Breaking camp in 60 Lakes, I took the shortcut east to the JMT. This goes through Arrowhead Lake Pass and down to the lake. At the Dollar Lake trail junction, the unmaintained Baxter Pass Trail takes off. I lost that within 200 yards, so I just sidehilled over toward the Baxter Lakes area. The trail is very elusive and the rock ducks are discontinuous. From Baxter Lakes on up to Baxter Pass was very open. Then east of the pass, the trail became cruddy. The trail is loose and overgrown with sticker bushes below about 11,000 feet. Down trees, misplaced boulders, and difficult stream crossings add to the ambience. Eventually the trail descends through oak and cactus to a trailhead parking lot at 6000 feet. Unfortunately, the ordeal didn't end there. I had to walk the dirt road or else descend through the desert scrub brush which was shorter, and I did that on the dregs of my last drinking water. How do you spell Dehydration?

I got a ride just before the fish hatchery, and that got me to Independence. Then it took another three hours in Independence before I could get a ride back up to Onion Valley where my car was. By the time I drove back to Independence, the air temperature was 105*F, so then I knew why I was so dehydrated.