Newbie route recommendations: Four day weekend from San Diego?

[Socalrider]

I'm looking for some recommendations for a trip with my 15 year old son in a couple weeks (early Oct). Most likely we'd leave San Diego Thursday afternoon, hike Friday-Sun, leaving for home late Sunday afternoon. Don't want to spend more time in the car than necessary; thinking about something off the 395 versus through the Central Valley but open to recommendations. Looking at maps coming into Whitney Portal might make sense?

We're both decently fit, and have been backpacking before but never in the Sierras. Our ideal first trip wouldn't be anything tremendously strenuous; hiking not climbing, ideally a nice loop with some high altitude lakes and meadows, forests, no bugs, not many people, perfect weather, etc He spent a few weeks in Switzerland this past summer so might be disappointed that there are no restaurants to hike to!

Ideas welcome! Also happy to take recs on guidebooks/maps/etc. to help in planning. Thanks!

[c9h13no3]

In early October, I'd day hike. Lots of dark hours, and the best fall color is all in day hike range. I'd follow CaliforniaFallColor.com and just day hike to scenic spots at the elevation band the color is best. The Bishop Creek trail heads (North Lake, Sarbina, South Lake), and Mosquito Flat will turn colors first in early October.

If you insist on backpacking, the Rae Lakes area out of Onion Valley or Third Lake from the North Fork of Big Pine creek immediately jump to mind as scenic & newbie friendly. But especially if you're just out for a good time & good scenery, I'd sleep near/in my car.

[Bishop_Bob]

If you insist on backpacking, the Rae Lakes area out of Onion Valley or Third Lake from the North Fork of Big Pine creek immediately jump to mind as scenic & newbie friendly. But especially if you're just out for a good time & good scenery, I'd sleep near/in my car.

And by doing so...you could go to restaurants

[Wandering Daisy]

Whitney Zone has a lottery system for permits. May be no problem but check on that. Consultation Lake and Mirror Lake are scenic, and Pothole is also nice- you can day-hike from there. Consultation requires a short off-trail drop to reach camping near the shores.

Cottonwood Lakes are also easy to get to and beautiful. Just be sure of good weather. You do not want to get stuck up there if the road closes. You can actually camp at trailhead and day-hike to the lakes. Some of the campgrounds on the east side close by October. The BLM Tuttle Creek campground is open year-round- they turn off the water sometime in the fall, but just bring your own water. It is a good base-camp for day-hikes to either Cottonwood or out of Whitney Portal.  

As for backpacking tent time, bring movies to watch or books on tape. As for reading a book by headlamp- too awkward to do if it is near freezing. Easy to snuggle in your sleeping bag and pop in ear buds and listen. You will also have to deal with frozen water bottles if they are left out at night. That time of year I take what I need even if my pack is heavy and cut back on miles.

[JayOtheMountains]

Hi! I'm in San Diego, too, and do often make weekend forays into the South Sierras. There's aplenty of options for meaningful weekend (1-2 night) trips. Don't listen to those who have the convenience of being situated in the middle of the range or at a point where they could be in the Sierras within an hour. I feel the anxiety you have, especially when coming from down here to recreate at the minimum 5 hours from home. It can be done, and it can be done with something rewarding.

PM Sent.

[kpeter]

It is about a 6 hour drive from San Diego to Bishop, and there are many good options from Bishop. Probably the safest one to do in October, since it does not involve going over a pass, is Sabrina Basin. It is a great beginners zone and you could basecamp at Blue Lake or Dingleberry and be able to make it easily out to the car and home in a day, or if the weather turns bad. But you could also do South Lake to the Long Lake basin area on the near side of Bishop Pass, or North Lake to Piute or Lamark also on the near side of Piute Pass. All these near side basins have places to explore and provide suitable fun for what is essentially 3 days.

I'd also echoe WD's suggestion of Cottonwood Lakes. A bit shorter of a drive, a bit longer of a hike, but similarly not over a pass. I'd be reluctant to go over a pass or be more than a day away from the trailhead in October, but then again I'm conservative about such things. Regardless, it is even more important than usual to carefully monitor the weather at that time of year.

Also recognize that there are not a lot of hours of daylight, which cut into your hiking/fishing/photography/playing time. Bring a more spacious tent, lights, and books/games for the evening darkness, if you can.

[c9h13no3]

As for reading a book by headlamp- too awkward to do if it is near freezing

This is the truth. The hand outside of your bag holding the kindle is frigid, so you keep swapping hands. Eventually you just give up :P. Book on tape does sound warmer, but I just quit backpacking in late season. Course, I also just generally quit backpacking so.... I may not be the best reference.

[jfr]

I'm from San Diego, and I'd say that a good location in the southernmost part of the High Sierra would be to backpack a loop out of Horseshoe Meadows, near Lone Pine. My son and I headed over Cottonwood Pass to Soldier Lake, then bagged the "easy" fourteener Mount Langley on the way back to the Cottonwood Lakes Basin via Old Army Pass. That was in 2015, a very dry year, so Old Army Pass had no snow at all. This year you might be better off going over New Army Pass. We spent a second night in the Cottonwood Lakes area. But that basin could easily be worth two nights of camping, so you can dayhike to check out all the lakes. Then it's an easy hike back to the car. There is a walk-in campground at either parking lot in Horseshoe Meadows, so you can spend the first night acclimating to elevation. The good thing about this is that it is a loop; it can be done in either direction, making getting a permit easier.

My HST Trip Report: https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... =1&t=13532


(Similar report but with a bit more yakking on my blog: https://hikingtales.com/sierra-nevada/m ... sept-2015/ )

Caltopo Map: https://caltopo.com/m/781C

Have a great time!