Sierra shoulder season 2017. Where is everyone going?

[rlown]

Sierra shoulder season 2017..

Guess it first needs a definition, but I'm guessing that depends on the weather and road closures. My definition is the time between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. After that, it's about skis. For the roads it generally means it's the road closures that start when the snow starts.

I have one trip at the end of Sept and coming out Oct 2nd. Vogelsang area. Only thing that will interrupt the trip is bad weather.

Others?

[Jimr]

Dusy basin, Barrett lakes area.

[cslaght]

I'm thinking of taking my boys (6 and 8 respectively) up to Jennie Lakes Wilderness for their first overnighter

[Jimr]

very cool! I took my kids on their first backpacking trip at the same ages. My girl is the older of two. She's now 21, bless her big heart.

[psykokid]

Planning on heading up to the Miter Basin the third weekend of Sept and then somewhere early to mid Oct going to try and do a loop out to the tablelands in SEKI.

[giantbrookie]

Well, I'm just hoping I do in fact get to set foot in the High Sierra during the remainder of 2017. I'm hoping for a couple of short trips in mid October or early November depending on whether I can talk my family into it, plus one on my own or with students. Some of the best possible dates are taken because I'm traveling in Japan and Taiwan Sept 5-Oct 4 and then on a Seattle-Utrecht (Netherlands) trip Oct. 19-28. Right now I'm thinking of a mid-October dayhike out of Fresno to either the "Waters of 168 4WD Country" or my favorite big brookie spot in Yosemite. Perhaps I can also talk my family into N Sierra dayhikes somewhere on the weekend of Oct. 7-8 after I return from Asia. I figure that one may go to destinations with short hiking distances in Mokelumne Wilderness, or perhaps French and Weil Lakes N of 80 or perhaps the Lindsay L.-Culbertson area (Grouse Ridge) or maybe the Lakes Basin area or perhaps the backcountry destination with shortest driving time from Castro Valley (lake in Emigrant Wilderness). If I can't get them out that weekend, I may try Nov. 4-5. We'll see.

[maverick]

Dusy Basin, Barrett Lakes.
Depends on what the Fall colors look like in early Oct.

[kpeter]

Taking my daughter to Big McGee lake over Labor Day weekend. I've never been. In fact, I have never backpacking even once in my life any later than the 3rd week of August. A new experience

[dave54]

Local.

I have a list of local day hikes I haven't gotten around to.

Some old trails that are on old (<1970 or so) maps and no longer shown on current maps. Want to hike them out and see if they can be resurrected.

[SSSdave]

I've rarely backpacked beyond the equinox because it is then aspen fall color season in the Eastern Sierra. All aspen areas can be reached by day hiking because aspen, cottonwood, and creek dogwood are found at 6k to 10k elevations that are mostly below backpacking timberline lake destinations. I dislike the long long night hours stuck in a tent trying to read or whatever versus doing so inside my Forester road camping. Also since I've been visiting those groves for decades, know many good spots on dirt roads for pleasant car dispersed camping. For fishermen, camping at any of the several INF campgrounds along Bishop Creek areas at the end of September is a great way to enjoy both fishing and beautiful fall leaf scenery. Hiking up into the JM Wilderness on any of the trails only tends to move one away from that color.

This fall at the end of October or early November, instead of the Sierra, may explore fall color about our north coast redwood parks that have considerable bigleaf maple trees.

David