TR: Baxter Pass, Sixty Lakes Col, Gardiner Pass 7/26-29/2024

[jimmyjamhikes]

I did a lovely four day trip up Baxter Pass, through Rae Lakes and Sixty Lakes Basin, over Sixty Lakes Col to Gardiner Basin, and around over to Gardiner Pass. I intended to follow the JMT and then exit through Center Basin over Junction Pass and down to the Shepherd Pass Trailhead, but I hurt my back and decided to bail out Kearsarge Pass instead.

I originally wanted to do the whole thing on foot, so I parked at a gaging station on Independence Creek. The plan was to walk from there to the Baxter Pass Trailhead and walk back to there from the Shepherd Pass Trailhead. The walk through Owens Valley to Baxter Pass Trailhead was lovely, but since I bailed at Kearsarge before making it to Shepherd, I got a hitch from Onion Valley down back to my car.

The weather was perfect, blue skies, no smoke, 60s during the day and 40s at night. There were no mosquitoes anywhere except Lake 11407 in Gardiner Basin (where there were millions!).

The Caltopo map of the route is here.

A full report is here:
Day 1: Independence Creek to Oak Creek
Day 2: Baxter Pass
Day 3: Sixty Lakes Col
Day 4: Gardiner Pass

And here are some highlights.


Following Jeep Roads through the Owens Valley


Campsite near Oak Creek


Lower Baxter Pass Trail - well-enough maintained until the second crossing of Oak Creek


Upper Baxter Pass Trail - an almost nonexistent cut through the chaparral in some places and I wish I had worn pants to protect my legs from white thorn and willows


Summit Meadow


From Baxter Pass, a view of Mount Mary Austin (one of my favorite authors!)


Neat colors in Upper Baxter Basin


Upper Baxter Lake


Middle Rae Lake


Sixty Lakes Basin


Sixty Lakes Col above Lake 10840


Looking north along ridgeline from Sixty Lakes Col


Looking back at Sixty Lakes Col from Lake 11407 in Gardiner Basin


Gardiner Basin Lakes


Mount Gardiner


Below 10,000 feet was hot, buggy, and weeds over my head. Fun!


Gardiner Pass


View north from Gardiner Pass


View south from Gardiner Pass


Blowdowns block the old USGS route


A clear cut through the manzanita on the steep slopes above Charlotte Creek


Charlotte Lake


Bullfrog Lake (always a favorite of mine!)


The iconic view from Kearsarge Pass

[nunatak]

Good trip, despite!

I was just in this area; while sitting at upper Baxter Lake midday a nearby coyote yip-yapped for a long while

Was able to follow the faint JMT for 90% of the distance between Golden Bear and Shepherd Pass Trail, which was a surprise and made things less tenuous on that stark backside of Junction. Sound like you’ve done it before?

[The Other Tom]

Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing.

[jimmyjamhikes]

nunatak, I have NOT done Junction Pass yet. soon!

[sekihiker]

You sure took some awesome pictures. Sorry about your back. Junction Pass is worth it. I'm sure you'll make it soon.

[bobby49]

Excellent photos. I did some parts of that same route years ago. I had to keep my eyes peeled for the possibility of bighorn sheep. You had one good shot of Mount Cotter. The rocks were terribly loose near the summit.

[Gogd]

The TR links share a wonderful story, I felt like you took me long. The pics brought back great memories of various loop hikes I've done in those basins. Your knowledge of the flora is impressive. Your report (and others) indicate the condition of the east side of Baxter Pass has declined over the decades, and borders on reverting back to a XC trek. The bug and navigation issues of lower Gardener Basin are an enduring feature. I agree the Kearsarge Pass trail is very well engineered.

The closing line if your report puts everything into perspective.

Gardener and Sixty Lakes Basins are among my most favorite hikes. I also like the solitude of Baxter Lakes. Baxter, Junction and Shepard Passes, on the other hand, are also beautiful, but let's just say they are the stuff that masochistic dreams are made of! BTW: 8,000' gain in a single day, on Baxter Pass Trail, from east to west no less - man that places you in good standing among professional league masochists! I did Baxter from the east, once. It was from the official TH, so only 7K' gain, and I took two days to get to the pass. Nevertheless that was all the fun I could stand doing the route from that direction. I've done Shepherd a few times, but only because it is the winter approach for the Haute Route (a ski mountaineering route put up originally by Otto Steiner in 1931, and revised/revived to its current version in 1975 by David Beck). Otherwise I prefer gaining 3 season access to the Kings-Kern Divide and general vicinity from Kearsarge Pass, or from the west.

The image of your trail blocking "blow down" above Charlotte Creek appears more like damage from a late season snow avalanche. Note: all the trees are aligned pointing down the fall line, ripped out flush with the ground, all missing branches on the side facing up, AND the debris perimeter is highly defined. Lastly, the downhill alignment of the trees indicate the wind would have to come over the ridge from above, unlikely, since leeward slopes generally are protected from such forceful gusts.

Ed

[wsp_scott]

Awesome trip report, read the full version on your site.

I really like the idea of connecting two of the hard passes in a loop. I've contemplated connecting Sawmill and Taboose, but mostly as a way of avoiding driving the Taboose Road.

You sure put in some long hard days. I hope your back recovers.