June 29, 2026 — The hike to Mount Gould begins at the Onion Valley Campground, taking the gradual and obvious Kearsarge Pass Trail roughly 5 miles to Kearsarge Pass. The parking lot fills up fast during peak season due to a mix of day hikers, campers, and backpackers, so it is recommended to time your visit early on a weekday to secure parking. The hike out to Kearsarge Pass is easy and gentle Class 1, following a well established trail that maintains roughly 600ft/mile all the way to the pass. You will pass several lakes on the way, including Heart Lake, Gilbert Lake, Little Pothole Lake, and Big Pothole Lake. If the altitude doesn't zap your energy, I highly recommend taking in views of these lakes on your way to the pass. Once at the pass, my mind was blown at the epicness. I had seen pictures before my trip, therefore having an idea of what I would be seeing. But wow, the view into Kings Canyon National Park with the many Kearsarge Lakes in the valley below was breathtaking. I spent about half an hour at the pass taking photos, refueling, and contemplating if I was still game to conquer Mount Gould. At first, I could see no immediate path up that looked good. It honestly all just looked like rocks to me. With a little hesitation, I decided the best way up was to wing it, going slow and controlled. After only a few minutes of climbing, a social trail became immediately obvious. At times I did lose sight of the trail, but never encountering any serious terrain or obstacles as I worked my way up Gould. The higher up I climbed, the more impressive the landscape beneath me opened up. The ridgeline from the pass all the way up Gould became visible, adding 3 dimensional pop to an already amazing place. All of the Kearsarge Lakes to the right, Big Pothole Lake down the center, and Onion Valley to the left were all present at once. As I climbed higher, my will to summit waned on me. I was feeling the effects of altitude, and my head began to hurt as my energy dropped. I pushed on slowly, until I hit about 12,900 with the summit practically in my hands. I knew I was close, but on a clock that final push would cost me at least another hour. Satisfied with the incredible views, I turned back. Using Big Pothole Lake and the ridgeline as my landmarks, I quickly made it back to the pass. I ended up meeting a group of PCT thru-hikers here looking for a ride to Bishop. As we hiked back to the trailhead to take that ride to Bishop, an intense summer snow storm rolled through. I had to put my gloves on, but it was a really cool experience. Back at the jeep, we headed out to Bishop, looking out the windows in awe at the dark and intense storm clouds that had enveloped us.
