Route advice for 3-5 day trips

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Npike
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Route advice for 3-5 day trips

Post by Npike »

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to get some plans together for a few 3-5 night trips over the course of the summer. My first plan was to do the Rae Lakes loop, but after reading conflicting info on the permit process, I would like to have some backup plans in place in case that doesn't work out. Last year were my first trips into the backcountry, although I've done a ton of car camping my entire life. Last year I did 1 overnighter from onion valley and stayed at Gilbert lake. After that, I've become 100% hooked and obsessed with doing more trips and exploring the southern sierras as much as possible! My "experience" looks like this:

What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 2- Some backpacking trips, using trails

What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
- Class 1 terrain/trail hiking
- Class 2 terrain/pass/x-country
- River crossings

What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Forests
- Big Mountain scenery
- Photography

How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead? 3-5 nights

How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers? I'm comfortable doing up to 12 miles per day.

Do you have a route logistics preference: loop & out and back only

Is there a particular area in the Sierra that your most interested in: I'm coming from Orange County, so anything on the east or west side (preferably the east side) that I can make the drive to in 4-5 hours- I would say as far north as bishop or mammoth??? I realize that narrows it down to a select few trail heads

Will you be hiking with a dog? Not on these multiple night hikes, only on the 1 nighters

Some ideas I had in mind include the Rae lakes loop, upper rock creek loop, onion valley trailhead to Rae lakes/ 60 lakes basin & back, glacier lodge to big pine lakes & back. Thoughts? And I absolutely plan on submitting TR afterwards!!!!

Also, what would be the best way of finding a list of the major trail heads & the proper location to pick up permits for each? I think a great addition to the HST map would to have a list of trail heads :)

Thanks everyone!!!
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austex
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Re: Route advice for 3-5 day trips

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Npike
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Re: Route advice for 3-5 day trips

Post by Npike »

Awesome! Thank you sir!
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maverick
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Re: Route advice for 3-5 day trips

Post by maverick »

North Big Pine Creek (3 days), Sabrina Lake (Moonlight, Sailor, Hungry Packer Lake) 3 days, Minarets (Agnew-Ediza-1000 Is Lake-Agnew) 5 days, Cottonwood Lakes-Soldier Lake (day trip into Miter Basin) 5 days, and Mineral King Loop (5 days).
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Npike
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Re: Route advice for 3-5 day trips

Post by Npike »

Thank you maverick!
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