Gary-Summer: August 20, 2014 - George Lake to Kaiser Peak to Huntington Lake

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

August 20, 2014 - George Lake to Kaiser Peak to Huntington Lake

Title: August 20, 2014 - George Lake to Kaiser Peak to Huntington Lake

Trail head: George Lake

Hike Info:

Type: Backpacking

Trail: Cross-country and Kaiser Peak Loop Trail

Destination: D&F Pack Station

Distance: 6.90 miles

Start Time: 10:33am

End Time: 7:20pm

Travel Time: 8:46 (0.79 mph)

Moving Time: 6:44 (1.03 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,347'
Elevation Descended: 3,218'

Maximum Elevation: 10,339'

Description:
What a great morning! A bit cold, but stayed in my bag way beyond my normal camp time-my bag was warm. No winds, sky is clear. Should be a great day! We sort of mosey around camp for awhile, no need to get ready until 10 or so. So packing is lethargic. We may go up to College Lake as an interim point.

George Lake from Kaiser Ridge

About 9:15 we are packed and ready to go. So we climb up a ways, about 200' towards College Lake. There Sherri waits and I go back down to George to wait for the meet up. Going up Sherri was not impressed with my route-a bit too much following cracks up the rocks. How I got down was not much better. Even did a five foot jump at one point.

College Lake

Around 10:10, the first of the meetup group arrives-Lee F, Nat and LeAnn. Richard follows shortly afterwards. Then Megan, Donna, and Jerry J follow about 15 minutes behind. Nat goes up to explore a good way to go up to College Lake. The rest of our group follow the leaders by about 45 minutes. They have just done the five mile walk Sherri and I did yesterday. I feel so smart in breaking up the hike into two days, even if I am carrying a backpack.

We start up to College Lake. Nat did find a better way than I did, but still it does not seem like it is the main way up. Checking the topo, I think we may be starting too high up-we should be looking for a branch trail below George-next time. But we all get up, maybe a bit more steeply than some would like. We pick up Sherri along the way. Then we spot what looks like a path which is somewhat used and follow this up to College Lake. It is an improvement, but only in that there is no rock clambering.

Edison Lake

We get our bearings and head south-east, sort of, along a shelf. There is a use path which we follow through some brush, over some boulders, in some dried up mud holes. But most of this is with some minor variations in height. Then we start the last of our cross-country route. We climb up fairly steeply about 120'. Most of it is along a gravelish path, but there is a few places where we struggle up some rock. Glad to get to the top and see the Kaiser Peak Loop Trail.

Jewel and Campfire Lakes

The Climb

Now it is less than 500' to the top of Kaiser Peak! How hard can that be? Well, even numbers can be deceptive. With the peak above 10,000', the trail leaves you a bit breathless. But we trudge up the trail. All of it above tree line. We enjoy the view, occasional gazing down over the ridge, saying we are admiring the view, but secretly getting our lungs back filled with oxygen. We find a couple small lakes below us: Campfire and Jewell. Nice looking. These views, and the breathers, propels us forward a bit more, until we reach the top where we are greeted by the rest of the meetup group.

Looking North From Kaiser Ridge

Kaiser Peak is not one of the great mountain tops of the Sierra's. But the view is one of the best. There is nothing in your eyes way from Yosemite to Kings Canyon. Ritter and Banner Peaks are the barriers as you look to Red's Meadow area. I could spend hours just identifying peaks and features. Nat helps us celebrate the occasion of making it to the top with a shot of Fireball-tastes real good up there.

Kaiser Peak

It feels real good to be up here. This was the site of an early failure of mine. Back in the summer when I was going into seventh grade, our Boy Scout troop was at Camp Ojato at Huntington Lake. We planned an over-nighter, going up to Kaiser Peak. I packed everything, including the kitchen sink, which the Boy Scout manual said to bring. I made it up to College Rock before falling asleep with my pack still on my back. The next thing I heard was my name being called. We camped in a Meadow a short ways up from College Rock. Never made it to Kaiser Peak before. So this place has held a sense of forbearance for me. Now after 45+ years, that is a memory which can be superseded by a feeling of accomplishment.

Sherri on Kaiser Ridge

But good things come to any end and we start down again. It is a long trudge now. How hard can coming down 3,000' be? I think I asked this question earlier about going up. How wearing can five more miles be on a body? Plenty! Sherri and I started at George Lake. But the rest of the meetup group needed to come in five miles and climb Potter Pass. So some of our friends are feeling a bit whooped about now. But we put one foot in front of the other and finally make it down. Nat is waiting for us and takes us to his cabin, where he and his wife treat us to a meal. A good way to end the day.