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PSA: that 'shortcut' over Kearsarge Pass in October is how three people got flown out this month
I was up at Onion Valley trailhead on Oct 12 and watched a rescue chopper make two trips in one afternoon. The shortcut that cuts the switchbacks above the first lake looks solid from the bottom, but the snow that time of year hides the ice crust underneath. A ranger told me the group had crampons in their packs but never put them on because the lower trail was dry. Three people in one month got hauled out with broken ankles, and every one of them was trying to save 40 minutes. Anyone else seen this section in late fall, and is there a safer route to the pass I should look at instead?
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the_logan1d ago
Did you try going up the switchbacks on the main trail instead, or were you set on that shortcut too? I got caught in almost the same spot a few Novembers back and what saved me was just slowing way down and staying on the main trail even though it adds time. The ice under that thin snow is the real problem, you can't see it and your feet just go out from under you. I started carrying microspikes on every fall hike after that, not crampons, just the little ones you can pull on over your boots in ten seconds. The dry lower trail fools you into thinking you don't need them, but once you hit that shaded section above the lake it's a totally different world. Forty minutes saved isn't worth a broken ankle and a helicopter ride, just take the long way and enjoy the view.
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