I started hiking the Lonesome Miner Trail in late March – a bit too early this year, it turned out. 2017 is a BIG snow year. It was cold and there was still snow up there in places. Because the trail is so steep, the snow and ice really were not in my favor for crossing certain areas safely (e.g. not accidentally sliding down the mountain). Also, much of the trail is on the north faces and in the shade, so it was COLD.
I decided to come back and finish after letting the trail thaw over the month of April.
Returning – May 1 2017
Glory be! Flowers are blooming in the Inyo foothills and as it turns out, up high too!
It takes me a day to get up over Forgotten Pass. Ever heard how Forgotten Pass got named? It’s a funny legend about how some guys made an official-looking sign reading “Forgotten Pass,” propped it in the rocks at the top of the pass, and when USGS came along, the name stuck. It reminds me of how the old-time skiiers of Rock Creek Lodge maybe named “Pointless Peak,” which I think is a very funny name.
I breakfast down at Frenchie’s then head up to Beveridge Canyon for the night. Luckily for me the trail to the pass just below the Beveridge cabin is impressive and mostly easy to follow due to the rock work. If you’re on it, you’ll KNOW you’re on it, and if you’re not on it, you’ll be sorta screwed ‘cuz this is a steep climb!
I’ve been to the ghost town a few times and its wild how each time you find things you never saw before. I’d say part of that is because most the town has been swallowed in willow and rose.
Beveridge Cabin is the most intact cabin on the LMT, probably because it’s the most remote. What a gorgeous relic!
I did not bring a rescue beacon, and read in one of the cabin journals how Marty Dickes, Ridgecrest BLM Wilderness Coordinator (as of 1994) slipped and broke her ankle on Keynot Peak in 1994, and had to bivy in a snowstorm for two days before being lifted out. I thought a little about that, and was more glad I made the decision to descend off the Inyo Crest in March.
Hot Backcountry Trail-finding Tips:
On an un-maintained steep trail like the LMT, always always always be ready for a switchback. Missed switchbacks are the #1 way to get lost out there. If you suddenly feel off trail, be willing to stop and turn around. (I know that’s hard when you’re going uphill or have momentum, but it might save you a lot of trouble!)
Other tips for hiking less-worn routes like the LMT: look for worn areas of soil, cut trees, retaining walls, and cairns or maybe horse shoes. Cut trees is a big one on the Lonesome Miner. This photo shows three, maybe four of those man-made features:
This trail is very worn in on the North (Pat Keyes) end. There is no water along the Pat Keyes Trail, but water will be nice at Pat Keyes Spring. If you are southbounding the LMT, the section to Pat Keyes, and even out of Pat Keyes, will be very physically demanding, requiring really good hydration. I wouldn’t attempt it in warm weather (anything over 75º) unless you are extremely fit and already know the trail layout well (e.g. you’ve hiked it before). Getting lost AND running out of water would be deadly. You might have your Garmin InReach yadeeyadeeya, but remember, this is an EXTREMELY difficult area to send in a helicopter. One silly dude (RONALD! That’s you!) got stupid lost in 2021 and a MH-60 Knighthawk helicopter CRASHED (in the Whites just to the North) during his rescue. I was literally living at the foot of Boundary at the time this occurred, have climbed it several times, see what he did wrong, and well, it was a dumb but sorta understandable HUGE way-finding mistake he made at one point that led to a lot of trouble for a LOT of people. That mistake was likely made because by the time he got to his wrong turn, he was already gassed and dehydrated. Look – our brains need plenty of water and salt to function!
Take Caution
I feel like this needs to be said: Just because I took this trail and did well alone while female, does NOT mean that it is easy to navigate, hike, and survive it. It means that I’m an experienced soloist and tough as nails. For perspective, I’m also the only female to solo thru hike the Hayduke Trail – and I did that twice, plus some.
So please remember that when you plan your LMT hike. It’s not “easy because some girl hiked it.” I believe the Lonesome Miner Trail might be the most difficult longer desert hikes in California, and it might break you. Obviously it broke me a little bit, otherwise this blog wouldn’t be in “two parts,” and I wouldn’t have drank my own urine, for chrissakes.
Ultimately I don’t want to be some sort of pied piper with my cute trip reports. I get sorta cranky and sound like a bitch for a REASON. I don’t suffer fools very well but otherwise I’m a nice person. If you have specific questions or need LMT maps, please reach out. I’d be happy to help prevent another RONALD-type situation.
Thanks for reading.
Trail Maps!
Check out my maps of the Lonesome Miner Trail. (Coming soon as of July 2023)!
- Wendell Moyer died happy above 20,000 feet in Chile after long mountaineering career. He helped scout and rebuild much of the LMT and the crew chose to adopt his lil’ moniker for the patchwork route. This route is sacred on so many levels, Wendell being near the core. His family owns property at the base of Hunter Canyon in Death Valley, and remains interested in this route. ↩︎
