Kearsarge Pass (11,760'), July 18 2015 - Hiking Photos, Trip Reports, Trail Info and Gear Reviews

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I had originally planned for an overnight trip to Mt. Langley, but after several cancellations, I decided that I would just take on several day hikes solo. Looking at a list of possible hikes in the area, I decided on Kearsarge Pass for day 2 of my trip, with the possibility of some class 2 and 3 scrambling to Mt. Gould.

The Plan

Here are the stats I had compiled going into the hike:

Kearsarge Pass (11,760′) and Mt. Gould (13,012′)

Onion Valley > Kearsarge Pass > Mt. Gould: ~11 miles RT || Duration: ~7-8 hrs || Net Elevation Change: ±3,812′ || Max Elevation: 13,012′
Sections:
- Little Pothole Lake Overlook
  - 1.35 miles RT || 1,000′ climbing
- Gilbert Lake
  - 2.0 miles RT || 1,355′ climbing
- Flower Lake
  - 2.25 miles RT || 1,525′ climbing
- Heart Lake
  - 3.0 miles RT || 2,085′ climbing
- Big Pothole Lake Overlook
  - 3.6 miles RT || 2,655′ climbing
- Kearsarge Pass
  - 4.0 miles RT || 3,015′ climbing || 11,760 max elevation
- Mt. Gould
  - 9.0 miles RT || 4,267′ climbing || 13,012 peak elevation

The Outcome

I spent the morning in the Alabama Hills, snapping a few photos of Mt. Whitney. By the time I had eaten breakfast and gotten my gear together, I wasn’t feeling very motivated and considered spending the day at Whitney Portal hanging out with friends instead of hiking. I eventually convinced myself that I’d be disappointed later if I didn’t get out for a hike.

I started hiking around 9:30 and only stopped to take photos on my way to the Kearsarge Pass. My legs were tired and energy level was low, so I decided to eat lunch and take a break once I reached the pass. As I started to pack up my stuff and start the scramble towards Mt. Gould, the temperature seemed to quickly drop. Looking behind me, I saw fast-moving clouds coming into the area and it looked like it was raining in the distance. Having no idea how quickly the rain would reach us or how bad it would be, I decided to save Mt. Gould for another day.

Onion Valley Campground to Kearsarge Pass (as measured):

10.4 miles RT || Duration: 6.5 hrs total (3 hr ascent, 30 min break, 2 hr descent)
- Sections
  - Trailhead
    - 9,190 elevation
  - TH > Lake 1 (unnamed?)
    - 1.8 miles
  - Lake 1 > Gilbert Lake
    - .9 miles
  - Gilbert > Flower Lake (sign says Matlock Lake?)
    - .4 miles
  - Flower > Heart Lake
    - 1 mile
  - Heart > Big Pothole Lake Overlook
    - .8 miles
  - Overlook > Kearsarge Pass
    - .3 miles || 11,788 max elevation

Gear

On this hike I used the same gear that was also carried on my Bishop Pass & Mono Pass Peak hikes.

WoolX Merino Wool
- Lightweight Merino Wool T-shirt
  - I wore the tangerine tee for the 3rd time, unwashed. Still no smell. I’ll wear it for my next hike, unless my wife figures out how many times I’ve worn it without washing. 😀
- Merino Wool Boxers
  - I thought I had packed a second pair of boxers for this trip, but I can’t find them. Second day of hiking with them. Still no smell.
Farm to Feet Merino Wool Socks
- High Points
  - 3rd hike with these in a week, unwashed. 30+ miles and counting…
Oboz Traverse Lows
- Two days, 20+ miles – no ankle sprains.
- Like yesterday, around mile 9 I started missing the full shank of the Beartooths.
Deuter Airlite 28
- Awesome pack. The perfect size for my day hikes. Hoping Deuter eventually makes a 65+ liter version of this pack.
Cotton Carrier STRAPSHOT EV1
- I continue to be happy with the modifications I made to the carrier. I also figured out a “new” way to attach it to the Deuter also. More on this in my full review (coming soon).
Geigerrig
- Hydration Pack Engine
  - The bladder and Nano Drink Tube worked well with my Deuter pack.
- Nano Drink Tube
  - This was my 5th hike with this tube, but the routability of the small tubing and the PopLock are great features. Geigerrig’s product pages has a video showing the features of this item: http://www.geigerrig.com/hydration-packs/accessories-nano-drink-tube.html