High Sierra Topix

Sorry if there already is a post on this. Just curious about everyone's plans this year.

I am going to do some early Sierra trips and then head for Wyoming 4th of July to spend two months in the Wind Rivers, doing several 4-10 day trips. They have about 150% snowpack this year, so hopefully fire danger is down. Rather than long trips, my plans are for short loops in areas that I have not visited for over 45 years. Some will be solo, some with old friends, and one 9-day fishing trip with my husband and our dog.I have all the route plans figured out - now just have to get out the gear and see what need repairs, what new stuff I need.

I have been caring for my 5-year old disabled granddaughter with 1-year old development, since Oct 5 with not a day off and am ready for a vacation! I have decided that 65-year olds should wander in the mountains instead of being a "parent" of young children!

So far I have three trips, first one is with my son, cottonwood to Kennedy Meadows. Next is possibly three sections of the high route. And a trip to Nevada for a short but big miles trip. Water is my main concern and plan on pushing up the dates a bit. Oh I forgot my son wants to go somewhere during his spring break, maybe up to treasure lakes. So four trips so far, hopefully I'll double that number.

Can I PM you WD about logistics of SHR? I did search and read several of you earlier posts but still have a few question.

I never know when or where I am going. I tried to make some plans for a set date and that fell apart after like two weeks lol.

I took the wife on a trip to the Kern at the end of last year and she had a great time. She hiked with me when we were younger, but after a few years she started to tire of it. She asked if I could do some easier hikes this year so that she could go. I have my permits for my annual week trip with my brother from Hawaii over Lamarck and around to Humphries via Puppet Pass for some beginner off trail passes and good fishing. My other permits are for easy 4 day x country hikes to lakes off trail but still relatively close. I promised her to keep it to 5 to 7 miles a day with a layover day to relax. To be honest, I'm kind of excited to have her come along.

I like your plans. I'd like to backpack in the Wind Rivers. Helping a child with a disability is, I imagine, very draining.

I won't be able to meet up with the HST's folks this year as I'm going on a loop backpack trip from Road's End to Paradise Valley then on to Arrow Creek lakes, Arrow Pass, Bench Lake, Cartridge Pass, Lakes Basin, the Sierra High Route to Grouse Lake, and back to Paradise. This trip is nine days (with Sierra Club folks) August 9 to the 18th. I know Lakes Basin is beautiful and look forward to seeing it. I've been to Bench Lake from the south and up Copper Creek, but everything else will be new.

In mid July, I'm doing another 9 day trip from Tuolumne Meadows to the Clark Range and another trail back to Lyell Canyon and Tuolumne. I haven't taken the trail past Merced Lake to the Clark Range (I've been there from the west side), so look forward to it! I love the high country and the granite but have come to love the lower forest areas.

In May, I'm going to the Trinity Alps for a three day hike, and in June, a three day hike to Snag Lake in the Lassen wilderness. In early July I'm planning a camping/hiking trip with a good friend from Eugene in Antelope National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. In April I may explore more of northern Oregon (the Dalles), being a newbie here, and camp along the way.

I hope you plan on posting your trips and photos. Sounds great!

depends on work unfortunately. And Mother nature who has been more than fickle.

French basin and the royces are on my hit list, as is YNP with Evelyn and HB as a season ender. anything and or around those are unplanned. I'd like to hit Emigrant but none of my friends are enticed that direction.

I'd love to get a pic of Mark in his raft after he snags a sharp single, barbless into it, but we'll see.

SweetSierra wrote:
I'm going on a loop backpack trip from Road's End to Paradise Valley then on to
Arrow Creek lakes, Arrow Pass, Bench Lake, Cartridge Pass, Lakes Basin, the Sierra
High Route to Grouse Lake, and back to Paradise. This trip is nine days (with Sierra
Club folks) August 9 to the 18th.

Arrow Lakes Basin is quite pretty especially the lower to middle section, you should
be on the tail end of mosquito season or miss it entirely with those dates this year,
which is a good thing because the mosquitoes are horrendous in that basin.

Our schedule is a little complicated this year because of work and some commitments....but one of the things we hope to do is to take about two weeks and just drive down 395 on the East side of the Sierra and take a few mid-week trips inot John Muir and SEKI. Nothing epic planned, just heading up over some passes and checking things out for a couple of days...then back to the car to another trailhead.

Given the droughty conditions, won't commit till sometime in May just like last year. Otherwise too much a gamble for a photographer trying to time best conditions. I have a list of potential trips all planned out on spreadsheets. Won't consider any that require strenuous effort unless conditions are more certain. Thus for example Taboose or Shepherd this year would not work. Most likely to do a 9-day trip between mid July and early August basecamping up Mono Creek to three of the tributary basins.

Interesting how no one has said "meet up" yet.