Frozen – Kearsarge to Kennedy Meadows South

October 3-7, 2025

Day zero in Obispo

For those of you who don’t know hiker vocabulary, a zero day is a day where you don’t hike miles. After T met us at the trailhead, he drove us to Bishop and I was able to relax for a day. we went to a nearby hot spring and ate a lot of food. I highly recommend Amigos and their margaritas. I changed a lot of gear and came out with a smaller bear boat, sun gloves that covered my fingers, and two pairs of mittens. I also changed my trekking poles because one of the previous pair was damaged.

Weather on the road

During the night, while we were warm and comfortable in the hotel, it rained and snowed in the mountains. Everything was transformed. Now, when T dropped us off at Kearsarge Pass, we had to deal with some snow. On the other side of the pass, the weather was not so good. Our first night, we were setting up our tents in the snow and wind. It was freezing! Literally! I made a hot water bottle with my stove and thanks to that I was able to sleep a little.

The view from Kearsarge Pass as we left to go to Bishop

The view when we returned two days later!

The next morning, it was a challenge to get up and out of bed. According to Orchid’s thermometer, the temperature was 27°.

The water in our water bottles had frozen and my granola bar was so hard I almost broke a tooth! We had to climb Forester Pass, our last and highest major pass (13,120 feet) in the Sierras. Towards the top, there was 2 to 3 inches of snow on the trail, but that didn’t hinder progress.

Snow on the road to Forester

Orchid and I split up after Forester because she wanted to get to the top of Mount Whitney. I had already climbed Mount Whitney 10 years ago and did not need to repeat the experience. Plus, I was so tired of being cold and just wanted to get out of the Sierras and get to a lower elevation where maybe it would be a little warmer.

South side of Forester Pass

View from Bighorn Plateau

The next few days continued to have sub-zero temperatures overnight. When I woke up in the morning, the inside of my rain fly was covered in ice from condensation. No experience on the road has made me feel as homesick as these freezing nights. I’m very jealous of the couples I meet along the way who cuddle with each other.

Change of scene

More open meadows

As we approached Kennedy Meadows, there was an obvious change in the landscape from the granite peaks of the Sierras to sandstone and sagebrush. I appreciated the beauty of the Sierras, but climbing due to the weather has been a challenge. Can the desert be more forgiving?

My first desert cactus!

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