Tahoe to Whitney and SEKI Loop Opinions, Options?

[billygoat]

I'm currently planning my long-distance hike for the summer, and I'm deciding primarily between the SEKI Loop and following the PCT from Meeks Bay in Lake Tahoe, past Whitney, and exiting over New Army Pass to Cottonwood Lakes TH. I've done the JMT and the HST, but I haven't hiked the PCT north of Yosemite (except for parts in Desolation Wilderness) and don't know what it's like. If anyone who has hiked either of these can chime in, that would be great. If anyone knows another major through hike or loop I should consider, I would love to hear about it.

[Tom_H]

Emigrant/Hoover offers a lot. The area between Emigrant/Hoover and Desolation is not the highlight of the Sierra. You might be interested in all of the following thread, but the post this link goes to regards a central Sierra loop. The OP of the thread described southern Sierra loops. My post contains a link to a map which includes a grand loop around Emigrant/Hoover, trails paralleling the PTC between 108 and 50 (there is no one complete loop there), a grand tour loop of Desolation, and the Tahoe Rim Trail.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12279&start=12#p92651

Once in this post, try the link to the map. Then go back and see the entire thread.

Other XC in Emigrant is up to the Lewis Lakes area and adjacent lakes. There are threads you can find using the search function that describe routes in and out. If you did a big Emigrant/Hoover loop, you can resupply at Twin Lakes, Leavitt Meadows, and Kennedy Meadow.

[b_k]

I hiked the PCT section from Tuolumne Meadows to Echo Lake last year and loved it. Sonora Pass is especially stunning, and the northern Yosemite area is fantastic as long as you don't hit peak mosquito time. The area around Ebbetts Pass was awash in wildflowers. There's also good public transportation to both THs (it's not hard to hitch to South Lake Tahoe from Echo Lake) if you're coming from SAC or the Bay Area.