Ups and Downs

Packsaddle Cave Trail (33E34)

Let me tell you, when I read the trail was hard, but only 2.5 miles I thought to myself "How hard could it be?"

Turns out it could be pretty dang hard.

I started this trail around 1p.m. on a day the temperature was forecasted to be 90 plus degrees. A terrible idea.

Though it doesn't look so bad, the first portion (mile?) of this trail was a pretty steep climb. There is no way I would have made it if I hadn't been carrying my 2.5L hydration pack. Even though the trail climbs the side of a mountain, the elevation is not high enough to keep things cool. Add to that the almost total lack of trees and you get a recipe for heat stroke.

I will be the first to admit that I am overweight and out of shape. So only a few hundred feet in, I began questioning my ability to traverse this trail. Luckily, I was too stubborn to admit defeat and huffed and puffed and staggered my way up. I'm not kidding, I had to pick a point a few feet away, and put one foot in front of the other until I made it to that point. Then I would catch my breath and take a sip or two off of my water and crouch in the bushes for whatever shade I could get. Find a point. Put on foot in front of the other. Catch breath. Water. Repeat.

It was pretty brutal.

But just when I started to think there was no way I could make it, the trail leveled out a little. Just enough. The reward was this amazing view of the Kern River.

After that first leg things got much better. The trail still lacked shade, and at some point the shrubs started to reach across the trail, making wearing short sleeves kind of a bummer, but compared to the beginning it was a walk in the park.

Then suddenly the trail began to go down between two mountains and it was like an oasis. Lush green vines climbed up the sides of trees and the trail crossed over a small stream. After all that dust and sweat it felt like paradise. If it weren't for the mosquitoes, I may have lingered there too long.

There were several of these patches along the trail, and I found myself hurrying to get to them and out of the heat.

Eventually the trail left the streams and headed back up the side of the mountain. After this the trail got a bit rocky for a while, then the trail met a dry creek bed. At that point it got a little hard to discern where the trail went.

I almost missed the trail and started on the Rincon Trail instead. There was a line of white rocks to show where the trail curved, but I didn't realize what it was. Luckily, I had read comments left on my hiking app, and some other poor jerk had done the same thing I had, but never realized it. They wound up hiking on the Rincon Trail before giving up and turning back.

But lucky for me, they had mentioned it in the comments (thank you!) and someone else had described a sharp turn. So I back tracked and found the path up to the cave.

The Cave

I had a geology teacher who told the class never to enter a mine without a headlamp, two flashlights, a candle, a rope, and a helmet. I figured all that would be a little overkill. But I made sure I had two flashlights.

I've only been in one other cave, when the boyfriend and I took a tour of Shasta Cavern sometime last year. It was pretty awesome, but there were a ton of stairs, a lot of people, and of course a restricted access tour. Now Packsaddle isn't a very large cave, but is definitely a cave. And it was deeper than I expected. And compared to outside it was nice and cool inside.

And dark. Two flashlights was hardly enough. Should've brought a headlamp.

It was a pretty rad to have a chance to explore a cave with freedom, but there was no one around, so it was also a little creepy. Still, totally worth it.

I didn't thoroughly explore the cave, I probably would've been fine, but I wanted to make sure I could see the entrance at all times. Better safe than sorry. And because I started so late, and because it took me so long to cover that first mile, shadows started to get a bit long pretty quick. So back down the trail I went.

Down was a little bit of a strain on my knees and toes, and I ran out of water before I got back to the trailhead, but down was way easier. The sky became overcast and a mild breeze picked up before I hit the steeper parts, which was quite a relief.

Not only was the cave awesome, but it was nice to have a specific point to focus on, though had I not found it I would've been pretty bummed. I'm not sure if I would do this trail again in the summer, maybe if I could get my butt in gear earlier. but I felt pretty accomplished afterwards and I'm really glad I made it.