Location: Kern County, about 5 miles east of Weldon, 175 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Kern County

Forest Service: Sequoia National Forest

USGS Topo: Woolstalf Creek 7½

HPS: Route(s), waypoints and explanation of usage

Nearby Peaks: Nicolls Peak

Distance: 10 miles round trip on trail and cross-country

Gain: 3500'

Time: 7-8 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous

Brush: Very heavy brush

Original: Paul A. Lipsohn and Dick Akawie, August 1974

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Start at SR 178 and Kernville Airport Road junction.
• Go 0.2 mile west to Vista Grande Road and turn left.
• Low slung vehicles can drive to parking area with care. Mark odometers at Vista Grande and SR 178.
• Go south on Vista Grande.
• In 0.5 mile, pavement ends at Bella Vista. Go straight.
• In 0.3 mile, intersect Hill View Acres Road. Go right.
• In 0.8 mile, intersect Brooks Road. Go left.
• Proceed on Brooks Road past "El Rancho Poco" and several intersections to the "W" ranch.
• In 1.0 mile, just before the "W" ranch, several roads meet.
• Take the one that veers left (but not sharply).
• In 0.3 mile, road comes in from sharp left. Keep straight.
• In 0.1 mile, fork. Go right.
• In 0.1 mile, fork. Go right 1/4 mile or less until you see a road going down to a wash on the right. Park here.

Note: The roads are very faint and may be difficult to see. Check your mileages going in and coming out.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• From the parking area (3412'), go across the wash and pick up the road on the other side.
• Hike up it 1/3 mile to a gate marking the National Forest Boundary. Continue up the road 400' farther to the junction with trail 34E15 to the right, at a sign "Dry Meadow - 4".
• Follow the trail about 3 miles to elevation 6500', on the ridge southwest from Heald.
• Leave the trail here and go east, contouring around the north side of elevation 6850'+ to get on the ridge going to the east from elevation 6850'. The thick brush in the area before the ridge cannot be avoided.
• Continue east along the ridge to the saddle at 6160'+. The very heavy brush on this ridge can be circumvented on the right (south). Then hike northwest and north along the ridge to the summit.