Trips ideas needed 4th July
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 4:54 pm
June 15 sounds like it will be very tight or more likely impossible for the Tioga Road given the latest updates (and the pictures of so much snow at 8000ft): http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (the May 19 update said there was 11ft of snow to be plowed at Porcupine Flat)
I'm also looking at my permit for Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows for the July 4 weekend and wondering about other options for a 4 day trip that weekend (I'm guessing Donahue Pass to Island Pass would at the very least be a long snow slog, though its not clear to me if it would be completely ruled out by difficult stream crossings/steep slopes - if its feasible but slow going, we would be happy to take 5 days instead of 4 - any thoughts?). So far I've come up with 3 possibilities:
GCT
Cottonwood Pass to Soldier Lakes (out and back or return via New Army Pass if the cornice has gone), or
HST to Hamilton Lakes.
Any comments about which of these might be more fun (and reasonably straightforward with my 10 year old twins, i.e. on trail or easy terrain off trail, without gnarly stream crossings) or suggestions of other alternatives? We're not bothered about solitude, just interested in some great scenery (no particular preference for waterfalls/lakes/mountains) and we would expect to do about 7 miles per day (we're done quite a few trips before including a 5 day Duck Pass to Reds Meadow loop last summer, I've done numerous winter and off-trail trips before they were born, though in Europe not the Sierra).
I realize permits might be an issue on some of these popular trails for the July 4 weekend itself, but we're planning to start on Thursday June 30 and would go up Wednesday to get a walk-in permit if need be. Unfortunately we're away for much of the summer, so we can't go later in July (and we already have another backpacking trip planned for August and a third one for Labor Day weekend)
I'm also looking at my permit for Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows for the July 4 weekend and wondering about other options for a 4 day trip that weekend (I'm guessing Donahue Pass to Island Pass would at the very least be a long snow slog, though its not clear to me if it would be completely ruled out by difficult stream crossings/steep slopes - if its feasible but slow going, we would be happy to take 5 days instead of 4 - any thoughts?). So far I've come up with 3 possibilities:
GCT
Cottonwood Pass to Soldier Lakes (out and back or return via New Army Pass if the cornice has gone), or
HST to Hamilton Lakes.
Any comments about which of these might be more fun (and reasonably straightforward with my 10 year old twins, i.e. on trail or easy terrain off trail, without gnarly stream crossings) or suggestions of other alternatives? We're not bothered about solitude, just interested in some great scenery (no particular preference for waterfalls/lakes/mountains) and we would expect to do about 7 miles per day (we're done quite a few trips before including a 5 day Duck Pass to Reds Meadow loop last summer, I've done numerous winter and off-trail trips before they were born, though in Europe not the Sierra).
I realize permits might be an issue on some of these popular trails for the July 4 weekend itself, but we're planning to start on Thursday June 30 and would go up Wednesday to get a walk-in permit if need be. Unfortunately we're away for much of the summer, so we can't go later in July (and we already have another backpacking trip planned for August and a third one for Labor Day weekend)