Keasrarge Lakes trip 8/3/07
This trip was originally planned for the Forks of the Kern but eventually our destination was switched to Kearsarge Lakes. We could not get a permit to enter Onion Valley TH on Friday. I was going with Pete and Mike from where I work and Mike’s son Aaron. None of us wanted to take a full day off so we decided to leave work at lunch on Thursday, race to Big Pine for the permit then on to Onion Valley. We got to the TH and quickly started our climb so we could be at Flower Lake before dark. I even had time for a couple brookies before I ate and went to sleep. I had really worried about not having time to acclimate to the altitude before we started but thankfully we all felt fine.
Friday morning I got up before the others and caught about a dozen more little brookies before the others got up. We had a quick breakfast and broke camp to start the trek to Kearsarge Pass and on to Kearsarge Lakes. I learned two important things on this trip, #1- Nat. Geo TOPO does not include much of the trail and switchbacks, and #2- I need to do a lot of cardio exercise if I want to keep going on these kinds of adventures. We finally made to the pass but it was a lot harder than I had expected. It was all worth it though because the scenery along the way and the view from the pass is simply amazing. Once at the top we rested, ate, and took pictures before heading down the west side for Kearsarge Lakes. It would only be a little over a mile to our campsite but with very few switchbacks it was very steep. We ended up worrying about what the climb back up would be like all weekend. On the way down we encountered a group of C.C.C. workers that are staying at Charlotte Lake and doing trail work putting in the badly needed switchbacks. I've got to admire those men and woman because that is one job I would not want.
After setting up camp at the second Kearsarge lake we fished then ate and fished some more. You guys know the routine the rest of the weekend, fish, eat, and sleep. Caught lots of stunted, cookie cutter size brookies from all the lakes. I threw nothing but dry flies and it didn’t matter what it was they took it. The lakes all seemed to me to be in very good shape, only a little bit low. The streams in between all had a decent flow, even on the west side all the way down to Onion Valley CG. The one real standout was the fourth lake that is higher and south of the three lakes you see in the pictures. It was a little over a half mile hike to the upper lake cross country because there is not really a trail to speak of. Hardly any signs of people and there was a fish on almost every cast. I figure that throughout the day Saturday A caught over 80 fish!
A couple of other things that stood out over the weekend were that we got to see several satellites each night. I guess they were so easy to see because of the altitude and clear air. The other was when a group of 30 Sierra Club members rolled into the lake area Saturday evening trying to find enough places to pitch there tents for the night. They were on a nine day trek to Horseshoe Meadows near Cottonwood lakes and doing Whitney also. I thought it a little strange that for an organization that touts low impact and leave no trace to travel in a group of 30 people. Can you imagine what it must be like for them trying to find a rock to go behind in the mornings?
Anyhow, it was an awesome trek and I’ll probably do it again some day.
The pictures are mostly of the beautiful scenery because the fish were pretty much all the same.
Second cast Saturday Morning.
On the way up to the Kearsarge Pass you hike past 5 different Lakes, Little Pothole, Gilbert Lake, Flower Lake, then Heart lake and Big Pothole Lake.
Heart Lake
Big Pothole Lake
Mike, my self, Aaron, and Pete at the top of Kearsarge Pass.
The view west from the top and Kearsarge Lakes.
The view from camp.
Me fishing the upper lake.
One of three deer I saw.
Pete, Mike, and Aaron from our camp site.
Sun burned and happy on the climb out. Bullfrog Lake is in the background.
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Originally Posted by Gary C.
