Where to go?

[Love the Sierra]

Hi everyone,
I have April 12-17 blocked off of my work calendar for a trip.
Where to go? I need advice!! (Obviously I will abort if it is storming.)
I need relatively easy hiking since the pack will be heavy with warm winter snow camping gear. I also need safety, easily avoiding any sketchy avalanche prone slopes, creek crossings or other hazards. I will go anywhere in the Sierra. I am looking for a 3 day, 2 night trip and I am presuming that, at this time of year, walk up permits will not be a problem.
Thank you all in advance for your ideas.
Aura

[Harlen]

Not sure where you're coming from, but a favorite short, safe trip is from the snowpark area near Echo Summit to Lake Aloha. It is gentle enough of an incline to use a sled. The view of the Crystal Range at its whitest is really beautiful. You can make it to Lake A. in one day, and it is a brilliant place to day tour all around, and your dogs are welcome there.

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The Crystal Range and frozen Lake Aloha.

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Pyramid Peak.

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Bearzy touring around the lake.



All the same goes for Rock Creek/Little Lakes Valley. Pretty easy access and you can keep it safe there. It's one of the places we chose to take our kids. I'll bet you have already been there Aura, so you will know that the mountains seen here are more spectacular. You could ski in the first day, ski farther in the second day, and the tour around, and then ski out the third day.

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LLV with Bear Creek Spire and boys.


Another trip I would recommend is the ski in from South Lake. Right out of the gate it is stunning. You could set up a base camp and day tour wherever seems safe. The upper basin is amazing!

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Not far above South Lake.

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Heading up toward Bishop Pass.



Good luck out there! Ian.

[Gogd]

I am with Ian on all three of his suggestions. Rock Creek will offer the most varied scenic opportunities in the snow, ski-wise. The upper basin (Long Lake, etc) above South Lake will be the more challenging of the three trips on skis, but the views are superlative. If you opt for the trip above South Lake make sure to pin/triangulate the exact location where the trail ascends out of the Aspen stands along the east side of the lake; else you could waste hours trying to locate it on the way back out if the snow drifts and covers your tracks. The trees along the trail sport various markers, but the problem is this trail has been rerouted over the decades and you may end up following old markers and miss the entry point into the Aspens.

You could also go up Hwy120, to the East Entrance of Yosemite NP, and beyond. The terrain ranges from beginner level skiing the road, to whatever you feel up to, beyond. Hwy 120 is the only potential hazard you cannot route around. You will want to complete the section of Hwy 120 as it climbs from Lee Vining to the Ellery Lake before noon, to avoid exposure to an afternoon wet avalanche hazard. Likewise this trip is a no-go, period, if your trip coincides with a short time frame that occurs every spring, when the nighttime temperature stays above freezing for days. When that occurs Hwy120 remains unsafe 24/7 until the daily melt/freeze cycle resumes.

Ed

[Love the Sierra]

@Harlen and @Gogd Thank you so much! I was actually considering exactly these two!
South Lake is one I did not think of. Aren’t the roads closed to North and South Lakes.
The skiing looks magnificent. My problem is that I can never seem to stay on my feet skiing with a heavy pack. Maybe I will take both snowshoes and skis? Ugg a heavier pack… But, if I can base camp close by and then ski the remainder of the days, that could work.
If I go to Lake Aloha, will I be able to find water or will it be snow melting, meaning more fuel?

[Love the Sierra]

@Harlen and @Gogd Thank you so much! I was actually considering exactly these two!
South Lake is one I did not think of. Aren’t the roads closed to North and South Lakes.
The skiing looks magnificent. My problem is that I can never seem to stay on my feet skiing with a heavy pack. Maybe I will take both snowshoes and skis? Ugg a heavier pack… But, if I can base camp close by and then ski the remainder of the days, that could work.
If I go to Lake Aloha, will I be able to find water or will it be snow melting, meaning more fuel?
I have hiked Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha when it was icy and very low snow; micro spike conditions. Passing the lake it is narrow granite, do you expect that to be a relatively easy? I have found some places that are narrow when there is ice can br safer with a huge snow pile that makes a wider, but sturdy path. I expect that none of the Pct folks will have beaten a path for me this early in the season.
Finally, will the parking be open at Echo Lakes?
THANK YOU! There is hope!!

[Love the Sierra]

@Harlen and @Gogd Thank you so much! I was actually considering exactly these two!
South Lake is one I did not think of. Aren’t the roads closed to North and South Lakes.
The skiing looks magnificent. My problem is that I can never seem to stay on my feet skiing with a heavy pack. Maybe I will take both snowshoes and skis? Ugg a heavier pack… But, if I can base camp close by and then ski the remainder of the days, that could work.
If I go to Lake Aloha, will I be able to find water or will it be snow melting, meaning more fuel?
I have hiked Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha when it was icy and very low snow; micro spike conditions. Passing the lake it is narrow granite, do you expect that to be a relatively easy? I have found some places that are narrow when there is ice can br safer with a huge snow pile that makes a wider, but sturdy path. I expect that none of the Pct folks will have beaten a path for me this early in the season.
Finally, will the parking be open at Echo Lakes?
THANK YOU! There is hope!!

[Love the Sierra]

Can anyone tell me why, suddenly, when I do @Harlen or @Gogd it is not brining up your names?
Thank you!!

[copeg]

Can anyone tell me why, suddenly, when I do @Harlen or @Gogd it is not brining up your names?
Thank you!!

Most likely due to this: https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... 21#p177221

[Love the Sierra]

I am so grateful and truly love all of you on HST!!!
Reading the posts on the topic “Snowshoes in May” someone mentioned pulling a sled. DUH!!! IT FINALLY CLICKED111
My hiking companion as a very talented, strong sled dog! Why oh why would I make both of us carry packs??

Jasmine Rose will love it since her favorite activity, next to hunting, is skijoring and other forms of mushing and she dislikes wearing a pack. (Don’t we all Jasmine Rose? That is the price of admission.) I am thrilled to ski instead of snow shoe and certainly best without a pack. Between me and the wheeled rig or me and a daypack, she usually pulls about 150lbs. Now, she will be pulling about 50-70.

I am going up to LLV. We have skijored it and I have never done a successful trip there after three aborted attempts. (Been over Mono Pass a couple of times but never managed LLV.)

Thank you all again! …Now Ijsut need the weather to cooperate on the days I have blocked off on the work calendar.

[Harlen]

Hi there Aura,

LLV will be great, and it really lends itself to the sled/pulk assist. I just use a standard Kiddie sled, and attach a rope. or better yet- bamboo, or pvc poles to it. It only weighs 5 lbs., and I carry about 75% of my weight in it. I am not sure about the road access to South Lake this year, but I assume the road will be open to Parchers Camp, and that is very close to South Lake. Nor do I know about the parking for Echo Summit, but just a week ago, I checked the Caltrans webiste for road closures, and Hwy 50 was wide open. Sounds like you will go to LLV, and so these are moot points. I hope it goes really well. Cheers, Ian.

Skiing into LLV- with pulk.

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