After submitting our strategic analysis report assignment, I took a few days for some end-of-season Sierra backpacking, and I was lucky enough to tackle another 14er: Mt. Langley. Since there were no permits for the traditional route from Cottonwood Lakes, I opted to tackle it from the west side instead. Almost a mini-version of how I summited Mt. Whitney. Since I was returning to the same trailhead, I didn’t need to arrange a shuttle, and it meant I could sleep at Horseshoe Meadows before starting the next morning. I made a quick stop in Lone Pine to grab some firewood and dinner for later. I opted to get a pizza and a salad to eat at the campsite, because why not. Once there, I found a good spot for the Outback and enjoyed my dinner before setting up the Luno mattress in the back. After that, I chatted with another camper for a bit. He was getting ready to backpack Whitney from the Portal. I got the fire going, and we continued our conversation as the flames danced about and the nearly full moon rose.
We both had early start times, so eventually I put the fire out and retired to my car. I slept ok, but around 5 am the cold and the call of nature collided. I was able to grab another 45 minutes of sleep. I brewed some coffee and ate my Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy. After breakfast and repacking the car, I wished the other camper goodbye and good luck, then moved my car closer to the trailhead instead of the walk-in campground. I set off down a very familiar trail, but this time trying to keep an even more mellow pace. Just past the first creek crossing, a series of stock horses passed by. As I waited for the dust to settle, I shed a layer. It had dropped to 33°F overnight, so it was chilly, but the sun was up, and hiking warmed me enough to pack away my fleece.
The climb up to Cottonwood Pass went easily, as easy as climbing any Sierra Pass can be. I took a short break and pushed on. There was a light breeze, so when I stopped I got a bit of a chill, but when I was hiking along, it felt just right. Originally I had planned to stop at Chickenspring Lake and filter some water, but between the coffee, OJ, and a Gatorade, I had barely drunk anything during the ascent.
The short climb past the lake seemed easier this time. I wonder if I am carrying less anxiety with me…. The trail would slowly descend until I reached the junction with the Rock Creek Trail. Unlike last time, I definitely felt the trail’s sandy nature. I got lucky on my Whitney hike, as it had rained a day or two before, compacting the sand some. I also had to watch out for fresh horse poop.
Along the way, I chatted with two southbound hikers: one was section hiking the PCT, and the other was doing a 7-day “walkabout.” I filled them in on the trail ahead before parting ways. I could feel the difference in effort of hiking on this sandy soil as my energy levels dropped. A fruit bar helped for a bit, but soon I was dreaming of my lunch at the trail junction. Once I was finally there, I found a nice spot to slip off my pack and start chowing down. The food, electrolytes, and the break itself all worked wonders. I still had over two miles to Soldier Lake and some choices to make.
Thankfully, the trail left the sand behind and didn’t have much elevation gain before reaching Soldier Lake. I passed by a couple of sites, the bear locker, before stopping to chat with a father and daughter. They mentioned some sites ahead were closed for restoration, but I planned to work my way toward Upper Soldier Lake and scout the route up before setting up camp. I explored the peninsula and found some stunning campsites. I found two possible trails around the lake, but both quickly became boggy, and I didn’t want to continue across questionable terrain. Plus, I was not entirely sure there was a trail up to the Langley Trail. So I chose the first site I saw.
I quickly set up camp, filtered some water, and relaxed, taking in the stunning views. As the sun crept lower, I made dinner and ate it sitting on an almost perfect granite seat. I set an alarm for 4 am and turned in. My sleep setup kept me nice and toasty. I tucked my electronics and water filter into my food insulation bag to keep them from the cold.
After answering the call of nature around midnight, I noticed a noticeable headache. I drank some water and took ibuprofen, but I needed to be mindful, as it could be an early sign of altitude sickness. Since I was solo, I had to be extra cautious and monitor for worsening symptoms. As I drifted back to sleep, I would see how I was in the morning and go from there. The alarm woke me up, and I began to break camp. I boiled some water for coffee and oatmeal. The moon still shone brightly, and I almost didn’t need my headlamp. My headache was better, but not gone. I decided to continue up New Army Pass Trail and decide there. If it got worse, I could drop down and either camp at Cottonwood Lakes or push on to the car.
