Questions on Kearsarge to Cottonwood

[kpeter]

I'm starting to plan my longest trip for next summer, will be exploring some territory that is completely new to me, and a few questions have come up.

1) I am considering a shuttle--probably from Horseshoe Meadows to Onion Valley. I found East Side Sierra Shuttle's website. Anyone have any experience with them?

2) I was considering going up Whitney from the west side as a side trip. Do I need special permits to do that?

3) One of the main objectives is a side trip to Kaweah Basin. Other possible side trips include Lake South America and environs, Center Basin, or anywhere else you recommend Or maybe skip those and just spend more time in Kaweah Basin? Gathering ideas here, but Kaweah Basin is a must, and I'm probably not comfortable reaching it via the cross country passes from the west, so this seemed like the best plan.

4) When exiting I thought I might take New Army Pass instead of Cottonwood Pass. I have been up New Army from the east so I am familiar with it, and a visit to the Cottonwood Lakes at the end of the trip sounds nice. But I've never been over Cottonwood Pass. Would I be missing something I should see? Is the PCT more scenic than coming up Rock Creek to New Army? Or alternatively, coming out via Crabtree lake to Sky Blue to New Army?

5) I have flexibility about when to do this trip so long as I complete it before the middle of August. It looks like this year will be an average snow year at the very worst and possibly less than average. Any reason I shouldn't start this trip in late July?

[Mike M.]

Kpeter,

I've never used the shuttle but have frequently hitchhiked at the end of trips to connect semi-loop trips beginning and ending on the east side. Folks are very hiker-friendly at the trailheads and I am often able to get a ride from trailhead to trailhead within minutes of exiting the trail at the end of a trip. The key is to approach someone in the parking lot at the trailhead. A few years ago I did that very thing after ending a trip at Kearsarge Pass and was able to catch a ride all the way to Horseshoe Meadows, with an ice-cold Coors thrown in. The nice couple wouldn't accept my $20 thank you.

Whitney from the west side does not require a special permit, just the usual wilderness permit.

If you start at Kearsarge Pass and head south, a great way to get into the Kaweah area is via Milestone Basin, then down the upper Kern drainage to Junction Meadow (the Kern River Junction Meadow). From there, cross the river and follow the Colby Pass trail up the Kern-Kaweah drainage. Another option is to follow the JMT to the Wallace Creek junction and take the Wallace Creek trail west down to Junction Meadow. Be sure to allow for extra days in the Kaweah area -- there is much to explore there.

New Army Pass is by far preferable to Cottonwood Pass. The PCT trail in that area is not very scenic; it's just a slog. Cottonwoods Lakes are nice and are accessible from the New Army Pass trail. Crabtree Pass is one of my favorite. It avoids some relatively dull trail hiking and takes you through some impressively beautiful country.

Early August would be my guess this year for when skeeters ease up.

How many days will you be on trail?

Mike

[kpeter]

How many days will you be on trail?

I am flexible on that. The longest trip I have done is 8 days. I don't think I could push it very much further than that and fit the food into the bearbox, but to do everything I want to do I might have to. Fiddling with an intinerary looks something like this:
Day 1 Onion Valley to Kearsarge lakes.
Day 2 Golden Bear Lake
Day 3 Lake South America
Day 4 Picket Guard Lake
Day 5 Dayhike Kaweah Basin
Day 6 Guitar Lake
Day 7 Dayhike Mt. Whitney, move camp to Crabtree Lakes.
Day 8 Crabtree Lakes via Sky Blue to Rock Creek. (Or should I just take the PCT ?)
Day 9 Rock Creek to New Army and Cottonwood Lakes
Day 10 Cottonwood to Horseshoe Meadow and Home

[Mike M.]

I would add two more days minimum. From Golden Bear Lake, I assume you would backtrack and rejoin the JMT, then go over Forester Pass and around and up to Lake South America. That's a big day. From there to Picket Guard lake is a long hard hike. There's a lot of deadfall at the Kern River crossing (in Junction Meadow) and in the Rockslide Lake area, which requires time and lots of energy to get through. From Picket Guard Lake to Guitar Lake is a very long day, with lots of elevation loss and gain. Try to carve out more time if you can -- you won't be able to enjoy and relish the new country if you speed through it. Or at least I wouldn't be able to enjoy it -- but I'm an old fart.

Side note: Guitar Lake is overused. I always recommend hiking above Guitar Lake and camping at the tarns and small water courses near the start of the Trail Crest switchbacks. There are great views up there and protected shelves for camping.

Mike

[kpeter]

Really helpful advice, Mike.

