High Sierra Topix

dustybottoms21 wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 3:29 pm We're a little less than a month away. How are conditions looking currently between Rowell Meadow TH and Skillman Pass?

Friggin' snowy.

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SOB. How about Crabtree TH in Emigrant Wilderness? I know it's nearby but I'm wondering if the slightly lower elevation helps

Call them tomorrow. Road access would be the most likely problem.

Stanislaus
National Forest

Supervisor's Office
19777 Greenley Road
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 532-3671

Ranger Districts

Mi-Wok District
24695 Highway 108
Mi-Wuk Village, CA 95346
(209) 965-3434

Summit District
#1 Pinecrest Lake Road
Pinecrest, CA 95364
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Calaveras District
5519 Highway 4
PO Box 500
Hathaway Pines, CA 95233
(209) 813-6008

Groveland District
24545 Highway 120
Groveland, CA 95321
(209) 962-7825

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanisl ... ecid=15077

dustybottoms21 wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2019 5:50 pm SOB. How about Crabtree TH in Emigrant Wilderness? I know it's nearby but I'm wondering if the slightly lower elevation helps

There’s a month to go with rain in the forecast. Chill, call the ranger with a couple days to go.

Also, plenty of trailheads in Yosemite Valley & Hetch Hetchy are not yet full.

TL;DR...What elevation should we be looking at for a June 20-24th trip if we're flying in/out of Fresno and don't want to deal with too much snow?

We put soooo much thought and planning into this trip (apparently not enough though!) so it would be a real bummer if we had to call a last minute audible to go somewhere else and not have anything planned out.

Rather than it being last minute, it would be good to pin down a plan C. Plan A right now is SEKI starting at Rowell Meadow TH and heading towards Skillman Pass. Plan B is to head to Emigrant Wilderness and do a loop hike starting from Crabtree TH.

While Plan B is at slightly lower elevation, I was told the exposed rock everywhere could lead to crazy flooding and impossible creek crossings.

So...we want to get started on a plan C and assume that A and B will not be an option. We already have flights booked into Fresno so we're kinda stuck with this general area, maybe consider up to a 4-5 hour drive to get to the Park/Rec area.

What elevation should we be looking at? I know someone mentioned doing Golden Trout Wildnerness but the scenery looks pretty poo-poo compared to our initial plan. It might be a beggars can't be choosers type of thing but we want to keep searching for a better fit.

Reminder...
We're all in pretty good shape and I would say we're at a level 2 backpacker
Looking to do 3 nights
Preferably a loop or Lollipop
Would like to fish (but not mandatory at this point)
Campfires would be fantastic (But not mandatory at this point)

While I still think Rowell Meadow will be okay by late June (my wife and I went to Seville Lake on June 21-22 in a fairly heavy snow year) if you want a good trip for two of the days, you can to to Redwood Canyon and do the Hart Tree Trail loop. Along with the two night restriction, the other problem for you is that there are no fires. It's a gorgeous hike and the sequoias are magnificent, especially at the bottom of the canyon along Redwood Creek. For the third night, you could head down to Cedar Grove and car camp so you can have a fire. There are almost always spaces at Moraine Campround.

Another two night limit location is Paradise Valley. I would suggest doing 3 nights and continue beyond Paradise Valley, but the Kings River crossing might be a major problem in late June. Depending on your exact dates (June 22, 23, 24 are filled), you might be able to still reserve a permit or try your luck with a walk-up permit by camping at Moraine and getting one for the next day. It would not be a loop, but I'm someone who finds seeing an area from the opposite direction gives an entirely different perspective.

Finally, Tioga Road will probably be open by that point in June, so there is always Yosemite.

dustybottoms21 wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2019 4:16 pmWhile Plan B is at slightly lower elevation, I was told the exposed rock everywhere could lead to crazy flooding and impossible creek crossings.

You're backpacking in June in a high snow year, you either get snow or everything's wet. Want it dry? Go to the desert.

Yosemite has trail heads at 3900 feet in elevation. Kibbie Lake has only 2 inches of snow right now. Maia was in Yosemite Valley two weeks ago and posted a trip report 2 threads below this one. You'll literally be flying into "Fresno Yosemite International Airport". Yosemite is 2.5 hours away if you don't get stuck in the traffic jam at the entrance. You've got plenty of options.

Chill.

Btw, here's a pic of Kennedy Lake I stole from Nils Wydler who just skied the area this past weekend. It's a good early season destination. With another 3 weeks, this area will be melted out nicely. You can see snow line is about ~7000-7500 feet. I'd bet it'll be ~8500 in late June at least.


Compare that to the Google image of the place in June of 2017, and you'll get an idea of how fast things can melt. Which is why you shouldn't scrap your trip yet. Wait and see how the melt goes, and your have a lower elevation back up plan in place that you can use.

10-4 thanks this is helpful