The area is traversed by several hundred miles of scenic trails and two wild and scenic rivers (North and South Forks of the Kern River). It probably has a great deal of fishing pressure. Day hikes and over night hikes to this area are common for those wanting to fish the area for Golden Trout. On the drive up, my stomach had felt a little…off…and I’d thought about turning around. Thanks for reading, Mark! Muir Lake from the old Cottonwood Trailhead. Golden trout lakes is a 5-mile rout trip hike with the opportunity to fish for Golden Trout. Please be aware that the Cottonwood Lakes trail passes through Sequoia National Park and only service animals are allowed there, no pets. Upper Portal Creek Trailhead Elevation: . 4. Remain low and you’ll save yourself effort. I observed that my hunch about the grassy-descent on the far side of the mountain to be spot on as I rounded the hillside. There is even still oil in them. The trail begins to gain elevation and you will want to avoid a turn off toward Golden Trout Camp. It’s about 9/11, well-acted, and will make you very upset. It was very warm and still, being perhaps even in the 60s, so I stripped down and bathed myself. Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek and come to a junction. Neither trail is terribly difficult. https://www.nps.gov/maps/full.html?mapId=1a3dabe6-06e2-4766-ac55-a7d41b37ea14 With just 1,330 feet of elevation gain en route to the lake, this is a desirable destination for day-hikers and a good first camp for backpackers. Suffice it to say that it is much easier to travel off-trail on the east side of the lake. This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a … Oddly, a tiny stream between Florence and Fortress Lakes has full-sized Brookies. You can chose to complete the loop section anyway you like. This time I went to the west of the Helen because a.) The Forks of the Kern Trail is a wonderful out & back 2-3 day backpacking trip. Instead of returning the way I’d came, I decided to navigate around the “peak,” if that’s what you can call the boulder-strewn hellscape, and descend via an unnamed chute and Mistymoon Lake. THE ASCENT. That made me feel quite a bit better, though my stomach was doing very poorly. Thoroughly washed my hair, too. The trail starts out by West Tensleep Lake, going through boreal forests, and then goes through some grasslands. It's 60 miles to Kernville and 75 miles to Ridgecrest. Buy Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness: A Guide to Backpacking and Day Hiking in the Golden Trout and South Sierra Wilderness Areas by Swedo, Suzanne online on Amazon.ae at best prices. Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness will help outdoor enthusiasts choose and plan a day hike or backpac Good choice! It looked like a short jaunt, but I knew that I still had 4 or so miles to go, and it was getting dark, with the sun below the mountains. The total vertical climb for this trek was an easy 6081 feet, and the first 6 miles are incredibly gradual. I then walked on down the draw, keeping to the right, and crossed the creek closer to the bottom. On the eastern edge of the lake, past the outlet, you’ll also find a memorial to those who lost their lives in the crash. •Red—Long-duration hikes, typically 5+days. Instead of using the trail, I had discerned that it was better to go through the trees on the east side of the lake and orienteer through a gap in the mountains, which let me see Lake 10,594, an unnamed lake. •Purple—Camping, international trips; excursions. I immediately saw a tent, which was there for the duration of my stay, but never had a resident. Weather like this so late in the season would make a leper happy. 15 Miles: Bomber Mountain & 10,000 Golden Trout, Hiking and Adventure Map (Work in Progress), Hiking in the Light’s $5 Christian Charity Club, NFL Puts Quotes from Virtuous Victims on Helmets, Rockhounding Locations in WY, MT; UT. Titcomb Basin (driving directions and hiking map), in the heart of the Winds, is already the kind of place that backpackers dream about.Head to Elbow Lake, a granite-ringed tarn at the end of an 18-mile trek from Elkhart trailhead. I was at Lake 10594 by 10:00, which included some downtime by a pleasant stream where I drank 80oz of fluid with electrolytes. Regardless, I was finally off of Bomber Mountain! Never seen the likes of that before. There are also campspots with fire pits if you want to make it an overnight. Hiking to The Little Kern River. The bridge is also built to handle equestrian use, which visitors are likely to see.Show more ... Golden Trout Wilderness is a protected area in California. It is a steady climb. Kennedy Meadows is a little closer but only offers a restaurant and grocery store (no phone). To my right was…more wreckage! —Date of Visit: Sep 14-16 —Notable Features: West Tensleep Lake, Lake Helen, Lake 10,547, Gunboat Lake, Florence Lake, Bomber Mountain, Wreckage