For many years with our kids (7/9+), Father's Day at Cottonwood Lakes was a tradition for the start of the season. And it was closest to get to, even though it is the highest trail head in the Sierra. Usually everything from Long Lake up (South Fork Drainage) was snow covered, however.
http://www.topo.com/explore?lat=36.4748 ... &type=topo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Horseshoe Meadows out of Lone Pine is about a 5 hour drive from Pasadena area...includes breakfast at Denny's in Mojave. Check where the best prices are (probably Mojave) to refuel on the way home. If you leave early (EARLY!) you can be at the trail head to Cottonwood lakes around 9AM. It is a relatively easy trail starting at 10,500 (or so) with the lakes near 11,000' about 6 miles later - perfect day hike too. Within a few hundred feet notice the trail coming up from the left. Remember NOT to take this on the way back. The early part of the trail goes down hill for a considerable distance. You don't notice it until your return. So this trail is up hill both ways. You get a nice rest spot when you cross the creek on an old log. Good lunch spot just above the old Golden Trout fish camp (now offering retreats). Just bring DEET and use it sparingly.
From there you mosey along the side of a meadow and pass a trail junction to New Army Pass and the South Lake drainage. Stay to the right to Cottonwood Lakes. After a mile of climbing up the remnants of a glacial head wall and the moraine at the end of the Cottonwood Lakes drainage, you enter a spectacular alpine view of lakes, high ridges and the 1/2 mile almost vertical face of Mt Langley in front of you. You have a choice of many places to camp out, our favorite was Muir up to the north a bit out of the way, but popular. We preferred the area closest to the outlet. Not sure that is available to camp at now.
http://www.topo.com/explore?lat=36.4957 ... &type=topo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
From Muir, if you stay close to the trees you will find a use trace that you can take up to abeam of what is shown as Lake 5 and then cut west at the 11,200 contour over to the trail. You have to stay high near the trees to avoid the marshy area on your left. Access to the Old Army Pass trail is from here and hugs the north of Lake 5. If you are tempted best to know that it is no longer maintained and is an abandoned trail.
http://www.summitpost.org/route-up-old-army-pass/7987" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But more experienced (or adventurous) use it routinely. Just understand that it will incur some route finding. Best to stay off if covered in snow.
Between Lake 1 and 2 is a trace of a trail to get to South Fork drainage and Long Lake. From here on (it is better in late July or early August) up a well engineered trail up NEW Army Pass and Mt Langley - one of the easiest 14r in the Sierra to get up. Another adventure for another time. It is a long walk up and back and for the most part is waterless. The pass is a nice comfortable day hike from Muir Lake. So is Cirque Lake. Cirque Peak is best assaulted from the south via Cottonwood Pass, but the ridge from the top of New Army is a long walk picking your own best route.
Another adventure is to find your way to the highest lake in the Cottonwood assemblage. Another is to find the trail down from South Fork Lake to the intersection with the trail you took up. It too is now abandoned and takes off on the left (north side) of the discharge from the lake, directly down hoping from rock ledge to dirty, gravelly dirt ledge until you get to the meadow below. Not for the faint of heart or inexperienced hiker. But it is an arguable short cut and makes a 'lollipop' loop out of the Lakes trip. Just remember to take the trail to the right when you intersect the one you came up - it seems a long walk. Oh, and don't forget which way the cars are and not to the equestrian parking lot and lower Horseshoe Meadows - the trail you passed on the way up. The way down will seem to take most of forever and surprisingly uphill.
A long week end excursion this summer (July/Aug) would be to park yourself at some place central (perhaps the rustic Winneduhma Hotel in Independence - used to have good evening meals -- depends on who the cook is now). From the 'basecamp' do day hikes to Cottonwood Lakes, Bullfrog Lake (over Kearsarge at Onion Valley), Long Lake (Bishop, out of South Lake) or perhaps as far as the Pass, even up the Shepherd Pass trail as far as your legs will take you on a day hike (Symmes Creek trail head from dirt road exit on way up to Onion Valley- a late June/early July dayhike). You get a nice bed, a good hot bath and somebody else doing the cooking. Or you could rough it staying at any one of the many car camp areas between Lone Pine and BIshop. This would give you an indication of about how far the first day would be for an overnight. Each of these trails, given another day of hard work, would put you into some of the best the Sierra has to offer.
Make sure you have a rain protection with hood, 200 fleece or better, a hat, sunglasses, UV protection, lip protection with UV, and DEET in the pack. Plan on getting off the higher and exposed places to nearby shelter before 3 or so in the afternoon. Thunderstorms are fun to watch but not be in. You don't have a lot of time once the clouds start consolidating.