Most of the snow had melted in the high country and I figured Thunder Col would be passable. Bagging this pass had been on my agenda for more than ten years and I was really looking forward to revisiting the areas I would hike through on my way there and back.
The stairs into Sphinx Creek canyon were almost as impressive as the young hiker I met a half hour after I passed this point. He was a young German who had attended a conference in San Diego and decided to spend a week following the conference in the mountains. He put on his Tevas, strapped his scooter onto his pack, hitched to Lodgepole where he bought some cheese and crackers and a blanket, then proceeded up the High Sierra Trail, cut off to Elizabeth Pass, hiked down Deadman Canyon, came over Avalanche Pass and was heading into Cedar Grove when I met him on the trail. I was so bemused by his appearance and his story that I forgot to take his photo or ask for his name.
Soon I was off trail and crossing the riverbend on Sphinx Creek below the first Sphinx Lake. Fresh green of aspens caught my eye as followed remnants of trail up the beautiful canyon. The moon rose over the North Guard massif as I took an after dinner stroll around the third Sphinx lake.
Before I knew it, the next day arrived and I was quickly over the pass into the Brewer Basin and making my way toward the pass to South Guard Lake. I spent a leisurely hour taking videos of the many small water falls spilling down from the lake at the pass. A wrong turn put me way behind schedule and I ended up camping by the outlet of South Guard Lake. Shortly after getting in the tent, the light became odd so I stuck my head out to see the cliffs across the canyon bathed in spectacular alpenglow.
I was up early the next morning and soon I was heading up the gravelly slopes to Longley Pass. Beyond the ever-present cornice on Longley Pass lay the headwaters of East Creek. I made another navigational error which cost another few hours, but eventually Thunder Col and Thunder Mountain came into view. The pass was much more difficult than I had imagined. After I reached the top, it was pretty obvious that I had not picked the easiest route. Down below were the western headwaters of the Kern River. Smoke filled the canyon in the distance and as I descended to the lakes below, the smell of a forest fire became strong.
The next morning, I was relieved to see crystalline views to the east where there had been smoke the night before. I dropped over a couple of impressive granite benches and into the heart of the Kern headwaters, one of the most beautiful parts of the range. I headed north toward the Kings-Kern divide passing by lovely tarns and starkly beautiful scenery.
Soon I was looking down at Lake Reflection from the top of Little Joe Pass. The descent of the avalanche chute was slow - my football knee had swollen so much I couldn't bend my leg much. Finally I reached the bench above Lake Reflection and took a well-deserved break. This was my fourth day of hiking and I had promised the family that I would be back that night. I was pretty sure I was not going to be able to make it out, but I was going to give it a try. The sun was dropping quickly as I passed by East Lake and Mount Brewer, and by the time I got to Junction Meadow I was hiking by flashlight. I called it quits and camped by the bearbox below the drift fence.
The next morning, I hustled down to the trailhead and called home to let everyone know that all was well.
