High Sierra Topix

We like to mix it up and do some paddling and mtn biking too.

If I take a week off work that leaves us 9 days counting weekends. Taking two weeks is possible but my boss will be cranky.

Can't take off work in May or August.

We prefer to avoid crowds and prefer places that allow dogs.

I'll live with the cost of driving somewhere, but don't want to spend the whole time driving.

OK folks, let us hear your suggestions -- where and when. I mentioned I always wanted to visit Great Basin NP, but the better half didn't seem too excited about it. (No dogs on trails there, nor is there a lot of paddling in Nevada...). Central Oregon - Bend area did not trigger any excitement either.

Hey Dave, how far from home? Jackson Meadow Reservoir off of 89, north of Truckee, camp at the south end, but not at the first cg. Reservations can be made. Gorgeous lake, with Red Fir all around. That general area too, from 80 north. Car camping or camper/trailer? Sawmill Lake and Faucherie, although no mt biking at Faucherie, rough, dusty road. Lee Vining, Twin Lakes, White Mountains, Lakes Basin by Graeagle if you can do the climb, the downhill is great back to camp. Gold Lake is my fav, camp on the east side, past the boat ramp or in the rv area.

A small camping trailer as a base camp.

I've camped near Gold Lake before. Across the highway along the road to the falls. The boundary of the restricted camping area is the Falls Road, so you can legally disperse camp east of the road. I should have mentioned in my first post we prefer solitary boondocking rather than stay in a developed CG, but that's not a deal killer.

We have set up camp for several days in a landing at the base of a clearcut and had a blast. Not much of a view, but absolute solitude and lots of wildlife.

My neighbors daughter give him a new F-150 4X4, w/trailer to use while he can. He went back to CO this summer and while coming back, stopped at of all places, in Austin, NV. He stayed in the RV park there and just loved all the old mining around the area. He wants to go back next summer and spend a week there. I was thinking, you could camp up off of Richardson Summit on 50 and have BLM roads to ride, no canoeing there though. About 3-3 1/2 hours east of Reno. North of Mammoth is the Deadman Summit area, just barely north of the snow fences and just beyond the old maintenance station heading south, pull back in there and park before getting to the cg, you can drive back in there a couple miles and get away from the highway noise. You would have all those lakes above the town, still close to June Lakes too. Trails all over the place for mt. bikes etc. For all the people, I like the area. Back to the area north of Truckee, along the road into White Rock Lake and other roads, there are some spur roads you could do dispersed camping, but to be able to canoe also, you may need to camp a little closer to some of those lakes. For being so far in, White Rock gets hit hard, those other lakes are accessed by 5-10 mph roads, not good for a trailer I'm sure. If serious about that area, might be worth a day drive there to scout out. Know anyone in the Sierraville FS office? I don't camp much, just bp on my vacations. Are you thinking too of the west side? I'm no help there.

Not sure how adventurous you want to be but here are a few suggestions for places to do everything you want to do without the crowds and are dog friendly.

Try Lundy Canyon (in Mono Co.) good fishing, hiking, scenery, and you can paddle in the lake or through the beaver ponds above the lake. Also you can paddle Mono Lake.

Ruby Mountains in Elko Co. Nevada. Great fishing and paddling in the Ruby National Wildlife Refuge/Ruby Marshes, mountain hiking, climbing, and fishing in the Rubies, and no crowds....campgrounds at the refuge.

Owyhee River.....you could paddle the river, check out local scenery and hiking without huge crowds. Lots to do in Eastern Oregon along this river and area in general....I don't know where to start.


All locations listed are dog friendly!!! Good Luck and Enjoy!!!

Matt

The Warner Mtns. may be a good bet and a much shorter distance from you than they are for most of us who post here. There are lots of places you can probably camp outside of a developed campground, but even the developed ones there aren't crowded. From a set up there you can do a bit of everything from hiking, fishing. Paddling may require going to one of the lakes at the base of the Warners; you can also carry canoes in to Clear Lake (very short hike).

Another nice alternative may be the Castle Crags Wilderness-Trinity Divide area. There are some nice hideaways to camp, decent network of trails, some nice lakes and scenery and these destinations are not visited as much as places of similar accessibility in the Trinity Alps.

We were just offered a free week at a timeshare at Glacier NP. First week of June. This definitely changes plans...

Sounds Like it may be moot but the best kept secret in the west is the river and area in the following photos. This river is likely to be determined to be eligible for Wild and Scenic River Status in the next couple of years (formal status is dependent upon Congress). I took part in this junket as part of the team that was doing the assesment. One of my last official acts before being put out to pasture. There is a primitive road parallel to the river and a couple of houses along the way but it is mostly BLM land. For river fun (but poor fishing) should visit before mid june. This trip began something like the 17th but last year was an exceptional water year for NE oregon. There are several great campsites among large Ponderosas that you could get a travel trailer into. With a well maintained county road (gravel) leading to the best one. No developed campgrounds, yet. Anyhow if you are interested pm me.

Mike