?Southern Sierra first trip for 5 year old route ideas?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 4:11 pm
I posted this same basic question on another forum but I'll ask here too.
In the '80's as a teen and twenty something I spent hundreds of days hiking, skiing, exploring, and snowshoeing the Eastern Sierra. I graduated from one of the fine institutes of lower learning in the Owens Valley and found that the jobs were to be found 250 miles south so to LA I moved. The trips became less frequent but still at least annual until our daughter came along.
After a 5 year hiatus from backpacking I want to take my daughter for her first trip this year. We've been doing plenty of car camping and short day hikes but have never overnighted. She is definitely enthused about the prospect and I want to make this the first of many trips, not a bad memory to never be repeated.
She's a tall kid and strong; is easily capable of walking 3 miles round trip on gentle terrain without appearing tired. I'm thinking a one day hike in to basecamp then two before hiking back out.
How about some route suggestions? Ideally it would be a reasonable drive from Long Beach- West or East side both fine (my folks live in Owens Valley so most of my experience is East). Kid friendly things such as:
Moderate elevation
Forested
Water features (at least a little creek)
Gentle terrain
Approx 3 miles from trailhead to campsite.
Low bug population early summer
Nice temps
East side ideas I have plenty but my inclination is to look to the West side as I think a moderate elevation deep dark forest might be better than the alpine sparseness that I so love in the high eastern flank.
Thanks in advance.
Jim
In the '80's as a teen and twenty something I spent hundreds of days hiking, skiing, exploring, and snowshoeing the Eastern Sierra. I graduated from one of the fine institutes of lower learning in the Owens Valley and found that the jobs were to be found 250 miles south so to LA I moved. The trips became less frequent but still at least annual until our daughter came along.
After a 5 year hiatus from backpacking I want to take my daughter for her first trip this year. We've been doing plenty of car camping and short day hikes but have never overnighted. She is definitely enthused about the prospect and I want to make this the first of many trips, not a bad memory to never be repeated.
She's a tall kid and strong; is easily capable of walking 3 miles round trip on gentle terrain without appearing tired. I'm thinking a one day hike in to basecamp then two before hiking back out.
How about some route suggestions? Ideally it would be a reasonable drive from Long Beach- West or East side both fine (my folks live in Owens Valley so most of my experience is East). Kid friendly things such as:
Moderate elevation
Forested
Water features (at least a little creek)
Gentle terrain
Approx 3 miles from trailhead to campsite.
Low bug population early summer
Nice temps
East side ideas I have plenty but my inclination is to look to the West side as I think a moderate elevation deep dark forest might be better than the alpine sparseness that I so love in the high eastern flank.
Thanks in advance.
Jim