by AlmostThere » Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:50 am
They removed the tubs at Sykes. 300 people every weekend leaving trash and poop everywhere doesn't make that a healthy place to go, anyway. It is NOT great, it is a tragic crime perpetrated by hundreds of people who don't care about the wilderness. There will be idiots going out there to dig more tubs, which will have to be removed again, as the vain attempt to band aid the gaping wound in nature that Sykes is continues.
The Lost Coast is gorgeous, remote, hard to reach without a high clearance vehicle - there is an expensive shuttle that will get you to the other end of it.
You would have better luck heading down the east side of the Sierra, perhaps heading into one of the destinations reachable from Mammoth Lakes -- taking an overnight from Agnew Meadows to Thousand Island, Garnet, Ediza, one of the other gorgeous destinations along that section of the JMT, would likely be possible, as they are plowing TIoga and the melt will be going well by the end of May. You may hit snow as you go higher and higher, but you can set up camp in the legal areas whenever that happens. If the melt is sufficiently under way perhaps a trip in Hoover.
From the west side, you may be able to get into some of the lower destinations in Sequoia - Kings -- Paradise Valley out of Kings Canyon would be really nice, for a single night, though you are competing with everyone trying to do the Rae Lakes loop. You couldn't go wrong with heading out from Crescent Meadow or Wolverton on the High Sierra Trail to Hamilton Lake and back. Something in Sequoia National Forest might be workable -- Golden Trout Wilderness or Jennie Lake Wilderness would be mid-elevation and without dangerous river crossings.
A little more "civilized" than wilderness, but the Big Basin trail camps open in May. You have to call ahead to reserve a campsite. It's busy over Memorial weekend, but I have in past years reserved a couple of sites per night and hiked the entire Skyline to Sea with a large group - perfect for that time of year.