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Favorite trailhead

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:36 pm
by Cross Country
From what trail head have you gone the most places and where did you go?

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 2:29 pm
by LMBSGV
Tuolumne Meadows. I expect lot of people will say this. One can go to Glen Aulin/Waterwheel/ Tuolumne canyon, the PCT heading north, the JMT south and to Yosemite Valley, Vogelsang. and all the beautiful places one can choose to stop at along those routes. The trips I've taken are too numerous to elucidate.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 2:47 pm
by SweetSierra
Horseshoe Meadows, Cottonwood Pass trailhead. For the Golden Trout wilderness, Miter Basin, Rocky Basin Lakes, the back door to Mt. Whitney, etc.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 4:02 pm
by markskor
Agree with LMBSGV above...Tuolumne Meadows as a starting trailhead(s) rocks! - (if only due to easy YARTS access from Mammoth or Valley, and the free hiker's bus up and down 120.)

From there have ventured south to Whitney Portal, north to Tahoe (and even the Oregon border), as well as hundreds of other places Sierra in between. Nice thing about the quota system - You have to start somewhere to be legal, but once on the trail, you can go anywhere.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 11:30 pm
by sekihiker
Maxson Trailhead is my favorite and has taken me to Cedar Grove [via Goddard Creek, Cartridge Pass, and Gardiner Basin], Davis Lakes [including Evolution Valley and Goddard Canyon], both sides of the LeConte/White Divide, Enchanted Gorge [via Ionian Basin], Mount Goddard [continuing to Upper Lamarck Lake], and most of the lakes of upper Post Corral Creek, Red Mountain Basin, Bench Valley, and Blackcap Basin.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:44 am
by Cross Country
My favorite was Kings Canyon Roads end. I went to:
Kidd lakes (not up Copper Creek - wouldn't count) I went up Kidd creek from the river.
Glacier Lakes (same trip as above).
Granite Basin ((same trip as above).
Lake of the Fallen Moon (for me not a very pretty place)
Paradise Valley (obviously many times and almost doesn't count)
Arrow Peak (The lakes South of it).
Window Peak (the lakes SE of it).
Woods Lakes.
The first lake on the trial on the way to Muir pass from the North (I'm doing this by memory not using maps).
Baxter Lakes.
Dragon Lake.
Rae Lakes.
Sixty Lakes Basin.
Garden Basin.
Gardner Pass
Down Charlotte Creek to Bubbs creek.
Bubbs Creek.
Glen Pass
East Lake
The Lake East of the trail from East to Reflection.
Reflection Lake.
The Lakes between Reflection and Longly Pass.
Longly Pass.
South Guard Lake.
Cunningham Creek.
The Lake closest to Cunningham Creek (I think North of the creek).
I saw Brewer from above but never went there.
Sphinx Lakes
North Guard Lake (s).
The lake between Sphinx and North Guard.
Charlotte Lake.
In all I think I took about 15 trips from this trailhead.
If we were to count the Cooper creek trail head (you have to start from the same ranger station) I went up it 9 times.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:57 am
by Cross Country
I had forgotten:
Grouse Lake
The pass that takes you from Sphinx creek to the Roaring River.
Colby Lake.
Colby pass.
The lakes just East of Colby Pass.
Junction Meadow.
The upper Kern River.
The lakes at the head of the Kern.
Milly's Foot (or Lucy's Foot) Pass.
The unnamed lakes North of the trail from Paradise Valley to Woods Creed Crossing.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:58 am
by Cross Country
South of the trail not North of the trail.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:59 am
by Cross Country
Also I forgot The White fork of Woods Creek and the lake at the head of the creek and the pass to Window Peak Lakes.

Re: Favorite trailhead

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 11:29 am
by SSSdave
I don't have a favorite trailhead and would not characterize trailheads that way but rather as to how useful they are to my purposes. And I would base that on more than just the physical trailheads because the related USNF or NP permit policies also are important. Generally high elevation trailheads are useful for getting closer to a High Sierra experience. Remote trailheads requiring low wheelbase 4WD are useful for keeping use low. All NP trailheads are annoying due to policies for face to face lectures even if one backpacks a lot and knows all policy because it results in mid to late morning trail starts instead of the dawn/sunrise starts we prefer. On the positive side, NP backpacker camps are a big plus. Most west side USNF trailheads have big pluses on all points but are a long ways from better High Sierra destinations. In the central and northern Sierra for areas north of the Yosemite, getting permits and logistics are often fine but landscapes are not as impressive and many trailheads are so close to destinations that there are many day hikers and the easy access for day hiking fishermen day hikers results in many destination lakes having mediocre fishing.

Still there are some fine unofficial "trailheads" for photographers like those about the Ebbetts Pass region where the dearth of fishing waters away from highways keeps use very low.

Mosquito Flat at 10.4k is not only a very high trailhead but also has a no fee no reservations walk-in backcountry campground right at the trailhead. Further Inyo NF uses recreation.gov for permits and allows night box pickups so the result is the best situation for short notice escapes. And the Little Lakes Valley has many fine short destinations plus the escape over Mono Pass for more serious backpacking. Although very popular, there are superb places with very little traffic away from the trail because the lakes, streams, and awkward terrain hides much.

Likewise much the same can be said about the Saddlebag Lake trailhead for Little Lakes Valley except destinations are more limited.

Onion Valley, SF Bishop Creek, North Lake are other high east side trailheads allow easy access to fabulous areas of the High Sierra though unlike at Mosquito Flat, one must stage at lower elevations because it is illegal to camp anywhere near trailheads except at the pricy probably full USFS campgrounds.

On the west side, Bear Diversion Dam is an example of an often unpleasant road that keeps out most vehicles without 4WD while providing access to one of the finest Sierra stream trails.