High Sierra Topix

Hi guys,

I'm trying to plan a trip over labor day weekend with the family, but if the temps dip into the 30s at night I may have some unhappy campers. I was thinking of going to Dinkey Lakes or maybe one of the lakes up Mineral King, but I haven't spent enough time at that elevation in Sept. to know what to expect. Weather looks good, but will my wife freeze? Trying to gauge temps from Shaver Lake don't really help much.

As an alternative I was thinking of staying low and going down the Forks of the Kern trail. Haven't been there yet, but it's bound to be warmer.

Anyone have a clue?

Thank you!

Forks of Kern will be warmer no doubt, but what a pity you and your family will miss out on the beauty of the High Sierra. Save the Forks of Kern for springtime. The truth is any place above 9000' gets cold at night. I scarcely remember a night above 9000' where it didn't get down into the 30s.

The solution is a tent, synthetic cap for the head, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, fleece sweater, outer layer, hot meal, and hot tea. Also, a positive attitude. Backpacking is fun! Don't let the cold nights keep you from going!

I'm going to Dinkey myself (again) this weekend. September is perfect for Dinkey - all the bugs are gone. It's gonna be busy up there tho.

You could do worse than car camping at Courtright and day hiking into Dinkey or up to Post Corral - best of both worlds, you could pack it in if it drops to 0F.

Forecast at NOAA says that it will be 30-40F tho. Sunny with a little wind on Saturday. Perfect for me! I love a good crisp morning with a steaming cup of tea/coffee/cocoa! have a look at the clickable map at:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... tType=text" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That should be set right on top of the Three Sisters.

I don't think I've ever been to the High Sierra when it didn't get down to the 30s at night. Forks would be OK, but its really spectacular when the fall colors are out (but then the temps get to the 30s at night!).

Go high.

Hi Fyton2v

I was higher this pass weekend 10300 ft was the lowest place I stayed, and it was cold.
Every night was in the low-mid 30's, and 2 nights in the upper 20's.
30's you will not be able to avoid above 9000 ft this weekend since another low pressure
system will be building off the coast, though I do not think it coming from Alaska like
the one from last weekend.
The wind can be a bigger issue during the day with the wind chill, which made Sat, and
Sunday difficult to stay warm.
If the wind is not an issue just rent a warmer bag for your wife, otherwise
she will be very unhappy, and we do not want that!
If it is windy just prepare with a wind proof jacket, pants, hat, gloves, and warm under
layers, and every one will be fine.
Make some tea, hot choc, or chicken soup during the day, and at night, and it will do wonders
for every ones spirits.

I camped at 10440 Monday night and it was in the mid 30's. Sun set at 7:30pm at which point a cold wind blew in, and the sun rose at 7:30am. I stayed in the tent till about 7:00 when I decided to just deal with the 34 degree weather and get my breakfast going. It was uncomfortably cold in the morning, but not unbearable. High Sierra's are great right now too - Granite Park was very green

Thanks for the feedback. I've decided everyone is going to have to deal with the cold. We have some warm sleeping bags so it should be fine.

good choice.. Not like we're ready to drop to zero degrees yet. even a 20 degree bag might be overkill if you're in a tent. like rayfound said, "go high"

Forgot to ask. Do you need an overnight permit for the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness?

Yeah, I usually pick them up at the ranger station in Prather or the USFS center in Clovis. Believe you can get one as much as 24 hours in advance for the walk-ups, so it might be smart to get one today if you're going in tomorrow (going to be busy up there).

Matt