Mount Langley via Cottonwood Lakes Trail
11.0 mi
Distance
5 hrs 25 min
Time
terrain
3,976 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult one way trail to Mount Langley in Sequoia National Park.
This trail goes by Cottonwood Lake #1, Cottonwood Lake #2, Long Lake, High Lake, New Army Pass, and Old Army Pass.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Solo hiked Fri 11/08/24 – Spent a quiet night at Cottonwood Pass TH with a few animals scurrying around in the moonlight but no other fellow campers. Started really early on the Pass Trail, taking the connector to the Cottonwood Lakes Trail in cold (-1 C/31 F) but clear weather which was actually warmer than planned. Reached Cottonwood Lakes 3 & 4 at first light with nice sunrise reflections off their partially iced over surfaces. Old Army Pass was in good shape with little snow and no ice, making for an easy ascent. The cairned route up Langley was just as I remembered from last year, straight forward but a bit of a slog. The views from the summit were really spectacular with the clearest weather I’ve experienced this fall in the Sierra. After coming down Langley, I stopped just short of New Army Pass and headed east to Army Pass Point, climbing the summit boulder stack before heading to New Army Pass. From the pass, I followed the 180 degree cirque which provides a steady incline for the entire route to Cirque Peak. This was absolute fun, hopping nice, easy slabs and stable rock for the entire way, a nice rest after Langley. There was one section of less cooperative rock just west of the summit that was easily bypassed by heading slightly to the south. The views off the Cirque summit toward Mt Langley and the Cottonwood Lakes were quite panoramic, easily worth the trip up by themselves. Continuing on a south-southwest ridge route, I climbed a few boulder stacks before reaching Peak 12525 which had 3-4 summit blocks adjacent to each other of relatively equal height. After climbing up and down what looked like the tallest, I followed the ridge line down and then up an unnamed peak before again descending the ridge as it wound around to the west-northwest face of Trailmaster Peak. Before going up Trailmaster, I surveyed the 1300 foot direct descent from the summit down the south-southwest scree slope to Chicken Spring Lake which would let me pick up the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). Since I would be doing it in the dark by headlamp, I took note of several rock features to use as waypoints on the descent. Once moving again, I got to enjoy a brilliant sunset while ascending Trailmaster which took very little time. After enjoying the summit views for 10 minutes with the last bit of light quickly disappearing, I started the descent by headlamp and had good luck with the scree skiing, stopping frequently to verify my route by GPS. I was able to find the PCT after walking around the lake which always gives a sense of relief as the workload reduces to following the trail out while having a few snacks. I’ve always enjoyed evening hikes out of the wilderness and this one was no exception with a clear moonlit sky and no wind. The PCT took me to the Cottonwood Pass Trail which was a nice way back to complete the day’s loop. Another fun day with great weather and really nice views worth patiently stopping for. I could have shortened the hiking loop to a more sensible one by skipping Langley (I would strongly recommend) but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it! I brought 2.5L of water and 1L of electrolytes which was more than enough for me, although I brought a filter as backup. Since Horseshoe Meadows Road to the Cottonwood Trailheads is subject to seasonal closure, I would recommend calling the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center (and ranger station) at (760) 876-6200 to find out if the gates are open before heading up. Logged 23.8 miles / 5516 vertical ft with Gaia
★
★
★
★
★
stars