Getting away from the crowds

[balzaccom]

We have had some discussions recently about the wisdom of posting all of our trip reports--especially the ones that point people to those out of the way corners that have yet to be discovered by the great social media masses. Fair enough. We can certainly share their concern that every secret corner will someday be mobbed by a multitude seeking a selfie.

So we decided this time to just post some of the ways you can find a little solitude in the Sierra...

Get off the internet. If you want to escape the crowds, get your information somewhere else.

Get on the internet. Search the web for less used trailheads, difficult passes, and tough climbs.

Get out the Map. You just might discover that little lake only a half-mile off the main trail.

Avoid trails that have "trademarked" names: PCT. JMT, HST, etc.

Go Early. You will likely see far fewer people.

Go Late. late in the season or late in the day, there are fewer people about.

Go Middle of the Week. And avoid those big crowds.

Go up. The tougher the climb, the most likely that most people will choose another route.

Go Long. Hike in an extra day, and you'll have the place to yourself

Camp away from water. That granite knob above the lake will have great views, and far fewer mosquitoes.

Go Off Trail. And leave the foot traffic behind.

The full article is here:

https://www.backpackthesierra.com/about-3

So what did we miss, or what did we get wrong?

[cgundersen]

Paul,
It's going to take the wiser members of the HST crowd to extend your list; in my book it's mighty inclusive. Excellent job! The only caveat I'd add in these days of fire and drought is that some of those obscure lakes/streams shown on USGS topos no longer have water. In fact, if my experience in the Mineral King area in late August of last year is generalizable, it's beginning to affect even larger watersheds. One needs a planB if your intended water source is dry. Cameron

[paul]

Another way that the internet can be helpful; find a lake on the map first, then search on the name of that lake (or peak, meadow, etc). If you find photos or trip reports, do not go there. If you find no info whatsoever, go!

[wildhiker]

If you want solitude, another idea is to backpack in bad weather! This is harder to do in the Sierra than other mountain ranges (because the weather is usually so good), but we do get some weeks with lots of monsoon moisture and thunderstorms that will drive a lot of people out of the mountains.

You can also use the wilderness permit reservation systems to find trailheads with lots of permits available - that means no one is going there. Do some investigation - you may discover a reason why no one goes there (could be no water, for example), but you can get some clues this way of lesser-used areas.

Finally, if you really value solitude above all else, don't backpack in the Sierra! Try the higher ranges of central Nevada.

Personally, my go-to tactic for solitude in the Sierra is simply to go off trail.

-Phil

[balzaccom]

Wildhiker--great point about the permits. Especially in these days, when the popular trailheads fill up in minutes.

And yes, central Nevada, as opposed to Sierra Nevada, is beautiful!

[SSSdave]

Lack of solitude is really just an issue for a minority of trails and popular lakes. It just seems many are making an issue about it because a majority of backpacking visitors are visiting and traveling via a minority of trails, routes, and to same destinations. In part that is due to issues on the OP links list.

The vast majority of wilderness if one actually looks at topos, is not near popular trails nor popular lakes nor climbing use routes. In fact a few hundred yards from such locations or routes one will tend to see pristine conditions. As I said many times, most visitors tend to be afraid of real wilderness beyond such popular places. Proof is when they hike from trailheads on trails through absolutely empty adjacent wilderness for say 8 mile to some popular lake, most will site their camp at the first used camp sites adjacent to whatever trail they see or a bit further along a lake's use trail instead of bothering to find a zone around whatever lake that requires say another half mile of effort. Challenge me about almost any zone you think is always too crowded and I'll bet I can point to a great spot not too far away with a view, shade, even water, and solitude.

So at day's end one often finds 5 groups camping every hundred yards along a popular lake shore where a trail meets a lake in a "village" and then maybe one group (probably a fishing person) that bothered to go to a lake's other side and absolutely no group beyond 200 yards from lake shores. Many backpackers have never ever camped more than 100 yards from water sources as though they expect such will be a major hassle. So they just hiked 8 miles uphill 2000 feet carrying a 35 pound backpack but are afraid to lug a gallon or two of water without a pack more than short distances to camp spots. Reminds me of the same behavior at stores with people habitually wasting excessive time driving around in circles trying to find the closest parking spot to a store's entrance. Here's one example along the east shore of L Lake I base camped 2 days right in front of my tent far beyond shouting distance of any others at the same time there were at least a couple dozen people and even horse groups a half mile plus west along Elba and Moon where the trail ends. Of course that is also on the popular North Lake South Lake cross country route where the majority stick to where others plop down.

[kpeter]

I think if 1) you avoid the JMT and the PCT, and 2) you avoid the most popular Inyo east side trailheads, and 3) you are willing to hike 1/4 mile off the trunk trails, then you will often be rewarded with solitude. For example, I went 5 days in Emigrant on a trip a couple of years ago without seeing another human being. I grew up backpacking in Idaho, and I have been quite surprised at how many times in California I have been able to find similar solitude. No where in Idaho--except maybe the Alice-Toxaway loop in the Sawtooths--has the level of crowding as places like Ediza, 1000 Island Lake, etc. But most backpackers, to be honest, are not very imaginative about places they want to go (people on this board excepted) and the vast majority squeeze into a small number of places.

That said, there are some trips where I just decide I'm not going to care about solitude--I'm going strictly for the scenery--and on those trips I just try to be sociable and look at the trip through a different lens.

[JayOtheMountains]

There are books on the subject. You can find information on maps. Sometimes these two do not overlap. Do your research on the roads. With your research go prepared for the situation. Be ready for disappointment; and be ready to turn back if conditions are not advisable. Be ready to bask in some awesome places. Be prepared to put in the work to get to the obscure places.

I agree with most all of the list, though I'm not generally a fan of listicals as they're beat to death.

Can solitude and solace be found off of popular trails? Starting at popular trailheads? Absolutely. It's work. It also takes planning. There are plenty of places that are attainable, but as mentioned it takes a tad more effort to get there. When you do get there.... don't post the shot with geotags and don't share the location. In-fact I won't tell you my spots, nor will I point them out on a map. Will I take you there? Possibly, but not just anyone.

I like trailheads at the end of very shitty roads...

[c9h13no3]

But most backpackers, to be honest, are not very imaginative about places they want to go (people on this board excepted) and the vast majority squeeze into a small number of places.

Pretty much this. I find crowds to be pretty predictable.

People not posting the location of their "secret spots", but still putting up pictures in trip reports or instagram to me is straight hypocritical. But we've got plenty of threads on that.

[maxr22]

I like trailheads at the end of very shitty roads...

@JayOtheMountains Any chance you can point out some very shitty roads that may or may not have a trail that leads to the high sierra? I got a new (old) truck and want to test out the suspension

Tired of arriving at the trailhead to a full parking lot.