The trail climbed steeply up the loose gravel of the canyon wall and I was soon looking down on Kennedy Lake.

For the next couple of miles, the trail headed steadily upward as it climbed Kennedy Canyon. There was occasional shade as the trail passed through stands of pine.

Looking up at the Horse Meadow Trail between the head of Kennedy Canyon and Big Sam. The "T" shaped snowfield and the long snowfield to its right were covering the road. Avoiding them would occupy much of the remainder of my morning, as I didn't particularly like the look of the cliff below the right snowfield. Sliding off a mountain was not on my days itinerary.

Looking back down at Kennedy Peak and Kennedy Lake (actually, you can see all the way back to the Dardanelles from up here) from near the top of Kennedy Canyon. The trail petered out before reaching the junction of the PCT and Horse Meadow Road. I opted to turn right and scramble up the scree to join the road.

A use path running parallel to Horse Meadow road about 50 yards below the road. This route was also blocked by a snowfield, so I continued up the scree to the main trail.

Now up on the road, I stopped to watch 2 hikers risk crossing the snowfield w/o crampons or axes. (They made it). I didn't at all feel comfortable attempting it, especially with a full pack. Thus, I spent the better portion of the next 2 hours scrambling down below the first snowfield, back up to the section between the fields, and then climbing up to the ridge above the second field. The climb was steep class 2 and exhausting, but I was able to get beyond the snowfield and start up the long switchbacks the Big Sam summit.

Beyond the snowfields, the trail crossed over the ridge and up into this bowl. The trail here was also occasionally blocked by snow, but the slope angles were low enough for easy traversal.

Thunderclouds gathered to the north/east as the afternoon progressed and it looked as if it were raining on the other side of the Sierra crest.

Still following the Horse Meadow trail as it switchbacked up the side of Big Sam. Here a snowfield left just enough of the trail clear to allow passage.