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What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:13 am
by balzaccom
When we first got started backpacking, we simply chose a trailhead that led to a popular destination, and followed the trail to that goal. But over the years we've changed that a bit. We now worry less about a final destination, and more about areas to explore. And we worry less about staying on the trail, so that we can wander off into those areas that don't see so many people.

And we almost never stick 100% to our plan, because we know we're going to be curious about what is over that ridge, or beyond the lake.

But with all that in mind, we still have a long list of places we'd like to hike. There are quite a few day-hikes that are still on our list, waiting for an open day in our schedule when we're in that area of the mountains.

And we have a few short trips that we've been saving for a short weekend, or when we are joined by someone who doesn't want to tackle too ambitious a hike.

And then we have the medium-length trips, and the longer trips that we hope to get to some day. We took two of those this summer, one to Kings Canyon and one to Huckleberry Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness. But while we were doing those hikes, we found ourselves noticing a trail here, a lake there, and a whole other section of the valley over there. Reasons to go back, or to add a new hike to the list.

Which is why even though we did seven trips this summer, our list keeps getting longer.

We've got at least twenty hikes on our list, and that's just in the Sierra...

Re: What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:38 pm
by Grzldvt
Toss up between Virginia Canyon to Matterhorn to Slide and out Crown versus Mitre Canyon out of Cottonwood and explore the area.

Re: What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:55 pm
by Phil
Wandering around aimlessly in Desolation this month. The kid shipped off to basic training, and now I'm solo. Even bought a new 1-person tent, but applications for new hiking partners are currently being accepted. Have bear cans and bigger tents, will travel.

Re: What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:45 pm
by AlmostThere
I don't have lists. I research and I go.

Re: What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:34 pm
by balzaccom
AT--yes, but my problem is that even after seven trips this summer, I research more than I go! There are always more places to see...

Re: What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:31 pm
by ndwoods
Not sure. Have one trip later in month planned...but in a week or so going for an overnighter and can't decide which one yet. Always do this for my anniversary and this is our 41st anniversary...just gotta pick a spot...:)
Dee

Re: What's your next hike?

PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:06 pm
by dan
Postby huynguyen1 » Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:20 am
In August 2018 our group of five will take the Echo Lakes shuttle boat and continue onward to a secret-ish site on Lake Aloha for our first Desolation excursion. This past year we went to East Lake near Bridgeport and, although it was a great (albeit windy) trip, I thought "Surely there's really pretty camping closer than a 5.5-hour drive from the Bay Area." Lo and behold: I went back to my list (chanelling balzaccom here) and will be able to chop off about two hours. Very much looking forward to this one, suffice it to say.



Postby balzaccom » Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:43 pm
You are right, both about East Lake (and the wind!) and Desolation. You might also look at the Carson Pass area, and the 108 corridor, with both Carson-Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness. Both get far less traffic than Desolation
Check out our website and blog at: http://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home



Postby huynguyen1 » Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:08 am
Thanks, Balzaccom. I've read somewhere that one of the reasons why Carson-Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness get less traffic than the surrounding wilderness areas is because they contain significantly fewer lakes than their neighbors. Do you have suggestions for some attractive backcountry lakes in C-I and EW?


Postby robow8 » Fri Jan 12, 2018 3:25 pm
Going out in the San Gabriels this afternoon for an overnight trip. Nothing special, just getting out!



Postby balzaccom » Fri Jan 12, 2018 3:57 pm
That's correct about Carson-Iceberg. There are only a few (Sword, Lost, etc.) and they get heavy use.

But Emigrant Wilderness is LOADED with lakes, starting at both Gianelli and Crabtree trailheads, you hit a lake about every couple miles for as long as you want to hike. From Gianelli, Lakes Powell, Chewing Gum, Y Meadow, Granite, Toejam, Leopold, Wire(3), Long, Starvation, Bucks are all in the first twelve miles. From Crabtree, you can add in Camp, Bear, Grouse, Piute, Gem, Jewelry, Resasco, Pingree, Wood, Karl, and Leighton before you get to Bucks Lake along this trail. Whoever told you there weren't lake in the Emigrant Wilderness has never hiked there, and never looked at a map.
Check out our website and blog at: http://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home



Postby huynguyen1 » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:07 pm
Lake Aloha in Desolation, elevation 8,116', mid-August 2018: any random/educated guesses as to the skeet condition?



Postby Phil » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:46 pm
Thus far, pretty light-normal snow year, so from mid-August through Sept should be perfect, crowded, but mosquitoes shouldn't really give you any problems by then.