2013-05-23 - Day 15 Chimney Creek/Canebrake Road to Kennedy Meadow

5/23/2013
Miles: 21.5

The Mount Whitney Area From Kennedy Meadow Road

7:30 AM
Chimney Creek Campground

I stayed up until 11:45 then woke up at 6:40 this morning. I might have gone back to sleep but I was a bit paranoid about bear since I forgot to cover my food bags last night and I thought or dreamed I smelled one during the night.

The bears here apparently are not quite as aggressive as the ones farther north in the more touristy areas. These ones will only tear the door off your car if they see food. Farther north the smell of food alone is enough to provoke a car destroying food fest.

I am packed up and ready to go. Usually Dan is up first but he is no doubt tired and he knows he has a short day. Of course this is easy for me to say. If I knew I had to walk 20 miles today I would be severely depressed. Not to worry though, I feel fine about driving 20 or so today. I will be OK. He he. A little morning hiking humor.

PS What kind of humor is it when you have to point out that it is humor?

11:00 AM
Kennedy Meadow Campground

Dan got up at 8:40 and left at 9:30. I left a few minutes later. I climbed 1000 feet to get out of the Chimney Creek Valley to the paved road and another 1000 (to 7500 feet) to get into the basin Kennedy Meadow is in. I am at 6000' here. It is cool, the bike computer says 62 in the shade. The wind has died down of course after my fight with the tent.

I picked a spot outside the formal campground next to the river. We have a path into a pool which will allow us a good if chilly bathing opportunity which we can both use (a bit of an understatement). We are also saving the $8.50 campground fee and getting a nicer flatter site in the bargain.

The waterway is the South Fork of the Kern River which appears to originate in Mulkey Meadow, about 30 trail miles to the north, and finds its way from here south and west to Lake Isabela. Mulkey Meadow is over the Sierra Crest to the south from Horseshoe Meadow which is where Dan and I will meet tomorrow evening. He will take the Mulkey Pass trail north from the crest down to Horseshoe Meadow. I have been thinking it would take him two days to get to Horseshoe but I realize now it is one day away.

Dan will arrive in the 3:30-4:00 range. I will pick him up at the trailhead at the bridge south of the store, about 3 miles from here. In the meantime I may take a brief bike ride.

6:40 PM

Instead of a bike ride I read and napped until 3:30 then. Drove to the trail and read until Dan showed at 4:00. Between the store and the trail on Sherman Pass Road I passed the retired Air Force guy, Max, and the retired Coast Guard lady, Ann, from Walker Pass plugging up the hill to the store. It did not occur to me to offer them a ride. For one thing the front seat was full of Dan's stuff.

After I got Dan we came here and I took a quick wash in the river while Dan sat and rested. He had mentioned ice cream at the store and it suddenly sounded very good to me so we went back and each had a $6.00 pint of Ben and Jerry's. The Walker Pass trio were there and were obviously miffed that I hadn't given them a ride. In the end I apologized for not offering but I do not feel too badly about it. After all, they are walking to Canada not riding.

We returned here and I cooked the usual Spam and eggs while Dan sorted out and reorganizing his stuff for entry into the Sierra, partially for his purposes and partly to get his food all in one tub so I have decent chance of getting all the food and scented stuff out of the car into a bear box at various campgrounds.

I was mistaken about the time to Horseshoe Meadow. It is a day and one half after all so I have all day tomorrow to goof off. Maybe I will find Internet service.