High Sierra Topix

maverick wrote:Just got a PM from a member who was in the Silver Divide and said that
the mosquitoes "were just getting going", and about snow he wrote "we
were pleasantly surprised by the relatively high snow coverage".
You may want to rethink your timing, especially if your wife hates mosquitoes
Talimon.

Any recommendations on alternatives, within the scope of the original post? (4-5 days, ~35-40 miles, mostly on trail). Our driving route is such that the Yosemite area would work for us (including Hoover). Perhaps some lower elevation options in Yosemite would be dry enough to be past the mosquito wave.

Hard to recommend at the moment because it seems we are close to the height
in some areas and other have yet to peak, otherwise it is a roll of the dice.
The 3 reports we have gotten in the Yosemite areas are between 3-4. Call
Bridgeport to find out about current backcountry conditions (mosquitoes).
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/htnf/abou ... sm9_026951" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

maverick wrote:Definitely Peter Pande Lake, Annie, and the Minnie Lake this great area, not to say
Ram isn't good, but this area of the Silver Divide is outstanding.

I will second what Maverick says above, as well as recommend Wilbur May Lake relatively near by. Regarding Ram Lake, it's nice, but IMO, not outstanding. I actually enjoyed the cross-country route from Virginia to Ram, and the basins above Ram on the way, more then Ram itself.

The Silver Divide is truly great area. A place I can absolutely recommend in the area is Hortense Lake. It's an easy cross-country up the ridge following the lake's outlet stream. It sits in a beautiful granite bowl that you will likely have all to yourselves. Really nice.

Ditto to the above recommendation. But you will NOT beat the skeets any time in June. They will devour you. If at all possible, try to delay it another two or three weeks. It's really a bummer to go through all the planning and effort and then be destroyed by skeets and have to bail out early on a trip. Been there, done that, too many times.

I was through that area last year at this time and there was no snow and very few skeeters surprisingly. But every year is different.

cahikr wrote:I was through that area last year at this time and there was no snow and very few skeeters surprisingly. But every year is different.

That was my experience last year at similar elevations, but I sense this year there was a late storm.