Rides to/from Kennedy Meadows

[YoJoe]

Hi All, I'd appreciate any input from former hikers on how easy/difficult it is to get in/out of Kennedy Meadows. I expect to arrive there early June and would want to exit to either Lake Isabella or Ridgecrest and return a couple weeks later. Is it easy enough to get rides in/out of Kennedy Meadows, or would it be far wiser to take the break from Walker Pass instead? Also if it's reasonable to get a ride out of Kennedy Meadows, any suggestions on the best way to find a ride back in (preferably from Ridgecrest). Thanks.

[Malto]

Walker pass would definitely be easier for Lake Isabella and I would think Ridgecrest as well. I would take lake Isabella over Ridgecrest any day of the week.

[Miner]

Given you can get bus service from Walkers Pass to Lake Isabella, it will be easier there. That said, you should be able to get a ride out and into KM. How long you'll wait depends on the day of the week and the time of day it is. You need to time it properly to have an easy time of it. I've passed thru-hikers hiking the road up from Hwy 395 towards KM, but like me, almost all the traffic was going the wrong way since it was Sunday Afternoon. You might try contacting Tom, formerly of Tom's KM Cyber Cafe that was shut down by the county, if you can get a shuttle if he'll be around for the dates you need.

[YoJoe]

Thanks for the feedback, you're essentially confirming what I expected. It would be much nicer to be able to completely end the desert section at my break and likewise fully resupply before restarting, but I'd be somewhat concerned I might end up redoing the trek to KM. What about an alternate strategy of exiting to Lone Pine via Horseshoe Meadows? Assuming the road is open (which I should be able to know by Walker Pass), would it be much easier getting a ride in/out of there or is that not likely to have much traffic either if it's early season with still a lot of snow?

[Miner]

Going into Lone Pine is a good alternative. If the road is opened when you are going through, there should be plenty of people to take you into town from either Trail Pass or Cottonwood Pass (the two trails go to the same trailhead parking area from different directions). Weekends obviously easier then weekdays, but the trailhead is a popular Sierra entry point, including as an alternative access point for doing Whitney from the western side if they couldn't get a permite for the Portal. And as there is also camping there, people do make runs into town for supplies and better food.