Help with best area of the Western Sierras

[caddis]

Throw a dart at the map. It's all good

[joshuacourter]

I would agree with other posts that if you want to keep the crowds down, just go after Labor Day in September. Between Memorial Day (May) to Labor Day (September) are the busiest for the National Parks and Forests.

A trip you may want to check out that will provide a variety of terrain can be viewed here on Google Earth -> High Sierra Loop KML. I plan to take this trip within the next few years. Every few months I relook at the route for new photos. More people are posting shots along this route so you can get a feel for it via Google Earth.

I tend to "fly around" in Google Earth to see the National Park trail system and photos of places. I typically design my trip this way and use other programs to fine tune trip specifics. Enabling the photos feature on Google Earth may help you plan or explore options others have suggested too. In my opinion, it is a great way to get a "feel" for the area, once the photos are enabled.

I hope that is helpful

[overheadx2]

Thanks for all the advice. The wife let me know that she wanted to do a little hiking, so I will be car camping and doing some nice long day hikes. After looking through the options, I am amazed at the amount of really good options available, and have already started to put some trips together for next spring/ summer. I am looking at a early summer (depends on snow) trip to woodchuck lake and over into the black cap basin for some fishing as well as a trip out of Edison to the grave yard lakes into Peter Pand and Lone Indian lakes. It is very cool to have a whole other side to explore. Thanks for helping to point me in the right direction. If you have any good intel or better options to the areas I am looking at don't hesitate to let me know.

[AlmostThere]

Thanks for all the advice. The wife let me know that she wanted to do a little hiking, so I will be car camping and doing some nice long day hikes. After looking through the options, I am amazed at the amount of really good options available, and have already started to put some trips together for next spring/ summer. I am looking at a early summer (depends on snow) trip to woodchuck lake and over into the black cap basin for some fishing as well as a trip out of Edison to the grave yard lakes into Peter Pand and Lone Indian lakes.

Those are dayhikes? And time to fish! Wow. You have seriously fast feet.

[GoPoly]

It took us about 4 hours to get from Lake Edison to lower Graveyard lake with packs on. The last climb from the Goodale pass trail to lower Graveyard lake was pretty tough in the heat of the afternoon, so start early. You'll then need to navigate the pass above upper graveyard lake which looked like a cross-country route. Not sure what class. We met some folks that did it and said the traverse down to Peter Pand lake was a bit sketchy for what it was worth. Might be better as an overnighter so you can enjoy the fishing and not feel rushed.

[maverick]

GoPoly wrote:
You'll then need to navigate the pass above upper graveyard lake which looked
like a cross-country route. Not sure what class. We met some folks that did it
and said the traverse down to Peter Pand lake was a bit sketchy for what it was
worth. Might be better as an overnighter.

The pass is named Silver Fox Pass (unofficially), you'll find plenty of info on it by
typing it into the search feature.

[overheadx2]

Whoa, what I meant was instead of doing a late season hike, my wife decided she wanted to do something so her and I are going to car camp and just day hike. The hikes mentioned are suggestions from this thread that I will have to put off until next summer instead of this fall.