TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018

[cloudlesssky]

I'm planning to hike CA section G of the PCT in a couple weeks and I was curious what the trail conditions were like on the northern end of the section, so I decided to take a quick day hike from Horseshoe Meadow up Cottonwood Pass south to Trail Pass and then back to the parking lot. After a snow/rain storm on Tuesday, Friday was near perfect conditions (sunny, 50+ degrees, calm).

I turned off Hwy 395 at Lubken Canyon Road and was treated to the moon setting over the Sierra.

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I like driving up the single lane road and dream of owning the small ranch on the north side.

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Mine was the only car in the Horseshoe Meadow trail head parking until someone arrived to load PCT resupplies in the bear boxes. I made good time up to Cottonwood pass. There was only a little snow on the trail and summit, however I've seen much less this time of year in a low snow year.

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I walked to Chicken Spring Lake and found it mostly frozen. The northeastern edge where it gets afternoon sun was thawing out.

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I then headed south on the PCT towards Trail Pass. The PCT between Cottonwood and Trail passes was probably 50-60% snow covered. It was early enough in the day that I didn't post hole too much. Near Trail Pass I encountered the only other hikers of the day: a couple heading north on the PCT. With the weight of their packs they were breaking through the crust much more easily than I was. They hoped to make the Crabtree Ranger station before stopping for the night. After a short conversation I wished them luck. I'm sure it was going to be a tough slog as the temperature climbed and the sun softened the snow.

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From Trail Pass I returned to Horseshoe Meadows.

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[mort]

Hi cloudlesssky.
Not much snow! Thanks for the pictures and report. How's the road? I had heard it suffered in the big rains. I'm hoping to get to Miter Basin the last week of May.
-mort

[cloudlesssky]

How's the road? I had heard it suffered in the big rains.
-mort

Road was in very good shape. There is one very small section where the pavement apparently washed out but it's graded over already only and requires you to slow a bit.

[Solace-seeker]

Great photos. Thanks for posting about your trip. I heard there are big horn sheep in this area. Have you ever seen one here?

[cloudlesssky]

G I heard there are big horn sheep in this area. Have you ever seen one here?

Not at lower elevations, but in Sept 2015 I did see a group of them on Mt Langley. Although I've frequently seen evidence of them at higher elevations, this was the only time I've actually seen them.

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[Solace-seeker]

WOW! So Awesome!

[Hobbes]

Here you go - Langley (sort of cut off on left), Olancha behind in the far distance (the last 12k peak in the range), Muir in the foreground & Kern Peak in the center distance:

[rhyang]

Very nice. Looks like a return to the GTW via the east side might be better earlier than later this year.

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