Kearsarge Pass and the Eastside
This was one of my favorite “weekend” trips I’ve made in the last few years, so even though this report is 2 years overdue, it’s worth the write up!
Our goal was to backpack over Kearsarge Pass, from the Onion Valley trailhead, and spend 2 nights/3 days in Sequoia National Park. However, unexpectedly cold nighttime temps on Night #1 led to an early exit, and we spent the extra time exploring Mammoth’s hot springs, Devil’s Postpile National Monument, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and so much more! As with so many things in life, an surprise change of plans yielded something better than the original.
The trail starts at Onion Valley Campground, a place I had first come across on a Mt. Whitney acclimation hike. I’d been wanting to return to Kearsarge Pass ever since. The campground is quite a bit west of I-395, and at 9,190’ starting elevation, it gives you a solid start to an eastern Sierra hike. We found ourselves returning in late September 2018, with colorful foliage, pleasant days, and chilly nights.
Leaving behind the campground and its ample parking. Before starting the hike, we picked up a permit from White Mountain Ranger Station (798 North Main St, Bishop, California, 93514, Tel: 760-873-2500).
We experimented with some new backpacking recipes for this trip: shrimp and pineapple “fried” rice (8/10), crab chowder (7/10), maple olive oil apple chips (5/10), and sweet potato porridge (4/10) for breakfast. An important lesson was learned in prepping all this food: dehydrating seafood WILL make your house smell like an aquarium.
Despite the cold-induced abbreviation, we still loved this hike. It took us a little over 16 miles, with about 2,600’ in elevation gain. We slept near Charlotte Lake on night #1. The views were stellar in every direction, and we seldom passed another hiker.
After hiking out from the backcountry, we realized there were still a few business hours left in the day, and that we were near some place called … Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. With little knowledge, internet reception, or daylight hours left, we hurried over to the forest.
There was no time to gather our bearings, so we quickly opted to trail run the 4.5-mile Methuselah Loop to try to finish before dark. It was a magical time of day, in a magical sliver of nature. The forest sits about 9,000’ above sea level; watching the moon rise felt like a special treat unlike what we see in the city.
The trees may not look like much, but they are some of the oldest living organisms on earth (!!). Methuselah, one of the oldest trees in the forest, is thought to be over 4,850 years old. Or, dating from a casual 2,832 years BC. Before Christ! Christ!! Humans were just inventing written language, when these trees were first germinated. They were already centuries old by the time the pyramids were built. My mind is so boggled.
The next day, we stopped by Devil’s Postpile National Monument, and visited the columnar basalt formation. It was a perfectly fall day and a fun “jungle gym” to explore.
