High Sierra Topix

The road around Fallen Leaf is pretty sucky. You really gotta watch out for speeding beamers.

Desolation is awesome. You just have plan on dealing with Tahoe tourists. Personally, I try to avoid the whole Tahoe area in summer.

I would not do either on a weekend. Very early in the season, or even as late as 4th July (2011), getting from Aloha Lake to Suzie Lake can be difficult due to steep icy snow. You also have to cross some swollen creeks. The route to Half Moon is more of a straight shot from Glen Alpine. I have been on the Echo Lake trail in high snow, but only on dry conditions out of Glen Alpine, so cannot really say what Glen Alpine would be like early season. It seems to have a lot of rock and south facing stuff so probably would be less snow.

Also, the parking at both areas is horrible on weekends. For me, coming from Sacramento, it is a shorter drive to go to Echo Lake. I do not have to drop down to Tahoe.

Wandering Daisy wrote: ...getting from Aloha Lake to Suzie Lake can be difficult due to steep icy snow. You also have to cross some swollen creeks.

Agreed, I went through mid-July, 2011 thinking I did not need ice axe or crampons and slipped on a steep ice field. Had to self arrest with fingernails just before reaching a boulder field.

Wandering Daisy wrote: cannot really say what Glen Alpine would be like early season. It seems to have a lot of rock and south facing stuff so probably would be less snow.

Correct, it melts early. The manzanita is dense here as well. As you know, dense manzanita creates cavities in the snowpack and when the tops become exposed, the plants also conduct heat downward, helping the snowpack to melt faster. I went in end of May/beginning of April in '79 or '80-no snow until the creek crossing where trail splits between Susie and Gilmore. Upon reaching the creek, we had to cross a massive snow bridge over the raging creek. Snowpack on other side of creek was around 6'.

Wandering Daisy wrote:Also, the parking at both areas is horrible on weekends..

Yea, not the place for quiet and solitude.