Horseshoe Meadow / Cottonwood Creek - Mulkey Pass, New Army Pass, etc.
Hwy 395 Waypoints - Eastern Sierra Trailheads and Junctions
Olancha Peak by Northeast Ridge
GENERAL NOTES:
Turn northwest from Hwy 395 just north of "downtown" Cartago (waypoint CARTAG). Cross the aqueduct (canal) on an un-gated bridge (waypoint CARCAN) and turn south along the canal on a dirt road. Regular passenger cars can park alongside the L.A. aquaduct just north of the narrow, sandy, unmarked 4WD road (waypoint CARCAR, at 3700'). 4WD vehicles can drive west up to the some unsigned wooden posts that apparently mark the end of the 4WD road (waypoint CAR4WD, at 4200').
You start by walking through the sand and the sage brush until you get to a higher region of joshua trees, then gnarled cedars, and then up to pinyon pines. Stay on use trail (on the broad ridge) until about 5700', then cross left into a drainage (waypoint 5700ft) for easier walking. Above this point it's tempting to continue drifting left, but if you go to far south you'll end up in nasty brush and slabs. It's far better to cross the cliff band between waypoints CLFBOT and CLFTOP and stay right of the poorly defined ridge for the best walking.
Campsites can be found above 8200', where you cross the cliff band, but there may be no water if there's no snow to melt. We found a seasonal stream in May of a high snow year at waypoint STREAM (10k and near the summit) and there may be other sources of water on the summit plateau, but don't count on them in late summer! The climbing is reasonable if you pass between the bumps at 9900' (waypoint CSADDL) and head to the plateau before turning south to Cartago Peak (which is not marked on any map). It's only about 4 miles total to Cartago Peak (waypoint CARTAP, at 10480').
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