I wonder what you and others think of the detour to Golden Bear--whether it is worth it or whether I should simply be making miles towards Forester to have more time later in the trip? You are right, I am not planning to hike all the way through Center Basin--Junction--Shepherd. Just too long for this trip. So getting off the JMT to get up to Golden Bear and back will take some time.

I guess I could say the same thing about Lake South America. WIthout having enough time to explore the whole lake-dotted region to the west of Lake South America, is this detour worth it? My inclination is to do this one simply to get off the JMT and see the headwaters of the Kern.

It sounds like getting through Junction Meadow, Rockslide Lake, and then of course heading far enough upstream to find the right spot to climb up to Picket Guard Lake is going to be time consuming. I'll start re calibrating.

What are Hitchcock Lakes like? It appears on the map that the lower of the two is easy enough to reach if I pass Guitar Lake, gain some elevation, and head SW from the trail. But you indicate there are some other quite nice alternatives in that vicinity.

Also wondering about that route from Crabtree via Sky Blue to the upper reaches of Rock Creek, which shows up as a trail on Cal Topo but I have seen described here as a cross country route. I could take the alternative of bypassing all of it--including Crabtree Lakes--and just heading around the PCT to the Rock Creek Trail.

[Wandering Daisy]

Not sure the detour to Golden Bear is worth it, unless you want to fish. Last year I camped at the small tarn, north of Forrester Pass at timberline, and it was very beautiful. The best camping is across the creek (to the south)- some nice established sites in timber.

I did not find Lake South America that scenic, but the trail continuing south down the Kern is really nice. Yet, with time constraints, I would save this entire area for another specific trip.

If exiting to Cottonwood TH, I think Crabtree Lakes are really worth the side-trip, even if you do not continue over the x-c pass to Sky Blue Lake. Be sure to at least day-hike up to the middle lake, which has the best views.

Last year I had considered exiting to Cottonwood, but when I got my permit, I asked about a Whitney exit permit, and surprisingly, several first-come permits were available, so I did that and saved a day. If you go that way, a side-trip to Arctic Lake is worthwhile, however camping up there is brutal. Hitching down from Whitney Portal is very easy. You could try to get a Whitney exit permit as a back-up in case you are delayed or want to stay an extra day in Keweah Basin.

If Keweah Basin is your major goal, why not go in Shepherd Pass? You could save a day.

[CAMERONM]

If you are fast and can recalibrate you might be able to do this in ten days. The jump to Kaweah and from Kaweah to Guitar, and the "day hike" day all are much longer and harder than your initial first days. Either recalibrate or add two days total.
I actually like Army Pass, but it is sort of sketchy and it is hard to say from year to year if it is passable. The rangers will probably advise against it.

[maverick]

Most people spend waaaay to little time in KB because of its location, maybe a day or two, the upper part is much different than the area east towards Island Lake. Also, besides Picket Lake, there is Red Spur Basin, with it's beautiful lakes and sublime views, rarely visited.
My recommendation would be to spend 4 days, at least, in the area and take time to explore the place, so you can visit the other gems that are available in this magnificent area too KP!

[kpeter]

Hmm, how does this look? This version sacrifices Center Basin, Lake South America, Forester pass etc. for more direct access to Kaweah Basin, adding a day and a half more at that destination.

Day 1 Shepherd pass trailhead to Anvil Camp.
Day 2 Over Shepherd pass and down Tyndall Creek to somewhere along the Kern (long, but downhill?)
Day 3 Kern up to Picket Guard Lake
Day 4 and 5 explore Kaweah Basin. I could move camp down to the Junction at the end of day 5 if so inclined to shorten day 6 a little.
Day 6 Kaweah Basin up HST to Guitar/Hitchcock Lakes
Day 7 Summit Whitney, move camp from Hitchcock to Crabtree lakes
Day 8 Cross x Crabtree Lakes via Sky Blue to upper Rock Creek.
Day 9 Rock Creek over New Army to Cottonwood Lakes
Day 10 Cottonwood Lakes to Horseshoe Meadows.

Question: Is Island Lake the location of the HST meet up a few years ago, at the eastern end of the Kaweah Basin drainage just south of the Picket Creek drainage? I ask because it is not named on the maps I have.

[Wandering Daisy]

I assume you would return to Crabtree RS and take the trail(s) to Crabtree Lakes. Although you can cut across from Timberline Lake, it is quite rough (cliffy or steep slopes) and tricky. I did that last year and a different route a few years ago, and would not recommend it. You can read my trip report and see what you think. The trail from the meadow (very wet at times) below Crabtree RS to the lower Crabtree Lake is not that well maintained - not bad but you do have to pay attention.

Are you planning on fishing at all?