TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
- cloudlesssky
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TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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. I like driving up the single lane road and dream of owning the small ranch on the north side. 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. I walked to Chicken Spring Lake and found it mostly frozen. The northeastern edge where it gets afternoon sun was thawing out. 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. From Trail Pass I returned to Horseshoe Meadows.
I turned off Hwy 395 at Lubken Canyon Road and was treated to the moon setting over the Sierra. I like driving up the single lane road and dream of owning the small ranch on the north side. 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. I walked to Chicken Spring Lake and found it mostly frozen. The northeastern edge where it gets afternoon sun was thawing out. 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. From Trail Pass I returned to Horseshoe Meadows.
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- mort
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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
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
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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.mort wrote: How's the road? I had heard it suffered in the big rains.
-mort
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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.Solace-seeker wrote:G I heard there are big horn sheep in this area. Have you ever seen one here?
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- Solace-seeker
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
WOW! So Awesome!
- Hobbes
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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
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Re: TR: Cottonwood & Trail Pass 5/4/2018
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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