Suggestions for 5-6 day loop with layovers (mid-Sept)

[AlmostThere]

I've only had one trip to Mineral King in the past six years that we did not see many people on the trail. It was in early October, the campground water was shut off and the parking lot nearly empty, it rained and snowed and hailed every day and we saw the most amazing lightning storm take place in the clouds one night. Didn't see a soul until the last day coming down Franklin Pass, when we saw four young guys tramping slowly up with massive backpacks.

There were a lot of large groups out there. 6-10 people per campsite at Pinto, the same at Little Five. We were the only ones at Big Five, but we saw a few groups go by as we pitched the tents. One group went up to the upper Big Five lakes, the rest soldiered on to Little Five.

I tend to only go in September or October.

[wildhiker]

Dreamer1 - you mused about a Tuolumne Meadows loop to 1000 Island Lake and then looping back over Koip Peak Pass. I have done this trip the other direction, which I recommend. Assuming the Tuolumne Meadows shuttle is still running, it will take you to the Mono Meadows trailhead and you can get over Parker Pass to camp at one of the small tarns below it the first day. Then a second day over Koip Peak Pass and down to Alger Lakes. Then down to Gem Lake, where you can either head south up to Clark Lakes and then over to 1000 Island, or directly up Rush Creek and back a bit to 1000 Island. When you head north over Donohue Pass, you can find places to camp up around 10,000 feet on the north side of the pass. Then you have a long all-downhill day back to Tuolumne Meadows on the John Muir Freeway. I always like to exit down the JMT so I can move quickly past all those hikers :-).
-Phil