3.8 miles before Forester Pass to Kern Hot Springs

I awoke to the sounds of boots on the trail and voices going by my tent. It was only 5:30 am. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was hopeless and I was on the trail by 6:20.

The air was cool and the trail wasn’t too steep. Before long, I caught and passed the group of hikers that woke me. The surrounding peaks began catching light, slowly waking up the little glacial tarns with their reflected alpenglow. Before me, there was a wide open meadow with a lone tent pitched before a towering mountain side. If I ever come back, I would camp there.

The hike up the northern side of Forester Pass was extremely pleasant. Grassy meadows gave way to rocky terrain and glacial tarns continued to dot the landscape. Water was extremely plentiful, to my surprise, and you could get away carrying a liter or even a half liter and filling up along the way. The switchbacks were mostly limited to the final approach, which was nice.

I was feeling good and covered the 3.8 miles in an hour and forty-five minutes, including a bathroom break (my highest poop ever).

Northern view from the top of Forester Pass in June, 2017.

June 2017 view north from Forester Pass, serrated ridges and snow covered lakes galore!

South side of Forester Pass and the infamous snow shoot in June, 2017.

Trail leading up to Forester pass from the south in June 2017.

Looking south from Forester Pass in June, 2017.

The switchbacks down the south side fell quickly before my feet, and soon I was walking in a landscape reminiscent of the south side of Mather Pass. It was beautiful.

Looking back at Forest Pass, the notch in the center of the frame.

A snowy Forest Pass, the notch and snow shoot is on the left, in June 2017.

Before long Tyndall Creek came up on from the east and I crossed it after a couple of miles walking with it in view.

After passing the junction to Lake South America, the trail climbed to a barren plain without a tree in sight. To the west stood the Great Western Divide. The unimpeded view was stunning, a highlight of the trip. I would love to come back and camp at the sole lake that sits on this plain. I am sure it would be magical.

Next, I descended to Wright Creek where I took my lunch. After an hour, I continued on turning at the junction just before Wallace Creek towards Junction Meadow and Kern Hot Springs. The 3 mile descent was long and exposed, and I was happy I wasn’t one of the people I passed going up.

I passed through Junction Meadow, which had beautiful campsites along the Kern River nestled under trees well over a hundred feet high. This would be a great place to spend a day or afternoon. I was feeling good, however, and the thought of soaking in the hot springs helped motivate me for the last 8 miles.

I took a dip in the Kern and then followed a girl down to the hot springs. I wondered why she gave me a weird look. When we arrived, I saw that there was only room enough for one. Oops, I had no clue.

The views up and down Kern Canyon are gorgeous. A dip in the river is just as refreshing as one in the hot springs.