Distance: 9.1 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 10310'
Elevation Gain: 2775'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.4
Round trip time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 100 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Upper Deer Creek Lane
Difficulty: Moderate
Leisa and I camped at Shaver Lake in the Sierra National Forest over the fourth of July weekend. This was an area we had never explored, so we picked out a few hikes that looked interesting. Kaiser Peak was first on the list, a reasonable target with a maintained trail. Because of the near record winter snowfall this year, most of the ten thousand foot peaks in the area still held some snow. We expected to encounter some snow near the top and packed microspikes. We got a leisurely start around 9:15 AM. The trailhead was just before a pack station where horse rides were for hire.
The trail was smooth and the surrounding forest of pines and cedars was beautiful. As we gained elevation, views of Huntington Lake opened up to the south. There were dozens of snow plants blooming along the trail, more than I've seen anywhere else. We passed College Rock and wondered how the trail was still in great shape after the harsh winter. Up to this point, we had encountered bits of snow, some of it over the trail, but not causing any problems. That changed quickly above 9000'. Deadfall started to accumulate and the snow patches became more frequent. We stopped to don our spikes and left them on between snow patches that became larger and required more effort. By 9200', the trail was gone, covered with snow 2-4' deep with drifts up to 6' near boulders and trees. Navigation required GPS as it became a cross country effort. Our first big obstacle was a meadow with a two feet of standing ice water and head high melting drifts with crevasses. We circled around the meadow to get generally back on the same line as the trail. We both did some minor post holing, and it was slow going around the rocks and trees where you might get injured. We continued on for about an hour to 9670', just below the saddle between Kaiser and Peak 10079'. Since we had started late, the snow was turning to slush and we were losing traction. With a mile to go, we opted for prudence over valor. Our descent was slippery, but we emerged without incident. I really liked the forest around Kaiser and would like to return under more pleasant conditions.
No comments:
Post a Comment