Vidette Lakes and Center Basin via Kearsarge Pass 7/21-25
Our route was originally planned to take us over Kearsarge Pass, Deerhorn Saddle, and Harrison Pass into the Upper Kern Basin en route to Wright Lakes Basin. The return leg went over Forester Pass to Center Basin before exiting via Kearsarge Pass. In the event, things did not turn out exactly as planned, but we still managed to have an excellent time of it. Weather was the dominant factor in our change of plans, but the condition of the route and evolving personal limitations also affected the decision.
Day1
We got off to a relatively late 8:30 AM start, as we had only planned to go as far as Kearsarge Lakes the first day. The main objective was to get over and down the other side of the pass before the predicted early thunderstorms became a concern. We moved along at a decent pace, topping the pass at 11:00 AM and pausing briefly to admire the impressive views before us. There was no sign of imminent adverse weather, so we decided to keep going. We arrived at Vidette Meadow around 1 PM, and quickly found a decent log crossing of Bubbs Creek a few yards away from one of the legendary Shorty Lovelace's trap line cabins. We paused for a few minutes to inspect it and reflect on what it must have been like to live year around in the upper reaches of the South Fork Kings River back in the early 1900's. He must have been one tough, savvy woodsman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob-vwPKlFdQ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorty_Lovelace_Historic_District
By now, the predicted thunderstorm was developing, and we had to choose between camping at Vidette Meadows or pushing on to Vidette Lakes. I have never much cared for Vidette Meadows, which is infested with mosquitos, hikers, and thus bears, so we decided to make a run for it and hope we could get to the lakes before the storm broke. We picked up a decent use trail which led up Vidette Creek and began the ascent. The trail quickly became sketchy, but the route was well marked with cairns if you read the terrain properly and did not stray too far from the logical line of ascent. Still, it was slow going, and the storm broke before we reached the lower of the two main lakes, forcing us to quickly set up our tents in a marginal location to avoid getting by drenched by the deluge that followed.
Day 2
We had spent a restless night trying to keep from sliding down off our sleeping pads, having been forced to pitch our tents on a slight slope, and were glad when the sun finally rose the next morning. A hot cup of coffee and breakfast set things right, and we soon found ourselves at the lower lake. We were now able to get our first look at Deerhorn Saddle, and it quickly became apparent that crossing it would not be a trivial matter given current weather conditions. The route involved ascending two very steep scree slopes embedded with large boulders, separated by a slabby, sloping bench. The scree slopes had been thoroughly saturated by several days of heavy rains, and were potentially unstable, in my judgment. I was particularly sensitive to that possibility, having watched a very similar slope release an avalanche of debris under similar conditions 3 years previously at Packsaddle Pass up in Humphreys Basin, and was in no hurry to tempt fate here. So, we elected to lay over a day, in the hope that the weather would improve and give the slope a chance to drain. It would also give two old goats a chance to rest up for what would be a strenuous crossing even under ideal conditions. We set up camp and hiked up to the higher lake to get a closer look at the route. The terrain made for very slow going, and it was at this point that we began to wonder whether the payoff was worth the effort required to slog up 1800' of steep, soggy scree. Fred and I had visited the Upper Kern last year, and I have been there close to 50 times down thru the years, crossed Harrison Pass 3 times, and visited Wright Lakes Basin perhaps a dozen times. So, the only real payoff was a chance for Fred to visit Wright Lakes Basin. We decided to think about it the rest of the day and make our decision the next morning. It rained heavily again that afternoon, which cast further doubt on the idea of crossing, and we turned in that night full of misgivings.
Day 3
The weather still looked unstable when we awoke and, after a brief discussion, it became pretty obvious that our hearts were not really in it, so we decided to go back down to Vidette Meadows and hike up to Center Basin. As the day went on, the weather began to clear, but I don't think it would have affected our decision. In my case in particular, I am at a point in life physically where I have to have a good reason to put out the kind of effort that would have been required to go over Deerhorn Saddle, and it just wasn't there in this case. Could I have done it? Yes, but it just wasn't worth the effort. So, after a delightful hike back down Vidette Creek, and a mercifully brief hour or so on the JMT, we found ourselves heading up a side trail to Center Basin. We missed the turnoff, just like Dixon and Wilson on their SSHR exploratory journey, but it was a trivial matter to intersect it by hiking east off trail when we realized our error. An hour later, we reached the smaller lake below Golden Bear Lake and located a beautiful campsite with expansive views, on a bench a couple hundred yards back from the lake. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the truly magnificent views in every direction. Center Basin has a wide open, expansive character that I have found elsewhere only in Kaweah Basin, and to some degree in the lesser side basins of the Upper Kern Basin. It was truly as Dixon and Wilson described it, "sublime", to which Fred, a man of few words, added, "serene", as we contemplated a glorious sunset that evening.
