Inyo National Forest / Kings Canyon National Park – Kearsarge Pass - July 21, 2013 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Inyo National Forest / Kings Canyon National Park – Kearsarge Pass |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | California |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | July 21, 2013 |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Trail Conditions: | Good |
| Trail Traffic: | Light to Moderate |
| Trip Weather: | Partly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
| Trip Winds: | Light to Moderate |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 81-90, Low: 41-50 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | The majority of our second day was mostly uneventful, but worthy of note were the sage words of wisdom we received from the backcountry ranger we spoke with at the top of Glen Pass. “It never rains in the Sierras at night” would soon become one of our favorite quotes for the remainder of the trip. From Glen Pass, we descended nearly 1,500 feet to our second night’s campsite at Rae Lakes. Along the way, we caught a distant glimpse of several bighorn sheep and a couple close-up photos of some deer. If there was ever such a thing as a five-star backcountry campsite this would be it. This place was the essence of spectacular, and I would highly recommend a dose of it to anyone. It didn’t take much effort for us to settle in here, and before long we were acclimatizing to the water. It was a bit chilly at first, but ultimately refreshing after a hot day of climbing. Later in the evening, it seemed at times as if Metro and I were in a competition to catch the most fish, but after awhile it was apparent his fly fishing outfit was no match for the little spinning reel setup I was sporting (sorry Metro, couldn’t resist). Nonetheless, Metro’s persistence, fueled by an uncanny indulgence in American Honey (a.k.a. Honey Velvet), ultimately put him within striking distance. In fact, at one point, we lost track of him. It was getting dark, and he had obviously been feeling the effects of the Honey, and disappeared for nearly 45 minutes just as dusk was setting in. We ultimately found him casting away in an adjacent lake whilst conversing with Scott, one of our neighboring campers. Once we reeled in Metro, we retired to our campsite, where we spent the evening conversing with Turbkini, our other neighboring camper. Turbokini turned out to be quite the Chatty Kathy, and before long we were intimately familiar with her life story. Of particular interest though, was a story she shared with us about Scott and his hiking partner from a few nights past. Both Scott and his hiking partner, as well as Turbokini, had started in Yosemite and were hiking the John Muir Trail. In the end, they would all end up spending 20 to 25 days on the trail culminating with a summit of Mount Whitney. Scott and his hiking partner had been using a triangular shaped tarp as their only means of shelter for the extent of their 19 or so days on the trail thus far, and several nights prior, a torrential downpour had occurred “in the Sierras at night.” Scott and his hiking partner spent the night huddled together sitting on their bear canisters under the middle of their tarp without sleep for nearly the entire night. Tonight would be no different. So much for “it never rains in the Sierras at night.” First Day Starting Elevation = 10,370 feet Ending Elevation = 10,500 feet High Point Elevation = 11,978 feet Total Distance = 5.6 miles |
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