High Sierra Topix

Hi,

Would like to do a trip from the Bay Area this weekend but so many options are out.

National Forests are closed.
Desolation Wilderness is closed.
Yosemite permits are not available this close to the date.

What are my options?
SeKi, but the air hasn't been stellar. Somewhere farther north looks like a safer bet on better air. Any ideas?

Hoover Wilderness, accessed from the Bridgeport area. Write yourself a permit at the ranger station and game on. AQI in Bridgeport right now is 4.

owen wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:19 pm Hi,

Would like to do a trip from the Bay Area this weekend but so many options are out.

National Forests are closed.
Desolation Wilderness is closed.
Yosemite permits are not available this close to the date.

What are my options?
SeKi, but the air hasn't been stellar. Somewhere farther north looks like a safer bet on better air. Any ideas?

I'll be in the Bridgeport/Tahoe area for the next four days? None of the NF's up there are closed to hiking.

Desolation Wilderness is far from closed, saw 4 people off trail there October 3rd. Just no backpacking. Course, the whole wilderness is like 10 miles across, so you can do whatever in a day. I can't really see the need to carry overnight gear in there unless you just like hiking slower.

I just got back from the Rae Lakes Loop. Air was great above 7,000 feet. I'll do a proper trip report in a few days.

I just got back from a backpack in Hoover Wilderness.. (Toiyabe national forest, not Inyo). Echoing what Neil D says, it is open.
Self permit process from Leavitt Meadows. No issues. Weather was great. Minimal/no smoke. Lots of day hikers as well.
Will write up a TR.
Late in season for backpack, but if the weather report is good, October is a great time to go. Weather was great up there last week. Quite warm.
But need to be careful with weather.