Kern-Kaweah and Kaweah Basins

Looking back at Dave and Colby Lake from the Colby Pass trail. Below you can see a section of the trail and get a good idea of the vertical nature of the face the trail climbs. In the distance, Glacier Ridge looks inviting to the cross-country mountaineer. Cross-country routes abound in this area.

Climbing to Colby Pass

Kern-Kaweah and Kaweah Basins via Colby Pass, September, 2000.

The switchbacks were a well-maintained marvel from what we could see. If this trail really was not maintained by the Park system, then we hikers owe somebody a huge thank you and shame on the Park system for not maintaining such a great trail, one of the few to cross the Great Western Divide and the only one in this area. I suspect packers are maintaining this trail, and if so it is another reason that packers do have their place in the Sierra. I know for a fact some trails in the Sierra still exist only because of packer use, and many trails have already disappeared.