Please share your Sierra Wisdom!
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 3:09 pm
Hello!
I started hiking in the Sierra Nevada about 5 years ago and completely fell in love. I've been backpacking for about 20 years and have done so all over the world but theres just something special in the Sierras. "Just a little further..." So I need some Trip Advice and am relying on you lovely folks that really know the place (I live in Austin). I will be bringing one of my closest friends and his 13 year old boy for his first real backpacking experience in the wilderness!
What level of backpacking experience do you have?
I'm probably a level 3+ I've done lots of XC, but havent done any significantly exposed high XC passes. My friend has only done trail stuff and his boy's first time out.
What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
Class 2 and/or anything suitable for a 13 yr old
What is your main interest?
High valleys, big trees and forests with lakes and high mountain back drops. We want to go up over a few passes and see the lunar rock landscapes, but spend more time hiking where its green. We'd like to take a down day with a base camp and explore around a beautiful high valley.
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead? How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
We'll have 6 nights plus a night at the trail head, either coming or going - June 28 (probable trail head night) to July 4 (need to drive out on the 5th). I'm usually happy with around 10 miles a day with some significant altitude change. Its hard to say for the boy - maybe 8 miles/day??? Either way, we want a layover day somewhere amazing. Also, we want to start with a few shorter days to warm up. It would probably be ideal to arrive in the afternoon of the 28th and hike a few miles in to a nice spot for the "night 0"...
Do you have a route logistics preference: loop, out and back, point to point (which may require 2 vehicles or hitchhiking)?
Loop or loopish preferred, but open to a shortish/inexpensive shuttle
Is there a particular area in the Sierra that youre most interested in (Yosemite, SEKI western sierra start or eastern start ect.)?
So far my favorite hike in the Sierras was a less common loop out of mineral king - starting timber gap, around to bearpaw, up through kaweah gap, nine lakes, down big arroyo to little 5 lakes and out black rock pass. I loved this for several reasons - general awesomeness, easier days to start, lots of incredible forest/trees/solitude on the first, less popular part. Precipice lake, upper big arroyo and upper little 5 lakes blew my mind. I probably wouldnt want to do anything much sketchier/more exposed than black rock pass because of the boy. Other favorite trips were shorter and out of rock creek and lundy canyons on the NE side.
I've been reading lots of trip reports and have more questions than answers. I know it will be the heart of mosquito season so thats a concern. We would like to have campfires on most nights, but not all. Also, I know its around July 4th but we'd really like to avoid many people/ heavily traveled routes. I've been thinking of the following areas but am really open to anywhere -
a different loop out of mineral king - i'm not sure if this area in general might be too much for the 13 yr old's first trip. he's really smart and solid, but i want to avoid problems. perhaps something out of farewell gap and up shotgun pass?
something in the emigrant wilderness - maybe a loop out of kennedy, down around the emigrant/buck lakes? here i'm concerned about mosquitos and a lack of more striking mountain backdrops? (maybe totally unfounded?)
yosemite back country - never hiked in yosemite but ive driven through on tioga pass a few times and the scenery on the east side really calls to me. are there some routes without tons of people? maybe out of dana or tuolumne meadows?
and then theres everywhere else... and heres the problem - there are so many amazing places i want to explore!! but i submit myself to your knowing consideration...
Thanks in advance!!!
Jason
I started hiking in the Sierra Nevada about 5 years ago and completely fell in love. I've been backpacking for about 20 years and have done so all over the world but theres just something special in the Sierras. "Just a little further..." So I need some Trip Advice and am relying on you lovely folks that really know the place (I live in Austin). I will be bringing one of my closest friends and his 13 year old boy for his first real backpacking experience in the wilderness!
What level of backpacking experience do you have?
I'm probably a level 3+ I've done lots of XC, but havent done any significantly exposed high XC passes. My friend has only done trail stuff and his boy's first time out.
What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
Class 2 and/or anything suitable for a 13 yr old
What is your main interest?
High valleys, big trees and forests with lakes and high mountain back drops. We want to go up over a few passes and see the lunar rock landscapes, but spend more time hiking where its green. We'd like to take a down day with a base camp and explore around a beautiful high valley.
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead? How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
We'll have 6 nights plus a night at the trail head, either coming or going - June 28 (probable trail head night) to July 4 (need to drive out on the 5th). I'm usually happy with around 10 miles a day with some significant altitude change. Its hard to say for the boy - maybe 8 miles/day??? Either way, we want a layover day somewhere amazing. Also, we want to start with a few shorter days to warm up. It would probably be ideal to arrive in the afternoon of the 28th and hike a few miles in to a nice spot for the "night 0"...
Do you have a route logistics preference: loop, out and back, point to point (which may require 2 vehicles or hitchhiking)?
Loop or loopish preferred, but open to a shortish/inexpensive shuttle
Is there a particular area in the Sierra that youre most interested in (Yosemite, SEKI western sierra start or eastern start ect.)?
So far my favorite hike in the Sierras was a less common loop out of mineral king - starting timber gap, around to bearpaw, up through kaweah gap, nine lakes, down big arroyo to little 5 lakes and out black rock pass. I loved this for several reasons - general awesomeness, easier days to start, lots of incredible forest/trees/solitude on the first, less popular part. Precipice lake, upper big arroyo and upper little 5 lakes blew my mind. I probably wouldnt want to do anything much sketchier/more exposed than black rock pass because of the boy. Other favorite trips were shorter and out of rock creek and lundy canyons on the NE side.
I've been reading lots of trip reports and have more questions than answers. I know it will be the heart of mosquito season so thats a concern. We would like to have campfires on most nights, but not all. Also, I know its around July 4th but we'd really like to avoid many people/ heavily traveled routes. I've been thinking of the following areas but am really open to anywhere -
a different loop out of mineral king - i'm not sure if this area in general might be too much for the 13 yr old's first trip. he's really smart and solid, but i want to avoid problems. perhaps something out of farewell gap and up shotgun pass?
something in the emigrant wilderness - maybe a loop out of kennedy, down around the emigrant/buck lakes? here i'm concerned about mosquitos and a lack of more striking mountain backdrops? (maybe totally unfounded?)
yosemite back country - never hiked in yosemite but ive driven through on tioga pass a few times and the scenery on the east side really calls to me. are there some routes without tons of people? maybe out of dana or tuolumne meadows?
and then theres everywhere else... and heres the problem - there are so many amazing places i want to explore!! but i submit myself to your knowing consideration...
Thanks in advance!!!
Jason