The Cottonwood Pass Trailhead offers hikers an excellent starting point to explore areas/destinations such as Horseshoe Meadows, the Golden Trout Wilderness, Mt. Langley, Cirque Peak and the Pacific Crest Trail.
Here is an example of a two day trip, assuming I leave my house in SoCal on a Saturday morning and eat an late breakfast/early lunch on Day 1 in Lone Pine.
Day 1 (Saturday)
- 11:00 AM – Arrive @ Cottonwood Pass (CWP) Trailhead
- Hike CWP/Horseshoe Meadows (HSM) to Chicken Springs Lake( yellow line)
- Mileage: 4.5 mi || Duration: 2-3 hrs || Elevation Gain/Loss: +1460, -241 || Average Slope: 10% overall, 15% over the pass
- Hike CWP/Horseshoe Meadows (HSM) to Chicken Springs Lake( yellow line)
- 2:00 PM – Setup campsite near the lake
- 3:00 PM – Hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in a northeastern direction
- Cross Coutry Route Search (purple line)
- Mileage: ~4.0 mi round trip|| Duration: 2-3 hrs ||Elevation Gain/Loss: 488, -556 one way || Average Slope: 11%, -9%
- Cross Coutry Route Search (purple line)
Day 2 (Sunday)
- Option 1: Cirque Peak only, return to HSM via Trail Pass
- 3:45 AM – Hike Camp to Cirque Peak via X-Country Route (blue line)
- Mileage: 3.0 || Duration: 2 hours || Elevation Gain/Loss: +1900, -425 || Average Slope: 23% overall, 28% on X-Country
- 5:45 AM – Watch sunrise from Cirque Peak and eat breakfast
- 6:30 AM – Hike Cirque Peak to Camp via X-Country Route (blue line) or Hike Cirque Peak to Trail Master Peak to Camp (green line)
- Mileage: 2.0 – 3.0 || Duration: 1.5 – 2.0 hours
- 8:00 AM – Arrive @ Camp, pack up
- 9:00 AM – Hike Camp to CWP to Trail Pass to HSM (red line)
- Mileage: 7.50 || Duration: 4 hours || Elevation Gain/Loss: +880, -2264 || Average Slope: 6% overall, -8.8%
- 12:00 PM – Return to cars, drive to Lone Pine for lunch
- 3:45 AM – Hike Camp to Cirque Peak via X-Country Route (blue line)
Two day mileage for this option: 22 miles, 13 hrs hiking time
- Option 2: Cirque Peak & Mt. Langley summits, return to HSM via CWP
- 3:45 AM – Hike Camp to Cirque Peak via X-Country Route (blue line)
- Mileage: 3.0 || Duration: 2 hours || Elevation Gain/Loss: +1900, -425 || Average Slope: 23% overall, 28% on X-Country
- 5:45 AM – Watch sunrise from Cirque Peak and eat breakfast
- 6:30 AM – Hike Cirque Peak to Mt. Langley (orange line)
- Mileage: 5.0 || Duration: 4 hours || Elevation Gain/Loss: +2200, -1100 || Average Slope: 17% overall, Last mile to summit is 24%
- 10:30 AM – Reach Mount Langley Summit
- 11:00 AM – Hike Mt. Langley to Cirque Peak (orange line)
- Mileage: 5.0 || Duration: 3 hours
- 2:00 PM – Hike Cirque Peak to Camp (blue line)
- Mileage: 3.0 || Duration: 1.5 hours
- 3:30 PM – Arrive @ Camp, pack up
- 4:30 PM – Hike Camp to CWP to HSM(yellow line)
- Mileage: 4.5 mi || Duration: 2 hrs
- 6:30 PM – Return to cars, drive to Lone Pine for dinner
- 3:45 AM – Hike Camp to Cirque Peak via X-Country Route (blue line)
Two day mileage for this option: 29 miles, 18 hrs hiking time
Returning to HSM via Trail Pass instead of CWP would add 3 miles/1.5 hrs
- Option 3: Cirque Peak summit, return to camp via New Army Pass (NAP) and PCT
- 3:45 AM – Hike Camp to Cirque Peak via X-Country Route (blue line)
- Mileage: 3.0 || Duration: 2 hours || Elevation Gain/Loss: +1900, -425 || Average Slope: 23% overall, 28% on X-Country
- 5:45 AM – Watch sunrise from Cirque Peak and eat breakfast
- 6:30 AM – Hike Cirque Peak to NAP to PCT to Camp (black line)
- Mileage: 9.50 || Duration: 4 hours || Elevation Gain/Loss: +1480, -2960 || Average Slope: 8%, -9%
- 10:30 PM – Arrive @ Camp, pack up
- 11:30 AM – Hike Camp to HSM via CWP (yellow line)
- Mileage: 4.5 mi || Duration: 2 hrs
- 1:30 PM – Return to cars, drive to Lone Pine for dinner lunch
- 3:45 AM – Hike Camp to Cirque Peak via X-Country Route (blue line)
Two day mileage for this option: 25+ miles, 13 hrs hiking time
This could be a ‘bailout’ option if we start hiking towards Langley from Cirque and decide to turn around
Returning to HSM via Trail Pass instead of CWP would add 3 miles/1.5 hrs
Quick Reference
Section Mileage (most plausible route in red):
- Horseshoe Meadows to Camp (Leg 1, Chicken Spring Lake)
- 4.5 miles || +1650′, -275′
- Cross Country Route Exploration
- 4.0 miles roundtrip || ±400′
- Camp to Cirque Peak ( Leg 2)
- 3.0 miles || 2025′, -500′
- Camp to Cross Country Route
- 1.75 miles || +375′, -500′
- Cross Country Route to Cirque
- 1.25 miles || +1650′
- Camp to Cross Country Route
- 3.0 miles || 2025′, -500′
- Cirque to Unnamed Peak to Trail Master Peak to Camp (Leg 3)
- 2.2 miles || +460′, -2025′
- Cirque to Unnamed Peak
- .7 miles || +205′, -600′
- Unnamed to Trail Master Peak
- .8 miles || +240′, -485′
- Trail Master to Camp
- .7 miles || +12′, -945′
- Cirque to Unnamed Peak
- 2.2 miles || +460′, -2025′
- Cirque Peak to Langley and back (Leg 3b)
- 9.5 miles roundtrip || +2160, -1075
- Cirque Peak to New Army Pass
- 2.0 miles || +35′, -650′
- New Army pass to Langley
- 2.75 miles || +2125′, -425′
- Cirque Peak to New Army Pass
- 9.5 miles roundtrip || +2160, -1075
- Cirque Peak to New Army Pass to PCT to Camp (Leg 3c)
- 9.5 miles || +1500′, -3000′
- Camp to Cottonwood Pass to Trail Pass to Horseshoe Meadows (Leg 4)
- 7.5 miles || +925, -2300′
Coordinates:
- Cottonwood Pass Trail Head || 36.447627,-118.169954
- Cottonwood Pass || 36.453426,-118.215251
- Chicken Springs Lake (Campsite) || 36.456291,-118.223147
- Cross Country Route || 36.465437,-118.245420
- Cirque Peak || 36.477085,-118.237224
- NAP || 36.491180,-118.239541
- Mt Langley || 36.523174,-118.239520
- NAP & PCT Junction || 36.493699,-118.270740
- Trail Master Peak || 36.463346, -118.222916
- Unnamed Peak 12,525’, Prov || 36.468793, -118.232706
- Trail Peak || 36.427533,-118.190403
- Trail Pass || 36.427326,-118.176498