Quintessential Oct trip somewhere N. of Yosemite

[AaronRDavis]

I've got next Fri-Sun available and would like to squeeze in one last Sierra trip this year. 100% of my Sierra backpacking experience has been from Southern Yosemite to Sequoia. Since I live in Bay Area, I think its about time I explore somewhere a little closer and a bit different. Desolation seems like a popular choice. I'm open to basically anything between Tioga Road and Tahoe.

Level 3-4 experience, but since I'm solo and its shoulder season I prefer to stick to trails. I won't be doing fishing or photography. Interested in big mountain views and granite. I'm fine with about 12-16 miles and 2-4k vertical per day. Preference toward higher miles and less vertical. Not interested in a layover/base camp style trip, since when I am solo I just like to cover ground until late in the day. Due to the unpredictable weather at this time of year, I should probably avoid venturing beyond any huge passes.

What would you recommend?

[SSSdave]

Well one could certainly create numbers of loops just looking at topos in Desolation, Emigrant, or Mokelumne especially if one is just out to get in all day exercise.

Generally I'm not a fan of backpacking in October given cold temperatures, long nights, weather issues, and drab dry brown landscapes. Instead since many are unaware of it, will recommend far more scenic and interesting out an back Eastern Sierra day hiking along lower trails with aspen groves.

https://www.lonepinechamber.org/wp-cont ... rGuide.pdf

[Wandering Daisy]

I assume you mean the weekend of Oct 5-7. Several alternatives are available in the Hoover Wilderness out of Twin Lakes.

1) Green Lakes area - you can base-camp at Green Lakes or East Lake (good fishing) and then day hike to Summit Lake and West Lake.
2) Loop to Peeler Lake and back via Rock Island Pass-Crown Lake-Robinson Lake.
3) Twin Lakes -Crown Lake- Mule Pass- Maltby Lake and return or if experienced x-c, go out via Little Slide Canyon.
4) Buckeye TH up Eagle Creek, camp up on ridge (great views) just south of Eagle Peak. Good site for early and late sun. Not shown on map but there is some timber to camp in too. Day-hike up Eagle Peak and Victoria Peak. Very few people ever do this trip.
5) Buckeye TH to "The Roughs". Very spectacular but you would be camped deep in a canyon with little early or late sunshine. But I think fires are allowed, which would help.

I have been in these areas late September and it is cold, but the fall colors are nice. The key to late trips is to camp up on a ridge where you will get maximum sunshine.

Lower elevation areas on the west side:
1) Hetch-Hetchy - Laurel Lake loop
2) Cherry Lake TH -Kibby Ridge to Lord Meadow. Perhaps day-hike to Boundary Lake, Inferno Lakes

Of course, Desolation is also a good choice, but will be more crowded.

[balzaccom]

One more option:. From Blue Lakes (Road currently closed at Middle Blue Lake) hike past upper lake to Evergreen Trailhead and down I to Submit City Canyon. Recent trailwork has made this trail available...nobody there...lovely country

Much shorter drive than Twin Lakes...

[Wandering Daisy]

Blue Lakes is not that much shorter. For example, I used San Francisco as the starting point. 227 miles (4.5 hrs) to Bridgeport, and another 15 miles on good paved road to Twin Lakes. About the same either using Sonora Pass or Tioga Pass. 190 miles (3.5 hrs) to Carson Pass and then about 15 miles to Blue Lake- last part on dirt road. I suspect you would save about 45 minutes to Blue Lakes. To me that is not enough distance to use driving time as the main criteria. 175 miles (3.5hrs) to Wrights Lake in Desolation. Just getting out of the Bay Area can be slow, another 20-50 miles at the end of the route may not be that significant.

A west entry into Emigrant Wilderness would be shorter, if distance is a main factor. As noted in another recent post, Kennedy Meadows to the Lewis Lakes -Iceland Lakes area is quite spectacular. The problem with Crabtree TH is that you have to walk a lot of so-so scenery miles before you get to the good stuff.

Summit City creek is a canyon, nice but you would be in the shadows. If you want lakes, Green Lakes is great (dark metamorphic peaks). Peeler-Robinson lakes are granite, if you prefer the lighter colored rocks on peaks. It all depends on what you are looking for. When you said "quintessential" I am not sure you are looking for the less used obscure areas.

The only down side of Twin Lakes is that you have to pay for parking at the trailhead, because it is on private property.

Anyway, there are lots of trip reports on all these options, so look at those.

[AaronRDavis]

Thanks everyone. I'll research these options and decide on one.

[Harlen]

I love that area, so I can't help but add one more beautiful option:

From Twin Lakes up to Horse Cr. Pass is about 6 miles, and ~3,700' up. You might cross the pass and look for a camp between Whorl Mt., and Virginia Pk- both are great "big mountain views." And so is the view of dark- even sinister to me- Twin Peaks that loom over you as you near HCPass.
*Note: no trails are shown for the route up to HCPass, and then down Spiller Creek, but I have never considered any of this route troublesome- perhaps near the top of HCP from the east it's just a hair tricky- cross to the east side of the creek about 1.5 miles before the pass. Spiller Cr is dead easy all the way down to the PCT. Looks like a pretty long day- half down then half up from the upper basin of Spiller to the Burro Pass area. Great views of the Sawtooth Ridge from the west below Burro Pass. Burro to Mule Pass is a fantastic hike beneath the Sawtooth, with nice Hemlock trees all around, then down, down, down and out Robinson Creek, and back to Twin Lakes.

I count 35 miles total, the Passes are: 3,700', then 2000' up Matterhorn Canyon to Burro; and then just 800' up to Mule Pass. None of the passes are severe, and all of this route is beautiful mountain country. Best of luck wherever you go.

[commonloon]

I'd like to add that one of my favorite October trips was out mammoth, Tully Hole, over Silver Pass, down Mono Creek, back on SHR back (Tully Hole, SHR/Mammoth ridge). The Mono Creek drainage is really beautiful in October w/ evergreens mixed in with the orange and red stuff.

Rock Creek has camping and day hike options as well

[wildhiker]

I would seriously consider Desolation Wilderness. Sure, it is more crowded than other areas mentioned here, but it's a beautiful area and way less crowded in October than in mid-summer. It has an extensive trail network that should let you create a loop of your desired length. I would start either at Wrights Lake (west side) or Glen Alpine Springs or Bayview Campground (east side). Try to plan a campsite on Lake Aloha to see the sunrise colors on the Crystal Range reflected in the lake.
-Phil

[SSSdave]

I just looked at the weekly hi res image and Lake Aloha has already been drawn down significantly. Note the current lake is actually a reservoir for downstream water storage with a dam across areas with what was originally a few small lakes and ponds. They tend to release water in September after the Labor Day holiday. The lake and that zone is usually most aesthetic after later July while the Crystal Range snowfields are still prominent after ice atop lake waters have melted out and vegetation is peaking with flowers.