Day 4
2 cups of coffee put us in the mood to do a little exploring. The sky was cloudless, so we decided to hike up to Junction Pass and have a look at the upper reaches of Center Basin in the process. The map indicated the possibility of wide open vistas, and we were not disappointed. Our trail, the original JMT, was in surprisingly good condition, given that it has not been regularly maintained for many years. There were a few sections showing signs of erosion, but for the most part it was as easy as hiking the new JMT. As we wound our way leisurely up onto the ridge the separates Center Basin from the main Bubbs Creek drainage, the views became increasingly more rewarding. When we reached the ridge at ~12,400', we found ourselves looking down on a line of hikers laboring up the final stretch of the JMT to Forester Pass, and also the broad Bubbs Creek valley stretching away to the north. To our east Center Basin fell away at our feet, and the ridgeline that defines its eastern boundary, including Center Crags and University Peak, appeared almost at eye level. But we still had about 700' of elevation gain to reach Junction Pass. It was slower going, due to the altitude, but well worth the effort. From about 12,600' to Junction Pass, Polemonium eximium, also known as Sky Pilot, grew so thickly along the trail that we did not have to stoop over to savor its heavenly fragrance. Normally, it grows in solitary clumps that require an aficionado to bend over or squat in order to enjoy the scent. In time we arrived at Junction Pass, where we were treated to the most expansive Sierra views I have ever enjoyed. We both stood there in rapt silence for a moment, a bit awestruck by the vastness of it all. Center Basin and the Bubbs Creek drainage lay at our feet, while the Central Sierra stretched away to the north as far as the eye could see, to the Palisade Crest, Goode, Wallace, Darwin, Lamarck, and beyond. Immediately to the south, the giants of the Whitney Crest rose up in silent grandeur, Williamson, Tyndall, Barnard, seemingly a stones throw away, with Trojan Peak, Versteeg, and Russell in the background. It was a sight I doubt I will ever again behold, unless I can summon the energy to return to Junction Pass for an encore. Forgive me if I seem overly effusive, but never in 42 seasons of exploring the Sierra have I had such a privilege. All I can say is, go experience it for yourselves. I will post a couple of pictures, but I have neither the camera nor the requisite skills to adequately capture what I saw. It was truly a Bob Gross moment; perhaps this description will inspire him to get his butt up there and do it right. We spent the better part of an hour enjoying the scenery and refueling, before reluctantly beginning the longish trek back to camp. I think we both knew we would not likely return, and there was a certain sense of melancholy in that realization. The trip down was leisurely and enjoyable, much enhanced when we flushed a quartet of sleek Mule Deer out of a thicket of willows, where they had bedded down for the afternoon. Such beautiful creatures! There were two 4 point bucks with moss still covering their antlers, accompanied by two svelte does. They bounded off perhaps a hundred yards, and turned to check us out. By that time I had my camera out and attempted to zoom in on them. The results were disappointing, so I'm reluctant to post the photos. Back in camp, we lazed around and were treated to a memorable sunset that turned University Peak and Center Crags first to gold, then to fire. "Sublime". Yes, that pretty much says it all.
Day 5
We had pretty much achieved what we had set out to do after modifying our route, so all that remained was to get back to the car. Initially, we had planned to hike as far as Kearsarge Lakes, approximately 8.5 miles, and do the remaining 5 or so miles the following day. But, as so often happens when the distance to the car is not beyond our capabilities and we are feeling good, we decided on the fly as we approached Kearsarge Lakes to just keep on going and get it done. We had encountered hordes of hikers on the short JMT section, and, it being Saturday, the Kearsarge Lakes area would likely be crawling with people as well, not a scene that sat well with either of us. The prospect of a hot shower, cold beer, and real food pretty much supplied all the additional motivation we might have needed. We pulled into the parking lot at TH around 4:30 PM, and 2 hours later were comfortably ensconced in the Mountain Rambler brew pub in Bishop, enjoying their excellent beer, pub grub, and live country music. To those of you worried about finding decent food in Bishop, your prayers have been answered. Beyond their signature beer, the salads are excellent, as are the fries, sandwiches, and other dishes, as good as you will likely find in bigger cities.
Reflecting on our hike, I concluded that we had made a wise course correction that enabled us to have a much more enjoyable experience that would likely have been the case had we obstinately clung to the original plan, especially taking the weather into account. The original error was mine in deciding to enter the Kern via Deerhorn Saddle/Harrison Pass, simply because I wanted to go over Deerhorn Saddle. Yes, even at my age, I am occasionally tempted to do something just to say I did it, bragging rights or whatever you want to call it. But in the end, whatever sense of judgment I have acquired down through the years won out, and we avoided what might well have been an unpleasant outcome. As a result, we were able to visit two picturesque, seldom visited areas that neither of us had been to, which had long been on my "to do" list, entering over a pass neither of us had previously crossed, and enjoy what I consider to be one of my best day hikes ever. I can't speak for Fred, although I doubt he'd disagree, but I would have to say that was about as much as could be fit into a compact 5 day outing. It is worth mentioning that both Vidette and Center Basins are no more than 2 miles off the JMT and yet were, except for 2 hikers up in Center Basin who departed the morning after we arrived, deserted. Either would make an excellent weekend getaway for some of the younger BPL studs in search of solitude without a lot of trail time involved. Heck, a number of the older BPL studs could do this one in that time frame as well, for that matter.
JMT notes: We talked to a couple of guys who seemed quite knowledgeable about all things JMT, and they said there had been a 500% increase in traffic on the JMT since
2010, which translates to over 10,000 hikers this season. Mind boggling to a solitude seeker like myself. That said, it was very encouraging to see a lot of solo women, mostly young, but not exclusively, out on the trail. Gave me a warm and fuzzy somehow. :0))
