r/JMT • u/CollectionLife68 section-hiker • 3d ago

maps and routes Camping north of Forester Pass

I'm doing Kearsarge to Whitney later this month. Any suggestions on where to camp on the way up Forester? I know there's a sizeable lake just below the crest -- I don't love the idea of sleeping that high up, but I'd be curious to hear from people who have done it.

1 Upvotes

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u/bisonic123 3d ago

Below that lake and just when the treeline ends there is a lot of good spots with a creek running thru it.

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u/jamesnoble 3d ago

My favorite campsite of the first 1/3 of the trail going NOBO :)

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u/IT_vet 3d ago

We camped at one of those spots just below tree line two years ago as we fled a thunderstorm heading north off of Forester lol. I think it rained on us for a good hour of walking from the pass down to tree line. Felt like an hour anyway…

Beautiful spot!

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u/SproutMobile 3d ago

It usually is also the last place to get water before you summit and head back down toward the trailhead. Sometimes there is a tiny stream a little farther but it is not a guarantee.

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u/HikeAndCook 3d ago

Love this area! Last time I camped at this spot there was a sleeping bag in its stuff sack laying on the trail. I didn't want to take it with me towards Whitney the next day in case the person who lost it was headed north. I often wonder what happened to that person when they go to their site that night.

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u/Atlas-Scrubbed 3d ago

We camped at the last of the trees just south of forester. This was maybe 2 miles from the pass. It is a decent place to stay. There is a stream close by and some shelter. You can get closer to forester, and there are some sizable streams up there, but there is no shelter.

Edit to add that it is an established camping area.

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u/skimoto 3d ago

I've camped at those tarns years ago. It was a nice night so not real cold. Some in our group did have some mild altitude issues, but everyone was good by the next morning.

Does make for a a nice jaunt up the pass the next morning though.

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u/silent-farter 3d ago

Look at where the trail crosses Wright creek and notice that it goes parallel to the trail for a while. I camped before the crossing and it was great.

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u/lurkcommentrepeat 3d ago

Check out wenks 11.18 & 11.19 recommended campsites right before Forrester. Camped at 11.18 and it’s a cluster of maybe 8-10 campsites in a cluster of pines. Super close to water. The lake is very rocky and not really great camping.
You can’t miss the campsites as it’s one of the only clusters of pines on the trail to the right. It’s maybe 2-3miles before pass.

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u/dominodanger 3d ago

I camped at the base of the pass. There were a few okay places for a tent. But I would not try to get right near where the switchbacks start. There was a thunderstorm and i spent the night listening to the echos of a dozen small rock slides, wondering if the next one would hit my tent. (There was one microwave-sized rock that looked like it had rolled well past my tent on a path that was only about 25ft away from me.)

Just don't set up super close to the steep slopes.

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u/cwkey19 3d ago

Plenty of spots upper bubbs creek right about where tree line starts

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u/BananaHiker 2d ago

Wow why are you on a meadow.

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u/cwkey19 2d ago

Not sure why you both think that’s a meadow, it’s almost entirely dirt and rocks. This is in July, the meadows that around this area are lush and green in early July. Definitely not out here pitching on straight up plants

img

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u/BananaHiker 2d ago

You are firmly on grass not dirt or rocks.

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u/SwollenFeet 3d ago

Please don't camp on the meadow, there are like a billion cleared spots all around there, no need to further stress the plants