling into” little avalanche zones where trees had been knocked down and the branches created a false cover of snow. Stepping into that was asking for a plunge downward but was hard to avoid. In a short while I was exhausted and gave it a pass, continuing on 395 south.

Next look-see was the Baxter Pass road, as it seemed to be open. Indeed it was, and not a bad road either all the way to the trail-head at 6,000 ft. There were 3 cars there belonging to a small group of ski-hikers who had just completed a run down from one of the peaks and were high as kites from the rush. I envied them (and their youth), but so much gear to cart around!

Pic A – Baxter Pass trail around 6,250 ft.

A. Baxter Pass trail around 6,250 ft..jpg

I got some trail tips and hiked in about a mile or so on dirt before hitting snow. I finally got stopped at Baxter Creek which was not that wide but running pretty strong (6,750 ft.) . The opposite side was deeper snow and likely post-holing so I decided not to cross and went up a south facing ridge to the north instead, with great views of the Owens Valley.
By the time I returned the TH parking lot was empty, so I slept in the car overnight and drove off to Death Valley to see if I could get up Telescope Peak instead.

By now (Thur. April 27th) it was getting hot! The Death Valley temperature forecast for Friday, April 28th was 107 degrees, so I headed up to the Charcoal Kilns (6,900 ft.) immediately. The road to the Mahogany Flat campground and Telescope Peak TH was closed, so I donned my full pack + tent, etc. and headed up the road.
Mahogany Flat is at 8,140 ft. so some snow was around but not too much. I headed up the Telescope Peak trail to around 8,800 ft. where I hit a NE facing snow chute that put the brakes on my ascent. Mmmmmmmm…I dumped the pack and with ice axe belayed across it going upwards. I don’t like exposure and realized that the slipperiness of snow and ice decreases my “tolerance angle” to about 30 degrees from 40 to 45 degrees. When I hit some ice I decided to turn around and discovered that going down on the traverse was a whole lot less stable game! I tried going up and exiting on the shale scree on the side but it collapsed and slid a few feet with every attempted step. Nope!
So, being tired after a long day. Hiking up almost 2,000 ft. Adding a pack. First hike after a long winter…I considered the chute, what I had observed of the north ridge of Telescope Peak (unlikely due to lots of snow) and decided to return to Mahogany Flat. My speculation was that I would have just had to turn around later when the snow really got deep. I could have done it, but a voice said no, so I passed. (I later found out from the Stovepipe Wells ranger that an experienced mountaineering group had come to grief a week or two before and had to be helicoptered out).

Pic. B - Hitting snow on Telescope Peak trail.

B. Hitting snow on Telescope Peak trail..jpg

Pic. C - More snow on Telescope Peak trail.

C. More snow on Telescope Peak trail..jpg

Pic. D - Mahogany Flat empty campground.

D. Mahogany Flat empty campground..jpg

I spent a pleasant and very quiet night at Mahogany Flat as no-one else was there, then hiked down and drove to visit my brother and his wife in Las Vegas-Henderson, as I had not visited them since 2006. And probably a good thing.
I will say no more, but that city life in such a place is not my preferred pastime!
His pool did alleviate some the heat-wave weekend though.

Getting out of there became a priority, so I had the brainstorm of checking out Kennedy Meadows to see the place and the first influx of PCT trailblazers coming in to the KM store.
I left on Monday, May 1st and arrived about midday just as a small group of PCT hikers got “clapped in” – which is a charming tradition I think. As seems to be the case with backpackers, everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Such a smorgasbord of nationalities too!
A Norwegian couple in their late 30’s asked me for some Sierras advice (like the damaged bridge, etc.) and we ended up talking for an hour or so. Within which came the idea that I would indeed get a hike in by going north from KM to see what was shaking on the trail and report back. But I did not have any maps of this far south nor a cell phone app with GPS. Suggested solution…go to the Triple Crown Outfitters gear store and see if they had one. Which I did. And met three incredibly warm and helpful ladies who went way and beyond to get me what I needed. Having no for sale topo maps Jackie (the owner) went home and colour-printed 8 National Geographic PCT maps for me! All the way to Cottonwood Pass – which was waaaay optimistic but still.

At 4:30 pm I headed out and made it to the first bridge over the S. Fork Kern River (6,290 ft.) which was a raging torrent. It had been a little higher, and did not come down overnight. Here are a few photos…

Pic. E - South Fork of Kern River.

E. South Fork of Kern River.jpg

Pic. F - Measuring water level overnight.

F. Measuring level overnight..jpg

Pic. G - Still raging next morning.

G. Still raging next morning..jpg

… and a more illustrative video link of it. A harbinger of what is soon to come in the Sierras?!?!

https://youtu.be/ek67BP8JSG4


It was around 32 degrees overnight with no wind and blue skies in the morning (Tues. May 2nd) so I set off north for bridge number two. There was evidence of side washes across the trail that had flooded not long ago, and Crag Creek had piles of grass straw, branches, etc. lodged in logs about 2 ft. above the streambed, which was now a shallow 2 inches meandering over a sandy bottom.
By late morning the weather was getting cloudy and rapidly colder plus looked like snow coming, so I hustled up to the Crag Creek saddle and hit permanent ‘level terrain’ snow at about 7,900 ft. Snow on north facing slopes was lower of course.
The wind was howling by then and my face felt like it was freezing into solidity. I found a bit of shelter behind some rocks but it was too windy to hold the maps. I had no idea if it was going to be days of this or a quick pass through as the Mammoth forecast I saw from Vegas was for snow showers all week. In unknown terrain, with no GPS, the PCT invisible under a few feet of snow, clouds descending, and not even a down jacket, I turned back.

I camped back at the S. Kern and was borderline shivering in my 20 degree EE bag and double-wall tent. So yes, wise move to have dropped in elevation. A great couple from San Diego were there too testing some new gear and we shared much conversation on the topic.

Wednesday morning (May 3rd) I hiked back to Kennedy Meadows and played back the raging river video to the gear store gals and a few hikers who wanted to know more of conditions. The two Norwegians looked at it and it cemented their decision to not continue on the PCT for now. Their California base was Sacramento so I offered to take them back there to save a them a really tortuous return journey. Such great people. It was more of a gift for me than for them I think and we managed to get over Echo Pass in the forecasted snow showers and fog without any mishaps.

Back in Ukiah it is still cold, wet and winter feeling, so I’m really glad to have got out of the house and alleviated some of my cabin fever. I hope this yarn gives you a little of the same.

Best ~ Michaelzim

[kpeter]

What a great way to escape from cabin fever. I appreciate your various glimpses into the east side trailheads. The video of the S Fork Kern was, as you say, "radical." This is going to be a very difficult backpacking season and I will have to pick my places and play it by ear, much as you are doing.

[shawnterustic]

Thanks for sharing your cabin fever itch-scratching with all of us I've been across that bridge north of Kennedy Meadows many times, including early June in a high snow year, and I've never seen it anywhere close to what you documented. What a year it's been - and will continue to be!

[Harlen]

Crazy river to cross! That shot with the hat on the rock looks ominous, as if you were swept away. Congratulations for getting out and covering some nice ground Michael. Cheers.