Golden Trout Wilderness Flatiron Loop and thoughts on the GTW

Dennis and I just returned from what might be our last Sierra trip of the season, and easily one of the best. The Flatiron Loop of the Golden Trout Wilderness completely blew me away, humbled me, lent me the perspective to appreciate unassuming views.

I think every person is especially receptive to certain scenery. Flowing rivers evoke a sort of visceral, deep, emotional reaction in Dennis. Grandiose, prominent, craggy mountains literally sap me of my breath and cause my heartbeat to rise. The right view gives me a rising, fleeting, racing feeling in my stomach like the onset of a hallucinogen. The right view can easily bring me to tears.

It's easy sometimes to misinterpret these feelings and categorize some scenery as "better" or "worse" based on the reactions they evoke- to not see the value in certain locations over others. The last time I visited Golden Trout Wilderness, I tossed the baby with the bathwater and subconsciously labeled the whole of GTW as unimpressive because of its isolated moonscapes, dry meadows, dark lakes, sparse treecover, and unrepentantly dusty trails. This was stupid and ignorant to do. There is an incredible range of unconventional beauty in GTW.

GTW's beauty is not, necessarily, in its broad sweeping views, not in its mountains. Unlike Yosemite, Sequoia or Inyo, you won't see the magic of GTW through a bird's eye view. What GTW has to offer can only be found on foot, up close, when you are wandering and lost within it.

To give an example, check out the interesting rock formation on this crestline. From afar, it looks cool- it's like a rough-hewn devil's postpile geometric formation. But it's not astoundingly beautiful.

Up close is another story. A most impressive trail ascends gently up the side of the mountain for a grand finale beside the rock formations. Up close, they are like nothing you've seen before. A sky-high stack of irregular red pancakes splattered in abstract splashes of neon moss.

 This is the essential nature and beauty of the Golden Trout. Don't get me wrong, there are some sweeping, dramatic, classic views of weaving rivers, and you'll see some in my Good To Go Chili Review, but I think the most brilliant gems are found on foot and easily missed.

As you ascend gently on this manzanita flat, its trees long lost in a recent fire, the Eastern range on the other side of the Kern River comes into view: grey, massive, imposing, lifting up as you walk forward.

Soda Spring flows generously as of Oct 2015 in the flatiron segment of the loop, leaving a humorously conspicuous, bright green stripe in the surrounding meadow.

Wild watercress is abundant at Soda Springs and along the Kern/Little Kern, if you know where to look.

Bright red sequoias offer stark contrast to the pastel green-grey meadows below them. This 6 mile flat section of trail is incredibly peaceful.

Water can be found at Trout Meadow if you know where to look! At the southern tip of the meadow, there is a wooden pathway that crosses the meadow. Along this pathway, there is a flowing creek. This field is clearly visited by pack and cattle with regularity, so treat the water thoroughly.

There is another active spring running in the Eastern wing of the meadow. If you follow the wooden path, and continue along the trail which runs perpendicular to the main body of the meadow, you'll see signs of water to your left after a few minutes. Once you have left the meadow and entered the forest, you have gone too far. 

Good spring flow and water availability at upper Willow Meadow, 1.6 easy miles north of Trout Meadow.