High Sierra Topix

Well, I'm not all that gimpy anymore, but not yet 100% after a calf muscle strain. I've been hiking the local "mountain" preserves here in the Bay Area but a) it's getting hot, and b) getting boring. Doing okay mostly, just take my time on the steep upslopes (for Bay Area definition of "steep"), and the soreness in the calf after five or six hours of hiking has mostly gone away.

So it's time to stretch out a little more. I'm looking for suggestions for an easy venue for a 2-3 day trip in the Stanislaus/Yosemite area, one where there's sufficient elevation up/down to make it interesting, but not enough to kill me especially since I'm not acclimated to the altitude (my apartment is at sea level). Also bear in mind I'm not at full speed. Luckily my gear is ultralight.

Thanks,
_E

Hi Badtux

I am kind of hesitant recommending anything with your injury especially on steep
up hill/down hills on uneven ground that may cause your condition to worsen.
Are you able to do calf stretches, and calf raises with weight with no pain?
Steep in the Bay Area like what? Mission Peak, Henry Coe area, or Mt. Diablo steep?

Glad to hear the legs are coming back…
I offer 2 ideas... both nice and easy 2 – 3 day loops – Yosemite, Tuolumne area off 120.

1) Start out East end of Tenaya and do the short 1 mile (little X-country) fisherman’s trail…following up the exit stream (be south of visible waterfall at top) to Lower Cathedral, and then up to Upper Cathedral first night.
Second night to any of the 3 Sunrise Lakes…Upper closer to HSC, Middle has best fishing, but Lower more scenic/dynamic for camping.
Third day, return down Sunrise-Tenaya Trail and back to 120.

2) Saddlebag Lake and the 20 Lakes Basin Loop

Yes, calf stretches/calf raises no problem. Yes, Henry Coe steep -- before the weather warmed up I did a few hikes there in early May. Basically, the injury is pretty much healed, with no problems on slopes, just not at full speed yet. For example, yesterday went to the open space district and from Skyline took the Charcoal Rd down to Stephens Creek and then back up Grizzly Gulch to Skyline, then back to CR where my Jeep was parked on the Skyline trail. That was about 10 miles and about 2000 ft total elevation loss/gain with just some mild soreness at end, but it took 7 hours rather than the 5 hours it would have taken last year before the injury (though granted part of that was the heat -- it was *hot* yesterday, 90F at Skyline!). Note that my total load for an overnight trip is around 25 pounds (well, add a couple pounds for the BearVault, sigh), so my pace w/backpack isn't much different from my pace w/daypack.

The 20 Lakes trip is pretty cool. There's a pass you can get to, not named on the map, but we came out from McCabe Lake and over this pass, with great views of 20 Lakes Basin. There's a small lake at the top near the pass, Hidden Lake? I don't have any maps here. :-(

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. The Tenaya lake loop looks like a nice easy hike, other than the switchbacks to get from Sunrise Lakes down into the canyon and that's going downhill the way you sent me. My only real concern there would be the cross-country part to Cathedral Lakes. I'm still not trusting my leg a lot despite the fact that it's held up well to the treatment I've given it over the past six weeks, I've been sticking to established trails. How difficult is that cross-country part? I.e., any side-slope scrambling on scree or anything else that would be dangerous if my leg suddenly decided it didn't like me anymore?

I'm not familiar at all with the 20 Lakes area, that's on the other side of the Sierras from where I typically go.

Look up Saddlebag Lake. From the east, take the 120 west, and its before Tioga Pass. Saddlebag Lake is 2 miles north. From there you can take a ferry for a few $$. Or you can hike the trail around the lake. Lots of lakes and pretty. Not sure if you're going in from E or W.

20 Lakes Basin is pretty though I would not do the Upper McCabe Lake route with
that injury yet, the chute you go descend/ascend is pretty steep to the lake.
Young Lakes would be a good trip.
Cathedral Lakes is another pretty trip as is the Sunrise Lakes area, and either can be
used as a base camp to do a day hikes the next day.

Badtux,
"The Tenaya lake loop looks like a nice easy hike, other than the switchbacks to get from Sunrise Lakes down into the canyon and that's going downhill the way you sent me. My only real concern there would be the cross-country part to Cathedral Lakes."

POC...took my then 10-year-old son on this hike...made it easy. When you stand on highway 120 just 1/4 mile east of Tenaya Lake and look up to the right of Mendicott Dome (sp?), you can see the water stain dripping out of Lower Cathedral. Lower Cathedral Lake is just on top but, you can always take the regular trail to Lower Cathedral, again trail also to Upper...thus no X-country at all.
Another great variation (see your Topo) is take the Budd Lake Trailhead to Budd Lake and easy cross country the saddle and down to Upper Cathedral...not that bad a trail to Budd (little steep but also POC), bypassing Lower Cathedral entirely.
Any questions, feel free to PM me...never a problem to talk backpacking.
Mark

WTF. Just going to head up to Yosemite now and in the morning beg for a permit to hike anywhere. Maybe take the nice easy hike from T over to Ireland Lake and do the loop back to T after visiting some of the other lakes on the Vogelsang side, or an in-and-out to Ten Lakes Basin w/visits to lakes, or something, I'm flexible, I have a map and compass and my GPS is programmed with the topos and my backpack and boots don't care . First time in Yosemite (I previously have done the NF wilderness areas, avoided Y because of the entry fee, but I have an AtheB pass this year). Any special funniness about Y procedures that I should know about, like the odd trailhead-based wilderness permit thingy?