As I set off back down the trail, two hikers were just off trail. I stopped to see where they were headed. I figured they might be going for Mt. Langley as well, and we could set out together. However, one of the hikers was not in great shape. His buddy said he was having trouble breathing and could hear a crackling in his chest. In addition, he hadn’t slept at all, and his face showed it. My Wilderness First Aid training kicked in immediately. I knew the only course of action was to get him to a lower elevation, as it appeared that he was developing a case of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). The problem was that it was easier said than done to get him down. It was over 6 miles back to Cottonwood Pass, and not the easiest miles. The Ranger Station at Rock Creek was about 4 miles away. Since a stock train ran yesterday, the Ranger should be there, but that also meant going farther into the backcountry. I also hadn’t hiked that trail, so I wasn’t sure what it might be like. They wanted to try to self-rescue, so I suggested we aim for the PCT junction. It would be a known landmark, and by the time we reached it, it would be daylight, making any rescue easier. The three of us set off, but it quickly became apparent that we had to scrap the plan. We covered 0.2 miles in about 30 minutes. I convinced him to make the SOS call on his Garmin. I had suggested this earlier, but they weren’t ready to make the call. I told them we were at a good location, a wide meadow for a helicopter to land and open skies to make the satellite comms easy. He pressed the button and began communicating with SAR. Once the process was safely underway, I told them to break out their sleeping pads and bags to keep warm while they waited. I debated staying, but felt like the situation was now under control and I couldn’t offer any more help. They gave me a grateful hug and said they would text me once they were out.
I took this as a sign that I shouldn’t even try for Mt. Langley or even New Army Pass, but just hike out. At the junction with the PCT, I shed a layer and stowed my headlamp. Once back on the PCT, I slogged along, and I knew that even if we made this far, the effort to hike on this sand would have been too much. From time to time, I would stop and look back at the early morning light spilling out across the mountains.
Finally, I made it back to Cottonwood Pass and took another break. I swapped out my slightly warmer base layer for my Sun hoodie, since I no longer had the mountains blocking the sun as I descended back into Horseshoe Meadows.
I wasn’t rushing back to the car, partly because I was bummed about not getting Mt. Langley, but also because I was still thinking about those hikers. I met a few backpackers heading up the trail. This included a group of four planning to attempt Mt. Langley the next day. What was interesting is that they were going to camp at Chickenspring Lake and start around 3 am. It was just after 10 am and that seemed way too early to stop. Plus, they had some big packs on their back. I suggested they push on to Soldier Lake and make the short backtrack to New Army Pass Trail, which was the route they were planning to use.
As I passed by Horseshoe Meadow, I saw a flat hat (aka Ranger) walking out to inform some visitors not to be out in the meadow proper. Once back at the car, I tossed my pack in and spread out my tent to dry across the back. The downside of being near that meadow and lake is that some condensation is a possibility. My sleeping bag also would need to be dried once I got home. But now it was time to drive down to Lone Pine, grab a quick lunch, and head home.
Later that night, I got a text from those hikers. Ranger Colin had hiked out from Rock Creek and assessed his condition. A CHP copter was called in, and they airlifted him out. After some oxygen and evaluation, he was released. His buddy hiked back out to Horseshoe and also commented on how tough that section is from the PCT junction to Cottonwood Pass. We made sure to give him the car keys before I left them back at Soldier Lake. As beautiful as Soldier Lake was, I think my next attempt for Mt. Langley will be the more traditional route from Cottonwood Lakes instead.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I co-authored Urban Trails: San Diego, available now!
In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. I’ve also conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer).
I look forward to exploring new summits and adventures across the Southwest.