My California - Golden Trout Wilderness
For this weeks Show Us Your California contest by @socalsteemit I share a backpacking trip with some friends out in the...
Golden Trout Wilderness!!
I met up with a few friends in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains for a 4 day backpacking adventure in the Golden Trout Wilderness. We started our trip at the Jerkey trailhead and made the climb up to Jerkey meadows and followed down Jerkey creek to the Little Kern river. The river was raging from all the snow runoff. Luckily there was a bridge for us to get across. We crossed the bridge and made the climb up to Trout meadows. We took a lunch break by the meadow and filled up some water in the creek there.
Jerkey trailhead
Lloyd Meadows creek
Jerkey meadows
The Little Kern River
The Little Kern River
The trail across Trout meadows
Trout meadows
From Trout meadows we continued up over a ridge and made a long drop over a thousand feet down to the Kern river. The river was huge! It was ripping, wide, deep, and fast. We headed up Kern canyon about a mile and found a great camping spot right near the lower Kern river bridge. We setup camp and I tried some fishing, but the water was moving way to fast to catch any fish.
Doe meadows
The Kern river
Blooming Lupin
Our first camp
Evening by the Kern river
The next day we crossed the river on the bridge and continued up Kern canyon to the Nine Mile creek trail. We headed up the Nine Mile creek trail passed Soda flats to the crossing of Nine Mile creek. Our plan had been to get a few more miles up the canyon to Jordan Hot springs, but when we saw how risky trying to cross the creek would be we had some second thoughts.
Crossing the Kern river
Kern river
The cabins at Soda flats
Nine Mile Creek
We walked downstream a bit and checked out Nine Mile falls which was really awesome with all the water gushing down over 200 feet! Then we tried going upstream a ways looking for any spot where we might have a chance of getting across the creek, but with no success. The creek was just to deep and fast. And with a 200 foot waterfall just downstream a fall into the creek would be certain death. We were pretty bummed that we couldn't make it to the hot springs, but there was nothing else we could do. We headed back down to the Kern river and found a really cool campsite which was, because of the high water, on an island between the main river and a smaller overflow creek formed by the overflowing river.
Nine Mile falls
Hanging out at the top of Nine Mile falls
Nine Mile creek
Hiking back by Soda Flats
Dropping back down into Kern canyon
Our camp on the island
After another fun night of camping we headed back down the Kern river, we recrossed the bridge and then made the big climb back up out of Kern canyon to Trout meadows where we made our final camp for the trip. The last day we headed back down to the Little Kern, re-crossed the bridge and then climbed back up and over Jerkey meadows to the Jerkey trailhead where we first started. It was a long tough hike, but the awesome scenery and fun people made it a great adventure!
Passing Manzanita canyon
Hiking down the Kern river
More blooming Lupin
Climbing out of Kern canyon
Some Snow Plants
Back at Jerkey meadows
Map (click to enlarge)
Until next time...
I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into
My California!!
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Wow-what a trip. Thanks for sharing the great photos. I can't wait to be able to go on some hikes with my kids. I need to see what is near us that is easy enough for younger kids.
Monrovia canyon park or Big Santa Anita canyon are both good spots with kid friendly hikes. And they are both beautiful canyons, but they can get popular on weekends.
That was great! Thank you :)
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it!