eastern sierra trip advice
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:40 am
Hi,
Finally signed up after 85% of the google searches I did ended up with me on these pages anyway. What a wonderful resource!
Anyway, I found a cheap airfare from out east into Las Vegas and realized it is a short 4+ hour drive to the Eastern Sierras. I've been looking at loop hikes from the Eastern side.
I'm around level 2, several backpacking trips, not very much x-country. I'm cool with class II terrain. I'm interested in lakes, mountains, campsites, and photography. I like to go relatively low mileage and get camp set up early and explore, sans pack, and especially swim (I'm all about swimming holes). Less than 10 miles a day, I'd say, depending on elevation change. I wouldn't mind a layover. I'm looking at a 4 night trip, most likely. Probably have to be a loop. I've done some day hiking in Yosemite (Mist, little hikes around Glacier Point) and I didn't experience any altitude related stuff. Mostly, I just want to be out there. It would be the first or second week of September. I'll be trying to get a walk-up permit, I'm fine with having to get one for the next day. Also, I guess I'm assuming the fire(s) out there will no longer be an issue. That could be a bad assumption:)
I've come up with a possibility, but I wanted to see if anyone had any other suggestions, backup plans, or poke holes in my idea. Thanks! And thanks for all the stuff that is already on here.
Day 1: Onion Valley -> Charlotte Lake
Day 2: Charlotte Lake -> Rae Lakes
Day 3: Rae Lakes -> 60 Lakes Basin via Basin Notch (looks like short, well traveled x-country)
Day 4: 60 Lakes Basin -> Kearsarge Lakes
Day 5: Kearsarge Lakes -> Onion Valley
Finally signed up after 85% of the google searches I did ended up with me on these pages anyway. What a wonderful resource!
Anyway, I found a cheap airfare from out east into Las Vegas and realized it is a short 4+ hour drive to the Eastern Sierras. I've been looking at loop hikes from the Eastern side.
I'm around level 2, several backpacking trips, not very much x-country. I'm cool with class II terrain. I'm interested in lakes, mountains, campsites, and photography. I like to go relatively low mileage and get camp set up early and explore, sans pack, and especially swim (I'm all about swimming holes). Less than 10 miles a day, I'd say, depending on elevation change. I wouldn't mind a layover. I'm looking at a 4 night trip, most likely. Probably have to be a loop. I've done some day hiking in Yosemite (Mist, little hikes around Glacier Point) and I didn't experience any altitude related stuff. Mostly, I just want to be out there. It would be the first or second week of September. I'll be trying to get a walk-up permit, I'm fine with having to get one for the next day. Also, I guess I'm assuming the fire(s) out there will no longer be an issue. That could be a bad assumption:)
I've come up with a possibility, but I wanted to see if anyone had any other suggestions, backup plans, or poke holes in my idea. Thanks! And thanks for all the stuff that is already on here.
Day 1: Onion Valley -> Charlotte Lake
Day 2: Charlotte Lake -> Rae Lakes
Day 3: Rae Lakes -> 60 Lakes Basin via Basin Notch (looks like short, well traveled x-country)
Day 4: 60 Lakes Basin -> Kearsarge Lakes
Day 5: Kearsarge Lakes -> Onion Valley