of B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed “Scharazad,” Mistymoon Lake, Lake Marion —Total Miles: 15.37 miles (sans all excursions; minimum distance ~14 miles) —Elevation Gain/Loss: +/-3428 feet —Elevation Min, Avg, Max: 9084, 10,022, 11,911 AbeBooks.com: Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness: A Guide to Backpacking and Day Hiking in the Golden Trout and South Sierra Wilderness Areas (Regional Hiking Series) (9780762726554) by Swedo, Suzanne and a great selection of similar New, Used and Collectible Books available now at … Golden trout fishing requires gaining altitude to where the scenery and trek can take your breath away. The gap is located near an inlet by the NE end of Helen; this is less effort that going to the gap by the inlet from Lake Marion a bit further on. It was mostly grown over, but still deeply rutted. Golden Trout Lakes Elevation: . Welcome to living in Cheyenne…. Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness: A Guide to Backpacking and Day Hiking in the Golden Trout and South Sierra Wilderness Areas: Swedo, Suzanne: Amazon.sg: Books Buy the Kobo ebook Book Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness: A Guide to Backpacking and Day Hiking in the Golden Tr... by at Indigo.ca, Canada's largest bookstore. A smiliar approach last year had saved me 18 miles (don’t ask) coming off of Goat Flat outside of Dubois, WY, which, by the way, is a similar alien hellscape. 3. Zoom in for full list. Please review the USDA's map for further information. This is a very good, fun, historical, and easy hike! The climb was very quick, with only a couple of boulder patches, and mostly it was just ascending grassy ramps. —Download the GPS file with a free GaiaGPS account. I inspected the bits that I found while listening to the Flop House’s Godzilla review, then aimed down along the path of least boulders. It had only been 5.2 miles of hiking, so I was still fresh, but also ready for bed. The pass is reached via a 3.5-mile one way trail from Horseshoe Meadow, which has an elevation of 10,000 feet, making this is one of the easiest passes for hikers to reach in the Eastern Sierra. By this time, it was quite dark out, so I watched TLT and read some SCPs, then fell asleep. •Yellow—Overnight hikes, typically 2 nights. We camp near each of the creeks, with ample opportunity to angle for these beautiful fish. Horseshoe Meadow has two major trailheads (Cottonwood Lakes and Cottonwood Pass) providing access to areas such as the Golden Trout Wilderness, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, and the John Muir Wilderness. I mostly did this because I thought that the view was worth the extra time spent picking my way down (I’m a rock nerd), and it was. A first for me! The trailhead serves double duty as it's the jumping off place for two trails. The Little Kern River Bridge was built in 1957 and is still being maintained by the USDA Forest Service. The rubber parts of the plane are in exceptionally good condition. Almost too easy. —Date of Visit: Sep 14-16—Notable Features: West Tensleep Lake, Lake Helen, Lake 10,547, Gunboat Lake, Florence Lake, Bomber Mountain, Wreckage of B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed “Scharazad,” Mistymoon Lake, Lake Marion—Total Miles: 15.37 miles (sans all excursions; minimum distance ~14 miles)—Elevation Gain/Loss: +/-3428 feet—Elevation Min, Avg, Max: 9084, 10,022, 11,911—General Route: West Tensleep Trailhead—>Tr 063—>Off-trail—>Tr 038—>Off-trail—>Tr 038—>Tr 063—>West Tensleep Trailhead. Trailhead: . The Little Kern River Bridge was built in 1957 and is still being maintained by the USDA Forest Service. I was on the trail out by 9:08. The trip begins on a mostly sandy trail leading you North into the Golden trout Wilderness. Tons of places to camp, and all better than where everyone else camps on the other side of the lake. I also saw about 6 tents, so obviously a lot more people had arrived. Drank a bunch more fluid, too. It was pretty enough. Weird. Did the Army blow it up after they found it? MODERATE 6.2 mi. #3 - Maggie Lakes via Summit Trail [CLOSED], #4 - Chicken Spring Lake via Cottonwood Pass Trail [CLOSED], #5 - Lewis Camp Trail to the Little Kern River [CLOSED]. Distance: . Cottonwood Lakes Loop starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. The Golden Trout Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1978. The trail back to camp featured some undulation, which I hate, and moose, which I despise. EASY 3.7 mi. Explore the most popular wildlife trails in Golden Trout Wilderness with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Horseshoe Meadow has two major trailheads (Cottonwood Lakes and Cottonwood Pass) providing access to areas such as the Golden Trout Wilderness, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, and the John Muir Wilderness. 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