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MINERAL KING TRAILHEAD

TRIP 11

Farewell Gap

DH

DISTANCE: 11 miles, out-and-back

ELEVATION: 7,815′/10,680′, +3,320′/-455′/±7,550′

SEASON: Mid-July to mid-October

USE: Light

MAPS: USGS’s Mineral King or SNHA’s Mineral King or Tom Harrison Maps’ Mineral King

TRAIL LOG

3.25 Franklin Lakes Trail junction

5.5 Farewell Gap

INTRODUCTION: The Farewell Gap Trail was a popular route into the Kern River backcountry, at least until another trail was built over Franklin Pass. Nowadays, only the initial stretch of trail to the Franklin Lakes Trail junction is well traveled. However, hikers in good physical condition searching for excellent vistas will find the 5.5-mile climb to Farewell Gap quite rewarding, where the panorama of Mineral King and Little Kern River’s upper basin create picture-postcard scenes.

DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD: From the east end of Three Rivers, leave Highway 198 and turn onto Mineral King Road. Follow the road past the Atwell Mill Campground, Silver City, Cold Springs Campground, and Mineral King Ranger Station (which issues wilderness permits and has food storage areas) to the Eagle-Mosquito Trailhead parking area at the end of the road, 23.5 miles from Highway 198. If space is available in the small parking area near the bridge over East Fork Kaweah River, you could park there and shorten your hike a bit.

DESCRIPTION: From the Eagle-Mosquito parking area, walk back down the road to the bridge over the river, and then follow single-track trail on a short climb to the Mineral King Pack Station access road. Follow the gently graded road through the open terrain of Mineral King Valley, passing the pack station’s corrals along the way. Sagebrush, currant, and gooseberry grow alongside the road, while grasses and willows line the riverbanks. Farther upslope, a widely scattered forest gives the area an alpine character.

At 1.1 miles, you ford Crystal Creek and then veer left away from the road onto single-track trail at an unsigned junction; the road continues through Aspen Flat before ending at Soda Spring. A mild to moderate 0.75-mile climb from the junction leads to Franklin Creek and the start of a steep, switchbacking climb, interrupted near the midpoint by an ascending traverse. Fine views of the multihued peaks and valleys of the Mineral King area may distract you from the upward grind. Above the switchbacks, 3.25 miles from the parking area, reach a junction with the Franklin Lakes Trail.

Continue ahead on the Farewell Gap Trail, climbing high above the dwindling East Fork, soon reaching the first of twenty switchbacks that lead farther up into the canyon. The final leg of the climb is accomplished by a quarter-mile traverse culminating at the V-shaped notch of Farewell Gap, 2.25 miles from the Franklin Lakes junction.

The view from Farewell Gap is certainly awe-inspiring, with the entire Mineral King Valley spreading out before you, rimmed by vibrantly colored peaks. To the south, the equally colorful cleft of the Kern River creates a picture-postcard scene. If the oft-present winds fail to drive you from this picturesque aerie, the hours may drift by as you enjoy the breathtaking views.

The trail is infrequently used beyond Farewell Gap, especially after camping was banned at nearby Bullfrog Lakes. Adventurous souls in search of solitude have plenty of options within the Golden Trout Wilderness and Kern River backcountry. Vandeveer Mountain is a straightforward climb from Farewell Gap.