Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports Langley via OAP - Oct 18, 2020

Oct 18 - We drove up Horseshoe Meadow around 4am, started on Cottonwood trail 430am. Clear sailing up to Old Army, really pristine day. Slow going with the newbies. I left them at the lake below OAP. I went off trail up OAP and found a fun, 15 minute-long class 3 shortcut up some sturdy rock. Hooked up with meandering plateau trail, past the giant cairns, and reached the final summit wall. Decided to turn around...mostly, I didn't want to leave the newbies alone for too long (yes, they're adults!). On our return, which was a VERY long slog with the newbs, I noticed a "Trail Closed" sign strung across the path maybe 200 yards from the lot; it wasn't there when we departed earlier that morning. There was a fire smoldering southwest of Langley, which I assume was the Creek Fire...but it was quite a distance from us. A memorable/pristine day.

Actually, the fire burning in the Kern canyon is what's left of the Rattlesnake Fire.

It IS a long hike into Langley and back out in a day. Good for you thinking about the others in your party.

By the way, there is a no-longer-maintained trail up the South Fork Cottonwood Creek. Takes you clear up to the South Fork Lakes (Cirque Lake) Trail. It doesn't save any distance, but makes a nice loop.

Thanks for the South Fork beta (and for clarifying correct name of the Kern-area fire). On my first go up Langley in 2015, I missed the New Army turn-off and ended up heading to Cirque; I had to bushwhack a bit but got back on NAP trail an hour later. I think if you've got the mojo, getting to the top of Cirque is a nice cap after summiting Langley...but the 300'+ gain up towards New Army, after Langley...woof, it can be a bit of a grind.

Here are some photos from the Langley, Oct. 18 hike: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGoXtUUgb4a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I thought all of the John Muir Wilderness was still closed (much of the Cottonwood trails are in the JM Wilderness)??

You broke the law. You did this in violation of the governmental order. You should feel lucky you weren't caught. Shame on you.

Well, the northern part of the Golden Trout Wilderness, which includes Horseshoe Meadow and Cottonwood Lakes is now open. Not exactly sure when that went into effect though.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo/

Horseshoe Meadow is open but Mt. Langley is not.

The John Muir Wilderness within Inyo National Forest is open again. Forest Order 05-04-50-20-21 supersedes Forest Order 05-04-50-20-20, which closed JMW within INF through December 31. 05-04-50-20-21 leaves just about everything outside the Creek Fire area open.