Route advice for 3-5 day trips
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:56 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm trying to get some plans together for a few 3-5 night trips over the course of the summer. My first plan was to do the Rae Lakes loop, but after reading conflicting info on the permit process, I would like to have some backup plans in place in case that doesn't work out. Last year were my first trips into the backcountry, although I've done a ton of car camping my entire life. Last year I did 1 overnighter from onion valley and stayed at Gilbert lake. After that, I've become 100% hooked and obsessed with doing more trips and exploring the southern sierras as much as possible! My "experience" looks like this:
What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 2- Some backpacking trips, using trails
What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
- Class 1 terrain/trail hiking
- Class 2 terrain/pass/x-country
- River crossings
What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Forests
- Big Mountain scenery
- Photography
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead? 3-5 nights
How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers? I'm comfortable doing up to 12 miles per day.
Do you have a route logistics preference: loop & out and back only
Is there a particular area in the Sierra that your most interested in: I'm coming from Orange County, so anything on the east or west side (preferably the east side) that I can make the drive to in 4-5 hours- I would say as far north as bishop or mammoth??? I realize that narrows it down to a select few trail heads
Will you be hiking with a dog? Not on these multiple night hikes, only on the 1 nighters
Some ideas I had in mind include the Rae lakes loop, upper rock creek loop, onion valley trailhead to Rae lakes/ 60 lakes basin & back, glacier lodge to big pine lakes & back. Thoughts? And I absolutely plan on submitting TR afterwards!!!!
Also, what would be the best way of finding a list of the major trail heads & the proper location to pick up permits for each? I think a great addition to the HST map would to have a list of trail heads
Thanks everyone!!!
I'm trying to get some plans together for a few 3-5 night trips over the course of the summer. My first plan was to do the Rae Lakes loop, but after reading conflicting info on the permit process, I would like to have some backup plans in place in case that doesn't work out. Last year were my first trips into the backcountry, although I've done a ton of car camping my entire life. Last year I did 1 overnighter from onion valley and stayed at Gilbert lake. After that, I've become 100% hooked and obsessed with doing more trips and exploring the southern sierras as much as possible! My "experience" looks like this:
What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 2- Some backpacking trips, using trails
What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
- Class 1 terrain/trail hiking
- Class 2 terrain/pass/x-country
- River crossings
What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Forests
- Big Mountain scenery
- Photography
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead? 3-5 nights
How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers? I'm comfortable doing up to 12 miles per day.
Do you have a route logistics preference: loop & out and back only
Is there a particular area in the Sierra that your most interested in: I'm coming from Orange County, so anything on the east or west side (preferably the east side) that I can make the drive to in 4-5 hours- I would say as far north as bishop or mammoth??? I realize that narrows it down to a select few trail heads
Will you be hiking with a dog? Not on these multiple night hikes, only on the 1 nighters
Some ideas I had in mind include the Rae lakes loop, upper rock creek loop, onion valley trailhead to Rae lakes/ 60 lakes basin & back, glacier lodge to big pine lakes & back. Thoughts? And I absolutely plan on submitting TR afterwards!!!!
Also, what would be the best way of finding a list of the major trail heads & the proper location to pick up permits for each? I think a great addition to the HST map would to have a list of trail heads
Thanks everyone!!!