| Summit Trail - Slate Mountain Trail |
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| Summit Trail - Slate Mountain   | 
| Location: California, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 36.09017°N / 118.57407°W Trail Type: Cross Country, Mountain County: Tulare Technical Difficulty: Hard Aerobic Difficulty: Hard Layout: Point to Point Elevation Gain: 2000 ft / 610 m Length: 8.0 Mi / 12.9 Km
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| Page By: Tom Kenney Created/Edited: Jun 14, 2008 / Jun 25, 2008 Object ID: 266686 Hits: 211 Loading... Page Score: 87.56% - 6 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
The Summit Trail (31E14) follows the crest of the northern portion of the Greenhorn Mountains, a subrange of the Sierra Nevada located between the Tule River and Kern River drainages. This portion of the Summit Trail is the southern part, traversing north-to-south over 9300' Slate Mountain.
On the north side of Slate Mountain, the trail is mostly fast buff singletrack through a dense forest of fir, hemlock and ponderosa pine. Occasional clearings offer spectacular views of the Kern River Valley and the distant High Sierra in the vicinity of Mount Whitney. This is the most popular section of the trail due to moderate technical difficulty, good trail surface, and proximity to excellent camping at Quaking Aspen Campground.
On the south side of Slate Mountain, the trail is remote, rough and steep. This section of trail is rarely traveled, and is somewhat overgrown in places. Views from this side of the mountain are even more incredible, with the precipitous Tule River drainage and the vast gulf of the San Joaquin Valley far below. If riding this trail as part of the Slate Mountain-Freeman Creek Loop, it is better to climb the south side of Slate Mountain and descend the north side, combining the Summit Trail and Freeman Creek Trail into an excellent 8-mile downhill dropping 3400' from the summit of Slate Mountain to Lloyd Meadow.
Trail DescriptionThis description assumes a south-to-north travel direction, which is the travel direction if riding the Slate Mountain-Freeman Creek Loop. It is also possible to do a smaller loop including only the Crawford Road and Summit Trail over Slate Mountain, and for this shorter loop the travel direction would be the same.
From Windy Gap at 7300' on the Crawford Road, the Summit Trail branches to the north, climbing gently, then leveling for 0.5 mile. Then the sustained climbing begins, continuing for the next 4 miles.
The first part of this climb follows rough switchbacks to gain the crest of the Greenhorn Range at 8600' elevation. Once the ridge is reached, the trail more or less follows the crest, climbing steadily to 8800' elevation before beginning another set of switchbacks. These switchbacks continue to just over 9000' elevation, on the meadowy south summit of Slate Mountain.
The trail then drops off this sub-summit and continues northeast, dipping almost 300' to a saddle before returning to 9000' elevation. A dipping traverse across the west face of Slate Mountain leads to a shoulder on the northwest ridge, far above Camp Nelson, at 9080' elevation. This is the high point of the trail. There is an excellent clearing to the west of the trail that makes a good lunch stop with spectacular views down the Tule River drainage towards the San Joaquin Valley.
The trail continues northeast, dropping across the north face of Slate Mountain before gaining the northeast ridge. Steep switchbacks weave across the top of the ridge down to a saddle at 8500' elevation, where the trail drops off the ridge to the east. Some steep and rough descending leads to a rock outcrop at 8200' elevation, with excellent views of the Kern River Valley and The Needles.
As the trail drops down another set of switchbacks, the trail surface greatly improves. Then a twisty section passes by Quaker Meadow, crossing a paved road, and continues on to Quaking Aspen Campground. Getting There | Directions From Greater Los Angeles Area
From areas in and around Los Angeles, and generally west of the I-605 Freeway, the best route is via Highway I-5. Follow I-5 past it's junction with Highway CA-14, in the Newhall Pass, and continue north over Tejon Pass and down to the CA-99 split near Grapevine. Take the CA-99 and continue north to Bakersfield. Exit at CA-178 and go right (east) to Lake Isabella. Just before Lake Isabella, exit at CA-155 and head north around the lake. Continue through Wooford Heights, where CA-155 goes left (west), and continue north on what is now Burlando Road. Burlando Road ends at a 'T' intersection in Kernville, where Mountain Road 99 goes left (north) and follows the Kern River. Continue north on MTN-99 past the Sherman Pass Road junction and up a long grade to Johnsondale. In Johnsondale, MTN-99 turns west and becomes MTN-50, climbing up to Parker Pass Junction. This junction is where the Western Divide Highway starts.
For the southern trailhead, turn right (north) on the Western Divide Highway and continue 6 miles to Crawford Road (NF 21S94) and turn left (west). Continue on Crawford Road 2.5 miles to Windy Gap.
For the northern trailhead, continue north on the Western Divide Highway 8 miles past Crawford Road to Quaking Aspen Campground. | Directions From Inland Empire
From inland areas east and south of the San Gabriel Valley, take Highway I-15 north over Cajon Pass and on to Victorville. Exit at Highway US-395 and continue north. Follow US-395 to Inyokern and go left (west) on Highway CA-178. At CA-14, go left again (south) to the continuation of CA-178 and go right (west). Follow CA-178 over Walker Pass and down through Onyx and Weldon. Go right on Sierra Way and head to Kernville. In the town of Kernville, Sierra Way becomes MTN-99 and continues north, following the Kern River. Continue north on MTN-99 past the Sherman Pass Road junction and up a long grade to Johnsondale. In Johnsondale, MTN-99 turns west and becomes MTN-50, climbing up to Parker Pass Junction. This junction is where the Western Divide Highway starts.
For the southern trailhead, turn right (north) on the Western Divide Highway and continue 6 miles to Crawford Road (NF 21S94) and turn left (west). Continue on Crawford Road 2.5 miles to Windy Gap.
For the northern trailhead, continue north on the Western Divide Highway 8 miles past Crawford Road to Quaking Aspen Campground. | Directions From San Joaquin Valley
Exit CA-99 south of Visalia, in Tipton and take CA-190 through Porterville and up to Quaking Aspen Campground. This is the northern trailhead.
For the southern trailhead, continue south on the Western Divide Highway 8 miles to Crawford Road. Go right (west) on Crawford Road and continue 2.5 miles to Windy Gap |
When to BikeBest time to ride is late May through early October. In winter the area is closed due to deep snow. Images |
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