High Sierra Topix

My friends and I are looking to do a 3-4 day backpacking trip around the memorial day weekend. All of us have backpacking experience but none of us have ever done a trip to the sierras. We have trail guides but non of these have recommendations for this time of the year, I am hoping some of the members can point us in the right direction

Thanks!!!

um. big snow year. where are you from and how far do you want to go?

Hi Asicman

Welcome to HST!
You will not be able to do to much, it is way to early, especially this year with
snow levels being 170% above average.
Hetch Hetchy to Rancheria Falls is one place you can go, the other would be
Little Yosemite Valley, and that is about it, unless you're willing to travel and
sleep on snow.
Since you have never done a trip to the sierra, I would go to LYV out of Yosemite
Valley, so you can enjoy Vernal, Nevada Falls, and the Merced River intimately.
Your other issue will be getting permits, especially on the Memorial Day weekend.
You'll have to get to the wilderness office at least an hour before it opens to get
a permit on a holiday weekend or you can try to get a next day permit, and spend a
night at the backpackers campground, which would allow you to soak in the Valley.
If you have been to the Valley before, and have been to the top of Nevada Falls
on a day hike then go to Rancheria Falls to experience something different.

Welcome!!!!!!!

BTW, which Sierra are you heading for?

As Russ mentioned above, not much open yet...still 10'+ of snow at 7,000. Mammoth ski lifts could operate until well after July 4th. Lots of water up high too; thinking lower climes might serve you better unless, well...we are all hoping for a hot May.
If Sierra driven, possibly Yosemite- river trail back to Merced Lake and bag the Dome, some Wawona areas, Hetch Hetchy, maybe Cherry Lake trailheads,. Other than that - Alabama Hills, perhaps Death Valley, Anza Borrego...Catalina Island?

Hi guys!!

Thanks for all the replies. By friends and I are from LA and San Diego. I was thinking southern sierra, around Kernville maybe. We were thinking doing Big Meadow to Domeland.

Asicman wrote "We were thinking doing Big Meadow to Domeland."
Okay, so way down south.
Big Meadow and Manter Meadow should be gorgeous this year, and full of wild
flowers.
Camping is Manter is great, and pretty good fishing.
The site below will give you some more info, and calling the ranger station for a
conditions update will also be a good idea.
http://www.summitpost.org/domeland-wilderness/170934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Two of us are going north on the PCT into the South Sierra Wilderness at Kennedy Meadows (not the one on Sonora Pass Road, but the one on the South Fork Kern River) Saturday May 28, exiting over Olancha Pass to Sage Flat Monday May 30--a 23-mile effort.

The PCT bibles say the "High Sierra" starts at Cottonwood Pass, just west of Horseshoe Meadow. Our hike is about 35 miles south of there. Kennedy Meadows is at 6150 ft, Olancha Pass 9220, Sage Flat 5790.

Happy hiking from slade in Las Vegas!

Hi asicman,
I bp/edDomelands from Big Meadow in May, 2 years ago,( a drought year).The Sherman pass road opened the weekend of my trip. There was no snow problem for hiking, didn't have to cross snow until the upper stretch on north side of siretta pass. This year I expect there may be difficult, or worse, crossing of Trout creek near Woodpecker meadows.

I called the ranger station today in Lake Isabella about when the Sherman Pass road would be be open. The only thing the woman would say is "that it will be some time before the road is open". When I asked if she was talking a couple weeks or a month she said that they had gone up last week and there was still 7ft of snow at Sherman Pass.

The "Nine Mile" road is open all year to Kennedy Meadows.