Double checking on bear can requirements over Shepherd Pass

[dbogey]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I'll take the bear cans to avoid the problems and camp wherever we want without worrying about slinging food up a tree. Bear cans do make good seats/tables.

Can't wait to get back out there with my daughter. Took her a few years ago and now she's addicted to the sierra - must be something in the water Just trying to finalize the itinerary and make it special for her - will be her 21st Birthday out on the trail with me.

We have 7 days in August and it looks somethting like this.
1. Get as far up Shepherd as possible Sat. Leave at 4 am
2. Off to lake https://bit.ly/2JUpdqZ
3. Milestone basin and try to peakbag milestone mt.
4. Picket lake and Kaewahs
5. Layover in Kaweah
6. Wales Lake
7. Wright Lake
8. Back to the car - Drive to Vegas

Thanks

[SSSdave]

This page shows current snow course depths for Kern Basin:

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/COURSES

Far below average with every location below 10k already snowless. Generally the far southern end of the range is most below average. I've been trying to do a 10-day trip over Shepherd for several years but conditions continue to be mediocre for the huge effort involved. Thus am unlikely to bother this droughty year also.

Impossible for this person to fit 9 days of the kind of food I like in a Garcia so will be carrying a Garcia plus Ursack. However only the Garcia will go beyond the pass into the park with 7 days of food to be legal. Ursack will sustain me over 3 days east of the pass.

My own 10-day 9 night trip will include 3 nights east of the pass. The first day will start hiking the lower part pre-dawn. Trailhead is at 6370 with the ridge pass at 9120 a 2750 foot effort. I'll be content just to reach that then take a couple hours break before continuing on to the miles plus 350 feet to Mahogany Flat on Shepherd Creek to call it a 3k vertical effort day. From there at 8850 it is another 3.2k to the pass at 12,040 that I have no desire to do. Thus will camp after just 2.2k in the Big Pothole zone that has water or maybe move a bit higher at sunset. That will allow me to tackle the last steep 1k early at sunrise when I'm fresh and then continue on all the way to Bighorn Plateau to base camp a few days. Besides there is interesting sunrise photography at Big Pothole up towards craggy Mt Kieth. On my way out on day 9 also don't want to endure the misery of a 6.3k decent so will stop mid way to camp maybe at upper Mohogany so I can exit the last day early when strong. Thus will have 7 good days with 6 nights west of the pass.

[Wandering Daisy]

How far you get up Shepherd Pass is most dependent on a very early start. Crack of dawn ideal. I have done a similar route years ago with CMC (California Mountaineering Club). We made it all the way to above Pothole the first day. It was just a steady pace, all day. Second day we went over the pass and made it to base camp on Milestone Creek. Days 3-4 we climbed Milestone, Midway and Thunder and moved into the next drainage north. Day 5 climbed Thunder. Day 6 walked back to Shepherd Pass. The group went over and camped at Mahogeny. I camped at a high lake just nw of Williamson Bowl. Day 7 I climbed Tyndal, dropped to Wright Lakes, and went over Rockwell Pass back to my camp (a very long day!) Day 8 I walked out. The reason I did not stop at Williamson Bowl, is that back then it was under a mountain sheep closure. I believe you can go there now.

Your schedule is quite ambitious. If your goal is to cover miles and you are all in great shape, OK. Otherwise I would drop Keweahs (they really deserve a separate trip) and spend more time in Wallace/Wales (climb Tanabora Peak for a great view). The uppermost large Wrights Lake is a "must-see" and "must-overnight" lake for the fishing and amazing sunrise. I also think a jaunt around the other lakes in Milestone Basin is worth an extra day there. Both basins south and north of Milestone Basin are scenic and well worth a visit. The basin north is especially scenic. Just saying there is SO much to see in the Upper Kern that adding the Keweahs just does not make sense to me, unless you add a few more days. And you are SO close to Williamson Bowl on the way out that a side-trip is hard to pass up. If it is really the Keweahs that you want to see, then drop either Wallace/Wales or Wrights Lakes. Go ahead and plan for seeing everything, but have a Plan B if needed.