Best SEKI Routes coming from San Diego

[adornowest]

Hi everyone -

I am seeking suggestions for a 3-6 day trip late this July or early August in SEKI. I got invaluable advice from Maverick many years ago that made for a great trip around Mineral King viewtopic.php?t=5439 (thanks again, Maverick et al!).

I am staying in San Diego this summer, so the closest starting off points are the west or east sides of Sequoia. Mt. Whitney/Onion Valley are a 5 hour drive; Lodegpole, 6 hrs; Mineral King 7.5.

Our priorities are scenery (lakes, meadows, mountains), and--one of my many failures in life--I don't fish. One of the things we particularly enjoyed about the Mineral King loop was the x-country, and we are eager to incorporate more of that in our trip this summer. We are level 3 backpackers comfortable with class-2 terrain and non-dangerous river crossings. No dog (another failure). Always suffer a day or two of altitude sickness, but am willing to put up with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the best routes? I've been tempted by Rae (which would require a walkup permit...), 9 Lakes, and by parts of the KCHBR or HSR.

Thanks again for all your help!

[jimmyjamhikes]

I think Miter Basin could be really beautiful this year. Enter via Cottonwood Pass from Horseshoe Meadows (5 hours from San Diego). It's about 10 trail miles, mostly PCT, to get to Soldier Lake and then it's cross-country above that, with class 2 Crabtree Pass at the top, which takes you down the Crabtree Lakes drainage and back to the PCT. On your way back you could climb Mount Langley and/or head down Army or New Army Pass to Cottonwood Lakes.

Look here:

http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... hp?t=16242

[sekihiker]

Maxson Trailhead near Courtright Reservoir is also 7.5 hr from San Diego. One of my favorite areas out of there is the Red Mountain Basin. For a trip report, go to: http://www.sierrahiker.com/RedMountainBasin/index.html
There more than 50 other trip reports, almost all from the west side, at sierrahiker.com

[adornowest]

Thanks jhfowler, for the idea about the Miter Basin. Why do you think it will be particularly beautiful this year? How do you think your loop compares, in terms of scenery, with something like Rae Lakes? Since I get to the Sierra so rarely, I'm all about trying to see the best scenery (as ridiculous as that is...)

Thanks sekihiker for the Maxson suggestion. How would you rank your suggestion in terms of scenery?

[sekihiker]

Thanks sekihiker for the Maxson suggestion. How would you rank your suggestion in terms of scenery?

The Red Mountain Basin is not as rugged as the core of SeKi. Hopefully, the photos in the report have captured the beauty of the area. Cross country travel is particularly fine in the area.

[maverick]

+1 for Miter Basin, over Crabtree Pass and back to the PCT, if you want to extend it.

[jimmyjamhikes]

I actually have not done Miter Basin. I am hoping to this year, but we'll see. My expectation that it will be beautiful this year is based on the snow levels -- there will very likely be beautiful snow fields on the mountains all around when you plan to do your trip compared to, say, 2015.

[adornowest]

Thanks JH, Seki, and Maverick. Miter does sound good. I'm torn between Miter, which I snagged a permit for, and Rae, for which I'd have to line up...

[AlmostThere]

Rae Lakes is usually pretty darn crowded. I'll go anywhere but, and Miter was one of those places that we saw maybe two people, plus we enjoyed all the lovely cross country granite.

Also the bridge is still out on the river and this year, who knows if late July is late enough to ford it. If you do Rae as a loop later is better.

[grampy]

... torn between Miter, which I snagged a permit for ...

I have a permit reserved for Cottonwood Pass starting on July 15, aiming for Miter Basin (conditions permitting). I will do my best to post a trip report - even if it a “I should have gone somewhere else” one
Edit: Permit reserved for July 25, not the 15th. Yay, ten more days of snow melt !