Where passes are taller than most peaks
Kearsarge Pass Trail - 2018
Inyo National Forest, California
This is a strenuous 2600 foot climb over an 11,845 foot pass, but because the trailhead is at 9200 feet, it is much easier than the nearby alternatives: Taboose, Sawmill, Baxter, and Shepard passes, all of which start much lower. The trail is very popular. Many use it for day hikes to the east-side lakes or even to the top of Kearsarge Pass. Others use it to access the short trail to the spectacular Kearsarge Lakes or to the beautiful Charlotte Lake, a mile past the end of the trail. Still others use it to access a segment of the JMT or as a resupply route for longer JMT or PCT routes.
The first 800 feet of climbing is in semi-desert type vegetation, but there are two long cascades dropping into Onion Valley and views of rugged cliffs in the surrounding ridges. At 10,000 feet, the trail passes Little Pothole Lake, the first of five lakes before the pass. When the trail passes close to the creek just below Flower Lake, there is a signed branch trail to Matlock Lake. This creek is the last water before Kearsarge Pass. From Flower Lake to Kearsarge Pass, the trail is a smooth, steady grade, without the rocky steps found on many other trails.
