Hiked: 5/25/2026
Distance: 1 mile round trip on dirt road
Summit Elevation: 6104
Elevation Gain: 180'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.1
Round trip time: 20 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Dome Rock Overlook Road
Difficulty: Easy
On our last day in Kernville, we decided to do a bunch of mini-hikes. We started
with Dome Rock, a large granite dome with an easy walk up on the north side. We
parked just off the road, but could have driven to the base of the dome. There
was a benchmark on top and nice views. We looked around for about 15 minutes,
then drove south to a turnout for Nobe Young Creek Falls. It was another short
hike, less than a mile round trip. The trail descended toward the falls, then
splintered into branches that took you to the top, bottom or under the falls.
It's usually not so easy to get under waterfalls this large (~100'). Standing
under it was an unexpected pleasure. Lastly, we stopped at the Trail of 100
Giants, a paved trail through a giant sequoia grove. It was very popular and we
were lucky to find a parking spot. Parking for this trail requires a $12 cash
parking fee that you pay with an envelope. The trees were outstanding, some with
burn scars. Parts of the trail were closed for maintnenance, but we got to see
many trees up close. Expect crowds on a weekend or holiday.
Hiked: 5/24/2026
Distance: 7.5 miles round trip on trail and use trail
Summit Elevation: 9983' (Sirretta), 9984' (Sirretta North)
Prominence: 1710' (Sirretta North)
Elevation Gain: 2300'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.0
Round trip time: 5 hours
Recommended water: 64 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Forest Road 23S07
Difficulty: Moderate
On our second day in Kernville, we tackled Sirretta Peak (SPS #222). One thing we noticed about Kernville is that it's a river town, not a mountain town. The culture was different than Lone Pine or Bishop. That's not a judgment, just an observation. Recreation was geared around the Kern River, fishing and rafting, not the surrounding mountains.
The drive to the trailhead took one hour and 15 minutes on Cherry Hill Road and Forest Road 23S07. About half of the drive was on dirt, but the roads were smooth and sedan friendly. There were several parties camping around Big Meadow, but we were the only hikers. The trail started in a cedar and pine forest, mostly cedar. It was beautiful from the first step, but Sirretta was not visible for a while. The trail follows a wide draw with soft, powdery dirt. As we got higher, the views got better. We stepped off the trail to let three dirt bikes pass that were descending the trail. This was the first time I'd encountered dirt bikes on a national forest trail. We took a break just before the pass and had great views of Big Meadow. Tall rock piles dotted the ridge, but we couldn't positively identify Sirretta from below. We veered onto the summit use trail where cairns marked the start. It got steeper as we headed for the summit plateau, then we turned southwest for the last quarter mile. The summit was a 100' boulder pile.
Dirt bike on its way down
Use trail to the summit
I led us to the west side looking for an easy scramble, but instead found more difficult class 2. The easiest route was probably directly from the NE and that's how we descended. On top was a large cairn and a benchmark, but I could not locate a register. We took a lunch break and enjoyed nice views of Owens, Sawtooth, and Olancha. If not for clouds, we might have seen Whitney. The Big Meadow looked even bigger from Sirretta. The north summit of Sirretta (peak 9984) was less than a half mile away and officially 1' higher, so it claimed the higher prominence. Leisa wasn't interested, but waited 20 minutes for me to bag it. Sirretta North was a shorter class 2 scramble, maybe 50'. It didn't look as high as Sirretta, so I walked past it at first to see if something was higher further north. Finding nothing, I came back and climbed it, finding a register in a glass jar but no benchmark. It also had nice views and was worth the small effort. The descent was uneventful. With pristine forest and granite, Sirretta made my favorites list. Highly recommended.
Hiked: 5/23/2026
Distance: 4.5 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 4157' (at the teacups)
Elevation Gain: 1000'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Mountain Highway 99
Difficulty: Easy
Leisa and I spent Memorial Day weekend in Kernville exploring the Southern Sierra. We drove past Kernville to a turnout on the side of Mountain Highway 99, the starting point for the trail to Seven Teacups. The teacups are a series of deep cylinders carved by water flowing through Dry Meadow Creek. The round trip was a little over 4 miles and the trail was easy to follow, though temps were in the high 80s. We hit a couple of obstacles at the end. First was getting over the creek. A 20' log had been placed at a narrow point, but the water was 4' deep there and flowing strongly. We explored upstream about 100' and found a spot where it was only shin deep and we could wade across. Leisa decided to take the log. I decided to wade. She made it across the log easily and I met up with her on the granite rocks on the other side. After crossing the creek, the trail went up and down the side of the creek with some scrambling to reach the start of the tea cups. They were deeper than photos suggested, between 10-30' deep with falls in between. Leisa found a great viewing spot where we could see all the teacups at once. My impression was that this canyon would be a tough descent even with proper ropes and gear, but canyoneers might not think so. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, there were many people on the trail, but fewer people made it to the teacups. Heading back, I followed Leisa over the log, then we reversed the ups and downs.
Hiked: 5/18/2026
Distance: 11.7 miles round trip on dirt roads and use trail
Summit Elevation: 7471'
Elevation Gain: 3080'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.4
Round trip time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 64 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Guffy Campground
Difficulty: Moderate
Pine Mountain Ridge (HPS #98) is the high point on a ridge in the Angeles National Forest that extends from Pine Mountain between San Antonio Ridge and Blue Ridge. It has low prominence, but great views of the northern aspects of the mountains around Baldy. My intention was to go nowhere near it. I had packed and planned for a bike ride along the closed section ACH to Dawson Saddle, followed by a one mile round trip to Mount Lewis (HPS #52). When I got to the closed section, there was a long convoy of dump trucks driving through the open barrier to work on the ACH. I didn't want to deal with the construction traffic or interfere with their work, so I looked for an alternative. On my drive out, I noticed the gate to Blue Ridge was open. I knew there were a couple of HPS peaks out there I hadn't climbed, so I downloaded a track to Wild View Peak on my phone before losing cell service. The track I had did a big loop over Pine Mountain, but I picked one tendril of the track, hoping it was Wild View. The dirt road to Guffy Campground was in good shape, but there were a lot of crews out clearing dead trees. I parked at Guffy and started down the road toward Lupine Camp. The road had a lot of big washouts before I reached the Prairie Fork of the San Gabriel River. The stream was steady but low and easily crossed.
Pine Mountain from Lupine Road
Prairie Fork
An abandoned dirt road continued on the other side of the river. It degraded into a dry streambed, then emerged on the other side. Before I got to Lupine Camp, I spotted a road cut going up to the ridge. I pushed through some plants to reach it. It was somewhat overgrown with knee high grass and talus. The grade was steady but not really steep. When I reached the ridge, the road split with one fork going left and one continuing along the ridge. I stayed on the ridge and soon reached the high point. A solitary boulder with a rusted register can marked the top. Inside the can was a piece of charcoal that used to be a register. It needs a new one. I had great views of Iron Mountain, Baldy, Pine, Rattlesnake, and South Mount Hawkins. On the way back, I was tempted to head out to another peak on the track, but I was already rationing my food and water. It felt surprisingly isolated along the ridge. The return trip had a lot of gain, but it was spread out over several miles. It wasn't until I got home that I discovered I had reached Pine Mountain Ridge and not Wild View, the other point on the track. I'll have to go back for Wild View, but feel confident I can drive part way down Lupine Road to save some effort. This HPS peak was of questionable quality, but I salvaged the day and worked up a lather outside. Can't complain.
