Solo Hiking Adventure in Southern Sierra

“Make good choices.”
~Dan Rosander

Route Overview

I traded snow for dirt and ventured into the Southern Sierra on a solo adventure, hopping from meadow to meadow and bagging peaks. For three days, I encountered no other humans. I meandered on and off trails, ascended two peaks, and walked until I could no longer continue. At lower elevations (between 8,000 and 9,500 feet), this semi-loop is ideal when the higher Sierra remains covered in snow. The route starts at Blackrock Trailhead. It primarily traverses through the South Sierra Wilderness and the northern edge of the Golden Trout Wilderness. Permits are non-quota and require registration upon signing in.

When planning a multi-day backpack, I usually start with a goal. For this early season trip I was interested in climbing both Monache and Templeton Mountains. I wanted to avoid larger existing burn areas. I also aimed to hike some sort of loop starting at Blackrock Trailhead.

HOT TIP: When needing information from a guidebook and don’t want to bring the pages. I take phone photos of the pages I might need for the trip. I did this for both Monache and Templeton Mountains.

Personal Goals for this hike:
🌟 Take a remote solo trip.
🌟 Have the courage to climb Monache and Templeton Mountains (no trail)
🌟 Get my trail legs ready for future trips
🌟 Test out all my existing and new gear

Route: Blackrock Trailhead > Casa Vieja Meadows > Big Dry Meadow > Monache Meadow > Monache Mountain Summit > Bakeoven Meadow > Schaeffer Meadow > Fat Cow Meadow > Strawberry Meadows > Templeton Mountain Summit > Long Canyon > Casa Vieja Meadows > Blackrock Trailhead

South Sierra Wilderness Information: The South Sierra Wilderness, designated by Congress in 1984, straddles the crest of the Sierra Nevada at the southern end of the range. Lush green meadows thrive between forested ridges, rolling hills, and craggy peaks, creating a picturesque landscape. The Pacific Crest Trail and the South Fork of the Kern River wind beautifully through the heart of the South Sierra Wilderness, inviting exploration and adventure. Elevations range from a welcoming 6,100 feet near Kennedy Meadows to an impressive 12,123 feet at the summit of Olancha Peak. Interestingly, during the late 1800s, the expansive Monache/Beck Meadow complexes were actively utilized as pastures for cattle, sheep, and goats, showcasing a rich history. Today, permit-based grazing continues under the supervision of the Forest Service. Note: This information came from Reddit.

Route Details

TRIP DATE  June 3-5, 2024
DISTANCE  33 miles
ELEVATION GAIN  7,088 feet vertical gain
TRAILHEAD Starts and ends at Blackrock Trailhead
DIFFICULTY Moderate with trail, unmaintained trail, cross country with some class 2 scrambling
NAVIGATION Map of South Sierra Wilderness, map and compass skills, GPS of route
BEST TIME TO HIKE Spring, Summer (may be hot), and Fall (water sources may be dry)
WATER Plenty of natural water sources
PERMITS Sign-in register at trailhead or at the Blackrock Ranger Station (if open0
CELL SERVICE None

Guidebook, Maps, and GPS

• “Exploring the Southern Sierra: East Side” by J.C. Jenkins and Ruby Johnson Jenkins (buy used)
• Southern Sierra Trail Map
• GPS track I created on CalTopo before the trip
• Click “Open in “CalTopo” in upper right hand corner of map to view and download GPX.

3D Satellite View of Route

Tips & Options

• Hike the semi-loop omitting Monanche and Templeton peak climbs
• Good camping at Casa Vieja Meadow
• Visit and/or camp at the South Fork of the Kern River at the east end of Strawberry Meadows. It is a special spot and featured on the cover of Jenkin’s book.
  Note: The South Fork of the Kern River is often too high to cross early in the season during higher snow years. It may be safe to cross early in the season during low snow years.
• Be sure to store your food at night in a bear safe container or properly hang the food. I use an Ursack with an odor proof sack. There are wild bears throughout the southern Sierras.
• Know and use the 7 Leave No Trace Principles

Recommended Gear

• Food Protection – Black Bears frequent this wilderness area. I usually see at least 1 bear while visiting this area. Make sure to secure your food. Use an Ursack with an Odor Proof Bag, a Bear Canister, or a food sack hanging system.
• Satellite Messenger – I carry a Garmin inReach Mini 2 and highly recommend it.
• Backpacking Kit –  It is important to get your backpacking kit as light as possible for safety, comfort, and your health. Here is my current lightweight gear list. 

Daily Journal

Day 1 – Hike Until You Can’t Take Another Step

Blackrock Trailhead to Bakeoven Meadow with Monache Mountain climb
13.38 miles – 2,699′ elevation gain

I headed out early morning from Tehachapi for the 2.5 hour drive to Blackrock Trailhead hoping to get hiking by 10:00am. Timing worked perfectly. After remembering how to get my gear together and organized, I eased into my first backpack of the season. I hit the trail.

First off, I have to admit I sure had a lot of ridiculous self-doubts the first few miles. Will my body handle a loaded backpack for miles? What if I see a bear or an odd human? How DO I use Cal Topo and my Garmin in the field? Did I remember everything? Did I bring the right amount of food? Was tracking my trip on my watch a good idea?

Do not trip. Do not trip. Do not trip. DO NOT TRIP.

