100-150mi Loop Eastern Sierra Trailhead Recommendation?

[billygoat]

Hi everyone, I have 8 days (10 including driving) to do a backpacking trip in the Sierra at the end of August and am coming from the east now that work has led me out of state. I had planned to do a loop from the western side, but realized I could save some driving if I pick an eastern trailhead. I’ve also never started from the east side, as I used to live in the Central Valley. I’ll probably be taking I80 towards Reno. I’m looking for suggestions on some spectacular scenery.

About me: I’m experienced on/off trail, am in decent shape, have done the JMT, HST, big SEKI loop, Whitney, and have some unnamed on/off trail jaunts under my belt. Good with snow travel. Experience level is not a concern, but I will be going solo. I like to fish. I prefer ~15mi/day, but am flexible, especially if the fishing is good or if I need to book it b/c of time constraints. I was thinking 100-150 miles is a good size loop for the time I got off work. Any suggestions?

[stevet]

Billlygoat,
I am likewise planning a solo jaunt, with travel logistics from the Northeast. These are a couple loops I am considering this year, out of Onion Valley. I have 9-10 days, but either can be trimmed to your 8 days. Ideally I can get to the Ranger Station and snag a permit the day I fly into Vegas and start hiking early the next morning.

Hike #1
Day 1 - Onion Valley to Center Basin (14.1mi)
Day 2 - Center Basin to Wright Lakes Basin (12.4mi)
Day 3 - Wright Lakes Basin to Lake Reflection (14.mi)
Day 4 - Lake Reflection to Avalanche Pass Jct (12.3mi)
Day 5 - Avalanche Pass Jct to Glacier Lakes (15.6mi)
Day 6 - Glacier Lakes to Marion Lake (11.1mi)
Day 7 - Marion Lake to Bench Lake (12mi)
Day 8 - Bench Lake to Stocking Lake (11.mi)
Day 9 - Stocking Lake to Sixty Lake Basin (8.5mi)
Day 10 - Sixty Lake Basin to Onion Valley (11.9mi)

Hike #2
Day 1 - Onion Valley to Center Basin (14.1mi)
Day 2 - Center Basin to Wright Lakes Basin (12.4mi)
Day 3 - Wright Lakes Basin to Lake Reflection (14.mi)
Day 4 - Lake Reflection to Avalanche Pass Jct (12.3mi)
Day 5 - Upper Ranger Meadow
Day 6 - Over Copper Mine Pass and Triple Divide Pass into Kern Kaweah, camp at Jct Meadow
Day 7 - Jct Meadow to Vidette Meadow
Day 8 - Vidette Meadow to Matlock Lake
Day 9 - exit to Onion Valley

And here is a loop out of South Lake that I have thought about, should be able to get a permit in Lone Pine. Sleep the night in a backpacker cabin at Parchers resort:
Day 1 - South Lake to LeConte
Day 2 - LeConte to Amphitheater Lake
Day 3 - over Cataract Crk Pass and Dumbell Pass into Lakes Basin to Marion Lake
Day 4 - over either Frozen Lake Pass or Vennacher Col, south to Bench Lake
Day 5 - backtrack over Mather Pass to Palisades Lakes
Day 6 - Barrett Lakes (SHR over Cirque and Potluck Passes)
Day 7 - a night in Dusy Basin or exit

alternately can skip Bench Lake and finish day 4 crossing Cirque Pass to Cirque Lake
Day 5 - to Ionian Basin
Day 6 - to Darwin Bench
Day 7 - exit Lamarck Col to North Lake and thumb back to South Lake, or over Alpine Col to Desolation Basin
Day 8 - exit to North Lake

Lots of options around these tracks. Can also use Mammoth as a base and use YARTS to start a hike from Yosemite. A friend and I followed the SHR from Tuolumne to Mono Creek and then followed the JMT back to Duck Lake exiting there to Mammoth.