On August 31st of 2001 I set out on my first horseback ride into the mountains - the Emigrant Wilderness. What a fantastic experience.
I stayed in a cabin at Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station the night before our trip (the cabins are quite basic, far from fancy); dinner and breakfast at their restaurant were excellent, and the brave among you might even venture into the adjacent cowboy saloon. Don't get me wrong. This is a rustic, yet wonderful facility. They may be contacted at Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station; Email at kndymdws@mlode.com; call at (209) 965-3900 summer and (209) 965-3911 winter. The Resort & Pack Station is located 57 miles east of Sonora, CA on Hwy. 108, west of Sonora Pass. PO Box 4010, Sonora, CA 95370.
I arose at 6:00 A.M., had a quick breakfast, then hurried to the stables. Matt Bloom headed up the cowboys who readied the horses and gear, which I'd dropped off before breakfast. Our guide was to be Kory, a young man, fairly new to the game, but quite good at what he did. Along the way, he was to stop a few times to check cinches and saddles. Our pack mule was Kadie, also new to the crew. I was offered Gallagher, a fine animal, with whom I quickly bonded, at least in my heart. The horses should be fully trusted, even on precipitous slopes or cliffs; they are far more sure-footed on four legs than we are on two.
Kory leads, with Kadie the Mule in tow, up Huckleberry Trail.
With Kory in the lead, we headed south on the Huckleberry Trail along the fringe of the 6,400' Kennedy Meadows, along the Middle Fork Stanislaus River, past Relief Reservoir, and on to Lunch Meadow for a lunch break. The views were unending and spectacular. The horses plodded confidently along while we drank in the scenery. There's one benefit to riding horses: one can ride and look all around while the horse does the work. We eventually passed the turnoff to Emigrant Lake, trudged up and over Brown Bear Pass, and dropped steeply to 9,600' Emigrant Meadows Lake, our destination. The entire horseback affair covered about 15 miles in 6 and 1/2 hours. Kory unloaded our gear, enjoyed a Gatorade, then headed back home. From there I hiked four hours (about 5.25 miles), over 9,740' Emigrant Pass to 9,200' Cinko Lake in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness. I camped that night on Cinko Lake, with a full moon as the sole company.
On day two I backpacked first to Bonnie Lake for lunch, where I encountered the first, fellow hikers. Then, backtracking a bit, I hiked to the southern fringe of 8,200' Lower Piute Meadows, where I camped along the West Walker River.
On my final day, I hiked north along the West Walker River. I took the east trail, which took me past a charming lily pond, then past the Fremont Lake turnoff, Hidden Lake turnoff and Lane Lake to Roosevelt Lake. Along the way, I expectedly ran into Tom C. (whom you've seen on photos from other Hikes) and Larry L. The two had left Leavitt Meadows the day before, heading in as I was leaving. I then dropped into 7,200' Leavitt Meadow and the Pack Station, where the trip was to end.
Kennedy Meadows Pack Station cowboys, Marty and Fernando drove my Jeep over from Kennedy Meadows; we climbed over the spectacular Sonora Pass and returned to Kennedy Meadows Pack Station, where I bid a fond farewell to my hosts. I loved the trip, and thank everyone at the Pack Station and Resort for their contribution to my enjoyment.
As a footnote, I had not idden horses more than an hour in my life, yet I suffered very little discomfort from the fifteen mile ride. The horses walk; they do not trot or lope, so the rider is not jostled, thus does not suffer bruises, hot spots, etc., usual to first time riders. I did have a few minor sore spots (inside of thighs, inside of knees from stirrup straps), but my butt was fine, and fifteen miles is a substantial distance to cover.
Thank you, Kory, for being my guide, and for getting me safely to Emigrant Meadow Lake.
Click
Here to Go To Photo Page
Click Here to Go To Great Hikes Home Page
Click Here to Go To Home Page