Advice, please, Memorial and mid- june trips

[Love the Sierra]

Hello,
I am hoping for two short trips, one mid June and one over Memorial Day. I have no problem with hiking or skiing and camping on snow. My questions are about difficult creek crossings and avalanches. I would like to avoid both!
That said, I am thinking about skiing Saddlebag Lakes over Memorial Day, (If there is still sufficient snow) or hiking Cottonwood or up Kearsarge. For mid June, I am thinking about either Sabrina Basin or Robinson Creek, out of Twin Lakes in Bridgeport. What are your opinions about creek crossings and avalanche risk, please?
Thanks in advance!

[c9h13no3]

Hello,
I am hoping for two short trips, one mid June and one over Memorial Day. I have no problem with hiking or skiing and camping on snow. My questions are about difficult creek crossings and avalanches. I would like to avoid both!
That said, I am thinking about skiing Saddlebag Lakes over Memorial Day, (If there is still sufficient snow) or hiking Cottonwood or up Kearsarge. For mid June, I am thinking about either Sabrina Basin or Robinson Creek, out of Twin Lakes in Bridgeport. What are your opinions about creek crossings and avalanche risk, please?
Thanks in advance!

Avalanche risk is usually pretty minimal that time of year, course last year sorta illustrated that's not always the case. The main rule of thumb is to be out of avalanche terrain or be on a cooler aspect once you start sinking into the snow above your boot tops. Any new precipitation (rain or snow) will increase the danger quite a bit.

There's nothing about Robinson Creek or the Saddlebag area that I'd consider noteworthy from a creek crossing perspective. Just don't trust the snow bridges.

[Wandering Daisy]

I would not cross Robinson Creek lower down- for example, Little Slide Creek to access Maltby Lake requires crossing Robinson Creek, which is waist deep even later in the year. Robinson Creek above Barney Lake has a lot of sloppy wading of seasonal side creeks. You will just have wet feet.

I did a trip 6/24-29 2008, a similar snow year as we are now having. Rock Island Lake was partly frozen. Mosquitoes were horrible down low- wet and soggy at Barney Lake. But never have gone as early as Memorial Day. I cannot remember when, but I went up to Peeler Lake one year when there was snow in that gully from the Robinson Lake trail junction- I recall steep snow but easy to make steps. I would not have skied it- too steep for me!

I also did Green Lake to Summit Lake 4th July in the very high snow year of 2011- solid snow above Green Lake - some dry patches at East Lake, total snow at Summit Lake. That actually is another nice area for an early trip. The snow on the colorful rock makes it quite pretty. Photos were posted from Photobucket- I do not pay them so the photos have their logo over them. But you can still get an idea.

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[Love the Sierra]

Thank you.
C9h13no3 I know all about the dangers of soft snow so I prefer to plan to go a where I can hike all day, even when the snow is soft. It is always disappointing when I must stop early due to soft snow.
Daisy, thanks. No steep bowls for this girl either! I like to ski slowly, enjoying the scenery, not for speed or downhill thrills. That is why I thought Saddlebag and 20 lake basin with its gentle terrain. I have never been up to Peeler so I thought that may be a nice, short trip. Thanks for the info on the crossings. We loved Green Creek in 2019. However, it was my Sunshine’s last trip before epilepsy and I am not sure that I could enjoy it. I would miss her too much.

[Wandering Daisy]

My standard early season trips are Yosemite Valley rim hikes and Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne right when Tioga Road opens. I bet the road will be open at Memorial Day. With the current permit system, getting a permit would be the main problem. Do you want to take your dog(s)? Yosemite does not allow dogs.

A short, but nice trip early would be Kennedy Lake from Kennedy Meadows. Dogs are allowed. Kennedy Meadows is already open and looks like no snow until near the trial junction. Once up into the upper valley it is nearly flat to Kennedy Lake; woodsy at first then into a long open meadow. Permits are easy to get because there is no quota. You just call a few days ahead and pick up the permit at the office. Not sure you want to do a combination of walking (carrying skis) and skiing.

[bobby49]

Permits are easy to get because there is no quota. You just call a few days ahead and pick up the permit at the office.

I always pick up my DIY permit at the Pinecrest Ranger Station before the station opens in the morning. If you wait until the station opens, then it takes much longer because they have to lecture you on fire safety, etc.