High Sierra Topix

Early in the season, a lot of water can come down any drainage, on any side early in the season. It can be dangerous. Cross the largers streams in the early morning, not in the afternoon. Plan the stream crossings early. Take your time. Use time when the crreeks are high to explore surrounding countryside.

I would have to have a pretty bad case of cabin fever to consider Shepherd Pass as a pleasurable day-hike option. The reason to go over Shepherd Pass is to get into the mountains! In early season, you would hit snow before you got to the good stuff. Perhaps I misread the original post- I thought the subject was early day-hikes.

I agree with WD. If you're going to Shepherd Pass, keep on going.

Summer is June 21...early summer is maybe up through mid July? This suggestion was giving the thread different options for day hikes not an assault on a pass. Symmes trail head toward Shepherd Pass up to Mahogany and Anvil would be a late June trip. A few snow berms on the trail, maybe, but probably a trail at least to the big switchback above Mahogany Flats. AND she will see waterfalls. In fact it is the expectation that there will be lots of snow melting to fuel the falls. The trail, except for the 'surprise' after the ridge is unrelentingly up hill, but then so are most trips on the east side. It is just that this is uphill both ways She may not just be interested in hiking really low in the Sierra in April and May. By June (perhaps this year July) this would be a good early summer day hike for those wanting to go on the 'ugly duckling' hikes many stay away from because of reputation - deserved or not. She indicated it was a walk, not a destination. As for a late spring hike, not a lot of east side trail heads start that low below the snow line. Easy indication on the Shepherd Pass trail (to some stunning scenery) is if the ridge is snow free so is probably Mahogany - about the same altitude (9200') and which is lower than Onion Valley a few miles away. Much lower than South Lake on Bishop Pass trail. And even lower than First Lake on Pine Creek out of Glacier.

Even this year, I suspect Cottonwood Lakes (10,700) will have a trail visible to them by mid to end of June. That is a very early summer trail head at 10,500'.

Besides its in her back yard and she might even have some need for a small adventure in her blood.

I will have to somehow agree with a lot of the above. There are a lot of times when I just want a great hike/wander in a day. There doesn't have to be a destination. It can be a hard pass, an easy meadow. If your goal is to take your time and look at flowers or rock formations or whatever you want to look at, what does it really matter how high, low, or far you go? Many times, most of us are trying to get to a general area from which we can get to another general area, to climb a peak or whatever (fish) because of time constraints. There's nothing better than finding a nice low base camp and spend a week just wandering around. That was a great thing about being a ranger - you had a summer-long base camp from which you could explore from. There are so many creeks and swales and gullies and hills and peaks and plateaus and meadows in every direction...

I will stay with my opinion that Shepherd Pass is not something I would do as a day-hike if I had just moved to the area. There are a lot better choices. Maybe this is something to do after you have lived there a while and simply want to try something new. Walking up to Third Lake is by far a better hike than Shepherd Pass.

Another option that has not been mentioned is to hike the Owens River Gorge. It is real pretty in the spring and there is also fishing. I have not been there in a while, but I was under the impression that some trails are being developed. I have also done a day climb up Black Mountain. It certainly is not a trail, and you have to walk over snow, but the views- east to the White Mountains and west to the Sierra are fantastic.

I agree with Daisy that not many would consider all the way to Shepherd Pass (and back) a 'day hike'...nor did I suggest it.

4-6 miles one way on a trail is a good day hike for those who are able. Acclimated to 4,000'-5000' is a plus.

Most of the options you get from forums are for trails well traveled, and probably the more scenic and easy to get to will be suggested. BUT! Almost every wide spot on US 395 have some access into the Sierra or White Mountains. There were two generations of mining and prospecting there. You can plan out a long week of day hikes just checking out some of the historical mining areas. Starting out at Sierro Gordo east of Lone Pine is a B&B (or was) and it is interesting just to visit the mine area and steep in some of the history. They were taking so much silver out of that mine at one time that they couldn't transship it to Olancha and then to Mojave fast enough. Olancha made barracks to house people out of the 70pound ingots. Careful walking around the old mine areas alone.

There are similar stories all up and down US395 that you can do some research (connect with historical society people in Independence and Bishop) while it is spring and plan on later discovering some long forgotten areas that consumed hopes and broke bodies. Get a good map of the areas (TomHarrisonMaps.com) find a spot that you might think interesting, and check it out. Then keep a list of your favorites you can pass on to somebody else. High on Kearsarge Peak is the Kearsarge mine that was closed by avalanche and finally plugged with ice (and now dynamited shut). There is the old unmaintained trail up from the east parking lot at Onion Valley that you can still follow. Later in the summer take the trail up to Golden Trout lakes on the south side of Kearsarge and on the north find your way on the old 4 wheel road up to Sardine Lake. August or so take a lunch to eat at Bulfrog Lake on the other side of Kearsarge Pass.

There are hot springs a many in the area. Some are a drive up - to a few you can hike into.

There is a reason for almost each trail and road built into an access to a pass. You can find relics of that past, old shepherds low ceiling mud and log shacks, foundations of once booming cities, ore processing supports (all of those structures just below Onion Valley). The Shoshone (probably) have left untold thousands of pictographs out farther east near trails that are still being used by 'tourists'. You are in a rich area of history as well as scenery. Doubt that you will be bored if you keep kicking over old rocks to see what the dust says.

If you have lots of time, hang a map on the wall and mark off all the trails you go on. And write up a descriptive note for each. A lot of people collect stamps. Some collect trails and the pictures to help document the memories that will fade before the pictures do.

I have a beautiful camp spot on the edge of the Owens Gorge, east ot Tom's Place. I've spent may memorable lay-over days there. And its close to the bar. Great views up toward Mammoth, Banner, etc. But at my spot, there's just an old abandoned road that goes down slowly toward the dam. No trails to speak of. I'm probably just not in the right area. But there are nice day trips once you cross the dam, and head up into Wildrose Canyon and on to the Adobe Valley.

And there's no doubt, as WD said, that Shepherd Pass, or any of those east side passes, exept maybe Kearsarge, that would be fun for a novice.

What about the trail from Sonora Pass over Wolf Lake Pass? Good fisshing on the East Carson. Or Emigrant
Pass (long hike though). Or Saint Mary's Pass? Or drive up to the plateau above the town of Walker?

Last end-of-May, the rivers were pumping. It had snowed the weekend before Labor Day - horizontal snow. The East Carson seemed like the Colorado. I camped one night next to the Carson, right on Hwy 4. The violence of the run-off and the sound of the river was amazing.

I suspect that this year there will be a lot of trouble for people hiking around even through July. So be careful and be smart. You don't want to fall in rushing water and be swept down a side-drainage with your backpack on.