Miraculously muscle memory took over, I relaxed and it was just me, the dirt and rock…just walking. My home and happy place.

The southern Sierra is loaded with unique place names. Today I was heading for Big Dry Meadow then Bakeoven Meadow. Who would want to visit these areas? I would and do.

The cloud cover helped to quicken my step. After walking through Big Dry Meadow (yes it was dry) I ate lunch at it’s far edge. The meadow view was lovely.

The trail in the next section wove in and out of older and newer 4X4 forest service roads open to motor vehicles. Trail blazes on the trees throughout this section led my way when the trail became faint. I have always wondered about this carving and what it shape symbolizes. I Googled it when I got home:

In the United States many systems follow the U.S. Forest Service standard. These blazes are carved into the bark of trees on the right side of the trail, about 5 feet (1.5 meters) up from the ground. They consist of a rectangle that’s 4 inches (10 centimeters) wide by 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, with a 2 by 4-inch (5 by 10-centimeter) smaller rectangle carved above it. It looks like a lower-case letter i. Note: Quote from Reddit

My hope was to have an early evening climb of Monache Mountain. I took a few turns that ended up being blocked by fence lines. I would recommend staying on established dirt roads in Monanche Meadow. Not a great place to hike off-trail. At the base of Monache a Ranger Station and fence surround the area. It might be helpful to check ahead of time if the area is open.

Monache is a big cone and can be climbed from most any direction. Pick a path and hike up. At large flat summit, I found the summit register, ate a snack, then quickly descended the peak.

I left the route heading north toward Schaeffer Meadow, just south of Bakeoven Meadow. The trail is very faint and divides many times. I ended up skirting the meadow, then using my GPS to follow the faint trail. After climbing a few hundred feet, I found the most beautiful camp just off the main trail.

I WAS BEAT. My whole body throbbed. I set up camp slowly and enjoyed a very colorful sunset while eating a late dinner. My strategy for the next morning was sleep in and have a later go time.

Day 2 – Check IN, Keep Going, Reap the Rewards

Bakeoven Meadow to Long Canyon with summit of Templeton Mountain
11.03 miles – 3,301′ elevation gain

I actually slept well for the first night of a backpacking trip. I drank two cups of coffee and ate a big breakfast. Then, I got all my gear together and set off for Schaeffer Meadow. At the edge of the meadow, I had second breakfast.

The next little section on the way to Strawberry Meadows passes through an old burn area. Surprisingly, it was not bad. The trail was easy to follow. After crossing Fat Cow Meadow and Strawberry Creek, I organized my gear to climb Templeton Mountain. After leaving a gear stash and marking the spot on Cal Topo I headed up the cone shaped meadow. The guidebook description of the climb has lots of warnings about steep loose rock. So, I was semi-prepared for what was to come. The climb starts out very gently through forest, then open rock. I took my time with footing and route choice.

After I checked in via Garmin with my husband. I let him know the conditions. I would check in again when I reached the summit. I would also check in after I was safely down. The summit like Monache is large and flat. After finally finding the actual summit, checking in, and resting to prepare for the descent I headed down.

I thought about descending a different way, but after studying the size of rocks, I stayed with my original route. The larger rocks seemed to move slightly less. This is one mountain I have passed by so many times through the years. It was so gratifying to experience the top.

The whole next section of trail was easy to follow and super pretty. At Schaeffer Stringer I gathered water in hopes of camping at the top of the next higher saddle. The saddle was not ideal for camping. It had downed and damaged trees, likely from a lightning fire. I headed down to the edge of a dry meadow and it was perfect!

I had fun setting up camp and getting cleaning up. After, I casually ate dinner and enjoyed another colorful sunset.

Day 3 – Full Heart

Long Canyon to Blackrock Trailhead
7.5 miles – 1,002′ elevation gain

Hiking out on the last day of a successful trip can be bittersweet. On one hand, the hiker is excited about getting “town” food, a soft warm bed, and a shower. On the other, leaving the backcountry’s solitude and beauty can be sad. Also, often times the hike out is met with a busy trail and other hikers. 🙁

Not so with this trip. Every turn, I experienced one green lush remote meadow, spring, and stream after another. One thing to note, the last 2 miles from Casa Viejo to Blackrock is all uphill.

At my car, I made some coffee for the road and smiled. I knew this was going to be one memorable 2024 backpack season.

Personal Highlights from the Route:
👍Wide open meadows
👍SOLITUDE… I saw absolutely no human on the route
👍Water water 💦. If there was a blue line on the map, it was actually running, springs included
👍Slowly sipping my morning hot coffee (loaded with powdered MCT oil, collagen, and butter powder) from my cozy tent 

👍Just sitting in the dirt listening to rushing water
👍Long days full of light

Favorite Gear from the Hike

• PotPocket (size medium for a 550ml Toaks Pot) – Ultra lightweight, durable, doubles as a cozy to cook dehydrated hot meals and works as a bag for a cook kit. I LOVE this little thing.

• I really enjoy using my Garmin Instinct Solar II for tracking trips and my morning alarm (vibrates and beeps). I love wearing it at home to track my steps, sleep, and as an alarm in the morning. The watch is lightweight on the wrist, incredibly accurate, comfortable, uses very little battery (I did not need to recharge on this trip) and is easy to read and use.

Curious if anyone has any experiences in the southern Sierra, suggestions, questions or thoughts? Please share in the comments below!