Introduction
In the spring of 2004, I planned a backpacking trip to climb Mount Goddard from Courtright Reservoir. It was an ambitious plan, and after looking back on it, it would have been nearly impossible. The original plan can be found here. The modified trip (as described below) was completed by three people, Scott, Jon and myself from July 30 to August 5, 2004. The trip went as follows:
Day 1: Courtright Reservoir to Post Corral Meadows
The first day of this trip was common to both the 1996 and 2002 treks. An overall elevation gain of about 1000 feet (and then losing it all again) over 6 miles made for a reasonably quick day -- we reached camp at about 1:30.We camped at a large opening near where the trail crosses the river. There is a nice deep pool on the river 150 yards south. From there, you can jump about 10 feet off the rock wall into the water. If I was repeating this trip, I might recommend going another 3-4 miles to Fleming or Rae Lake, as it will make the next days easier. |
Day 2: Post Corral Meadows to Hell for Sure Lake
The next day is a longer (7.5 mile) hike, but virtually all uphill. The first two miles and the last three miles of the day are quite uphill; we gain 2500 feet for the day. However, the scenery is excellent with beautiful meadows and expansive views. We had lunch at Fleming Lake, which would have been excellent except for the flies.That night was spent at Hell for Sure Lake, at 10,762 feet in elevation. From there, the pass was clearly visible, along with a excellent view west (the best sunset of the trip). For an alpine lake, it was suprisingly warm (swimmable), possibly since the output stream was dry. |
Day 3: Hell for Sure Lake to Martha Lake
The third day to Martha Lake over Hell for Sure Pass was expected to be easy, but was suprisingly difficult. The day netted a mere 242 feet up, but we must have gained (and lost) thousands. The first half mile goes up 500 feet to the pass, then steeply down. However, to reach the floor of Goddard Canyon, we had to hike three miles of varying uphill and downhill.The last three miles (after lunch) were gradually uphill over expansive meadows. Looking back down the first few miles of the San Joaquin River yields excellent views of the canyon. Mount Goddard is on the south-east rim of the canyon, while the Le Conte divide is the western rim. | ||
 Hell-for-Sure Lake |
 Milky Way over Martha Lake |
 Mount Goddard |
Day 4: Mount Goddard from Martha Lake
On our layover day, we woke up early, ate breakfast, and started hiking towards the mountain just as the sun hit our campsite. There occasionally is a small trail up the mountain, but more often than not, it is a rather poor route. It is important to look at a high-resolution topo map to plan the ascent, as most of the area is quite steep. For safety, don't try it if there's bad weather or if afternoon thunderstorms are likely. If you don't reach the top by 2pm, it would be wise to turn around.My recommendation is to cut up the side of the mountain to reach the saddle to the right of Mt. Goddard looking from Martha Lake. Then follow the stream (often covered with snow) up to the lake at 12,000-something feet. Go around the lake to the south (the north side is steep, although there is a plane wreck up there you can search for), then head towards the ridge east of goddard. Then follow the ridge up to the pointy summit. Enjoy the best view in the Sierras. |
Day 5: Martha Lake to Big Maxson Meadow
Our original plan entailed going to Valor Lake, but after looking at the pass we would have to climb, we decided instead to cross the Le Conte Divide at a different place and go to Rainbow Lake. It took us about 2 hours to reach the pass. Some parts were steep, but achievable. We worked our way down by heading down the pass towards Lake Confusion (which sits exactly on the Le Conte divide -- it flows both ways over the divide). Following the stream (approximately) down to Rainbow Lake, we arrived at a bit past 1:30. Although we were originally planning to camp, we decided to continue on and try to make it out a day earlier.We then went into turbo mode and quickly hiked the easy 4-mile cross-country stretch to the trail along the north fork of the Kings River. We then hiked about 3 miles down the trail to a few hundred yards ahead of the Big Maxson Meadow. |
Day 6: Big Maxson Meadow to Courtright Reservoir
| The last day consisted of waking up early, after sleeping out under the stars (which aided in the quick departure), and sprinting to the trailhead. Although it was nearly 16 miles, we arrived at the cars before 3 in the afternoon, sore and ready to go home, or at least eat good food. |