Trail Day 43: Sherman Pass Rd (mile 702.2) to Kennedy Meadows Campground (mile 704.6)
2.4 PCT miles
I'm back! Well, sort of. I originally wanted to come back yesterday, but ran into some unexpected problems, so I came back to Kennedy Meadows South today. My plan was to leave really early in the morning so that I could hike most of the day. I didn't end up leaving Orange until well after 10 am.
Instead of rushing to get to the trail, my Trail Angel and I took a scenic detour. We drove to Kernville and paralleled the Kern River until we reached Sherman Pass Road, which we were going to drive 75 miles through Sequoia National Forest to get to Kennedy Meadows.
It was a hot day. As we were driving through the desert the dashboard thermometer read 109 degrees (F). As we drove along the Kern River the temperature was still in the 90s. Only when we got up to 5,000/6,000 ft did the temperature drop into the 80s.
Once we hit Sherman Pass Road and started heading deep into the forest the scenery got really pretty with the sharp granite rock formations and pine trees. It was mid-afternoon by this time and we got to the highest elevations of the forest just after an afternoon rain storm hit.
The temperature change was drastic! The temperatures were in the 50s/60s. I had the window down and it felt chilly and damp.
As we approached Kennedy Meadows I started to worry. It was pretty late in the day and there were still storm clouds. I checked the location of the nearest campsites, and the next site after the drive -in (i.e. noisy and busy) campground was over 7 miles away. I might end up running out of daylight before I got there.
My Trail Angel came up with a good idea. He could drop me off where the trail crossed Sherman Pass Road (the place I last came off trail) and pick me up at Kennedy Meadows Campground, a little over 2 miles away. There we could decide if I wanted to stay there for the night or drive down to the Hwy 395 corridor and stay in one of the desert hotels.
He droped me off at PCT mile 702.2 and I grabbed my super heavy backpack. In the upcoming section I needed extra equipment. I was required to have a bear can for food storage (3.5 lbs), an ice axe (1 lb), and crampons (1 lb). Additionally, I had what would probably be my biggest food carry of the entire trail.
I estimated that I would be walking 8 days before my next resupply, so I brought 10 days worth of food in case I run into problems with the snow or water crossings. My pack weighed in at 43 lbs, not counting water. At least I don't have to carry much water anymore. I am entering an area with an abundant water supply.
I was suprised when I put my pack on, that it didn't feel as bad as I expected. I knew it would get annoying and painful when I started walking a lot of miles, but it wasn't hard to carry for only about 2 miles.
The walk from Sherman Pass Road to the canpground was gorgeous. I walked an extensive mountain valley right next to the South Fork of the Kern River.
It was a little warm for the elevation though. My thermometer was almost reading 90 degrees (F) and the air was still humid from the afternoon rain storm. However, since my hike today was really short, it didn't bother me too much and I was able to enjoy the scenery.
When I got to the campground I was excited about tomorrow's miles. I had pretty much finished the length of the meadow and could see the mountains I would hike first thing in the morning. I can't wait to see how pretty the scenery gets tomorrow.
My Trail Angel and I ended up getting a hotel down in the desert. It was hard to turn down one last night with air conditioning and running water.
I'm back! Well, sort of. I originally wanted to come back yesterday, but ran into some unexpected problems, so I came back to Kennedy Meadows South today. My plan was to leave really early in the morning so that I could hike most of the day. I didn't end up leaving Orange until well after 10 am.
Instead of rushing to get to the trail, my Trail Angel and I took a scenic detour. We drove to Kernville and paralleled the Kern River until we reached Sherman Pass Road, which we were going to drive 75 miles through Sequoia National Forest to get to Kennedy Meadows.
It was a hot day. As we were driving through the desert the dashboard thermometer read 109 degrees (F). As we drove along the Kern River the temperature was still in the 90s. Only when we got up to 5,000/6,000 ft did the temperature drop into the 80s.
Once we hit Sherman Pass Road and started heading deep into the forest the scenery got really pretty with the sharp granite rock formations and pine trees. It was mid-afternoon by this time and we got to the highest elevations of the forest just after an afternoon rain storm hit.
 |
| Sherman Pass Rd near Kernville. |
 |
| Mooooove. |
The temperature change was drastic! The temperatures were in the 50s/60s. I had the window down and it felt chilly and damp.
As we approached Kennedy Meadows I started to worry. It was pretty late in the day and there were still storm clouds. I checked the location of the nearest campsites, and the next site after the drive -in (i.e. noisy and busy) campground was over 7 miles away. I might end up running out of daylight before I got there.
My Trail Angel came up with a good idea. He could drop me off where the trail crossed Sherman Pass Road (the place I last came off trail) and pick me up at Kennedy Meadows Campground, a little over 2 miles away. There we could decide if I wanted to stay there for the night or drive down to the Hwy 395 corridor and stay in one of the desert hotels.
He droped me off at PCT mile 702.2 and I grabbed my super heavy backpack. In the upcoming section I needed extra equipment. I was required to have a bear can for food storage (3.5 lbs), an ice axe (1 lb), and crampons (1 lb). Additionally, I had what would probably be my biggest food carry of the entire trail.
I estimated that I would be walking 8 days before my next resupply, so I brought 10 days worth of food in case I run into problems with the snow or water crossings. My pack weighed in at 43 lbs, not counting water. At least I don't have to carry much water anymore. I am entering an area with an abundant water supply.
 |
| Starting back at mile 702.2. |
I was suprised when I put my pack on, that it didn't feel as bad as I expected. I knew it would get annoying and painful when I started walking a lot of miles, but it wasn't hard to carry for only about 2 miles.
The walk from Sherman Pass Road to the canpground was gorgeous. I walked an extensive mountain valley right next to the South Fork of the Kern River.
 |
| Gorgeous Kennedy Meadows. |
 |
| Walking through vegetation near the river. |
 |
| South Fork of the Kern River. |
It was a little warm for the elevation though. My thermometer was almost reading 90 degrees (F) and the air was still humid from the afternoon rain storm. However, since my hike today was really short, it didn't bother me too much and I was able to enjoy the scenery.
When I got to the campground I was excited about tomorrow's miles. I had pretty much finished the length of the meadow and could see the mountains I would hike first thing in the morning. I can't wait to see how pretty the scenery gets tomorrow.
My Trail Angel and I ended up getting a hotel down in the desert. It was hard to turn down one last night with air conditioning and running water.
Comments
Post a Comment