Bullfrog Lake over Kearsarge Pass to Onion Valley

Mileage: 6.7 miles (10.8 km), total 185.2 miles (308.9 km)

Last night was absolutely freezing and we knew we probably should have chosen a campsite a little higher and out of the cold air. It was very cold the previous night and my 20 degree bag was doing nothing on the cold. I had all my clothes on, insulation layers and rain gear on in the sleeping bag and it only just kept the cold at bay. Ben was cold in his 30 degree bag but made it through the night with all his clothing to keep him warm.

The temperature was very low and all our gear was completely frozen stiff. We had to wait for the sun to climb over the nearby peaks so we could get our gear thawed out. It was quite a sight with the mist floating across nearby Bullfrog Lake.

Given the temperatures, we re-affirmed our decision of yesterday evening to head off the JMT at Kearsarge. We were a little disappointed but knew we had made the right decision and were looking forward to the comforts of a warm, dry room and a comfortable bed.

The climb up Kearsarge was fairly easy by JMT standards but, in the High Sierra, even an easier pass is still difficult. We climbed up and ascended higher past two lakes on the right hand side and eventually reached the top of Kearsarge which was our route down into the Onion Valley trailhead and onwards to Independence.

The weather, although cold, showed no signs at this point of the weather of the day before but we were happy with our decision and stood proudly on top of Kearsarge Pass. We were happy with the miles we had hiked and knew that we would at some point in the near future come back and finish this trail off.

We headed down the other side of Kearsarge and began a long slow descent down to Onion Valley. It was still snowy and icy on the other side of the pass but we soon descended into warmer elevations and eventually hit the Onion Valley trailhead. It was quite the descent and I can imagine it’s a tough climb on the way up.

When we got to the trailhead, we were figuring out how we were going to get to Independence 13 miles away and there was no phone reception. Fortunately, a guy called Levi turned up in his pickup truck and was dropping off hikers. I wasted no time in asking if he was headed down to Independence and we hopped in his cab as he drove us down the windy road from the trailhead. We stopped to pick up two hikers on the way as it was a long walk and eventually got dropped off in the centre of Independence and got a room at the Court House Motel.

The weather by this point was closing in and we were glad to be down in the much warmer valley in Independence than up in the peaks above. We headed straight to Subway and didn’t hold back on the calories.

We bumped into a hiker we had seen on the trail. I had rescued his phone for him which I found on the trail so he went and bought us both some beers to say thank you. We looked quite the hiker hobo’s sitting there having a beer outside the gas station from a brown paper bag. He invited us to a party in Lone Pine where he promised us a good time so we politely refused!

That evening, we headed out to Independence’s finest restaurant which was a French joint called the Still Life Cafe. The food took ages to come out and the service wasn’t that great. We talked to the fellow hikers we had picked up earlier. They had just got engaged so of course we congratulated them. She had walked around 600 miles of the AT but came off the trail as she felt pretty much done by that point.

Then it was back to the Courthouse Motel. My worn out trail runners and bent trekking poles went straight in the trash and it was then time to hit the sack. Unfortunately, the motel owners were party animals and my room was right next door to their lounge room. Around 1 AM, the noise finally died down and I fell into a deep sleep.