Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2016 16:08:07 GMT -8
Hi everyone. I'm looking to take a solo backpacking trip during Memorial Day weekend. I'm looking for any advice you have regarding what some of the best trails may be during that time. I'm thinking a 2-3 day trip. I live in San Francisco but am willing to drive maybe 6 hours. I've read online that it might be too early to do the Sierra (or at least too cold!) but please let me know if you think that's wrong. I read that the Smith Peak hike out of Hetch Hetchy might be good. Otherwise, I've read that the Lost Coast trail (either the north or the south portions) is great and also that the Pine Ridge trail to Sykes Hot Springs in Big Sur is great. Any advice? Thanks!
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Apr 26, 2016 16:16:37 GMT -8
As it gets closer you might look north of O'Shaughnessey dam rather than south of the reservoir.
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speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
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Post by speacock on Apr 27, 2016 10:22:04 GMT -8
One of the best trips I took my kids on was Alta Peak area in southern Sequoia NP over Memorial Day. It was trailless but beautiful snow to walk/camp on. The snow that time of year, if not too warm is sometimes call Sierra Cement (not dusty they mean concrete). The roads to Wolverton should be clear.
The weather was dry and cool and clear. 20F bag, 200 polartech zip sweater, Precip jacket Packed a down vest just in case. worked just fine. Path finding is generally simple and little chance of avalanche there. You can also explore areas where few get to around all the tourist venues that include the big trees just off the main road.
The west side generally stays below 10,000'. Almost all of the east side's trailheads START near 10,000'
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2016 21:51:00 GMT -8
Hi everyone. I'm looking to take a solo backpacking trip during Memorial Day weekend. I'm looking for any advice you have regarding what some of the best trails may be during that time. I'm thinking a 2-3 day trip. I live in San Francisco but am willing to drive maybe 6 hours. I've read online that it might be too early to do the Sierra (or at least too cold!) but please let me know if you think that's wrong. I read that the Smith Peak hike out of Hetch Hetchy might be good. Otherwise, I've read that the Lost Coast trail (either the north or the south portions) is great and also that the Pine Ridge trail to Sykes Hot Springs in Big Sur is great. Any advice? Thanks! At the end of May, the weather depends on your luck. Anything can happen that time of year up in the mountains. I remember many years ago, (before the internet) I listened to the weather report on scanner for the mountains for Memorial Day. I was going motorcycle camping. The weather report for Memorial Day said "snow level 3,000 feet". I had a hard time believing it. So I rode my motorcycle up there and right at the sign that said "elevation 3,000 feet", there was snow fall right behind the sign but not in front of it. That time, it seemed the weather report was right to the inch! But that doesn't happen often. I also did a hike once in the middle of July that had such heavy snow on the ground that I could not use any of the trails or even the main road. That was at 7,500' elevation. I posted a message in the old BP forum that was titled "July Winter Camping" with photos. That year, they got heavy snow fall in June. That was about six years ago at Grouse Ridge. But really, the weather in late May up in the mountains can be absolutely anything from snow and cold to quite warm. And for some places, I consider May a dangerous month. You can get a great warm weather report for the next couple of days for where you're going and then find things change fast to snow for that same time. I recall many years where people were killed in May by the unexpected cold weather that was reported differently a couple of days before. -Don- South SF, CA (we're neighbors!) |
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whistlepunk
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I was an award winning honor student once. I have no idea what happened...
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Post by whistlepunk on May 9, 2016 6:43:38 GMT -8
Everyone that has lived in northern CA for any length of time knows 4 out of 5 years that weekend is cold and stormy.
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Post by hikerchick395 on May 9, 2016 15:51:05 GMT -8
Same with the trout opener
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2016 23:01:04 GMT -8
Everyone that has lived in northern CA for any length of time knows 4 out of 5 years that weekend is cold and stormy. And the one in five great MD weekends are the ones where you have no plans for the mountains because you're stuck with other things to do. -Don- Reno, NV |
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toejam
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Hiking to raise awareness
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Post by toejam on May 10, 2016 4:43:18 GMT -8
I always find solitude on some rough local trail that nobody posts pictures of on Facebook.
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almostthere
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putting on my hiking shoes....
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Post by almostthere on May 10, 2016 6:21:49 GMT -8
I always find solitude on some rough local trail that nobody posts pictures of on Facebook. I have a short list of off trail places for holiday weekends... No trails, no problem. |
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whistlepunk
Trail Wise!
I was an award winning honor student once. I have no idea what happened...
Posts: 1,446
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Post by whistlepunk on May 10, 2016 12:55:57 GMT -8
When I pore over maps and see a potential new destination, I do an internet search for any trip reports or mentions of it. If I find none I know it is a place to check out. If I find a lot I know to keep looking elsewhere.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 10, 2016 19:11:56 GMT -8
Beehive out from O'Shaunessey dam (Hetch Hetchy) is reportedly just patchy snow so that general area could work for Memorial
Day.
The park snow report had 3 to 6 feet above 8k
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almostthere
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putting on my hiking shoes....
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Post by almostthere on May 11, 2016 7:40:57 GMT -8
Beehive out from O'Shaunessey dam (Hetch Hetchy) is reportedly just patchy snow so that general area could work for Memorial Day. The park snow report had 3 to 6 feet above 8k Which means, of course, that EVERYONE will be out there. But, there's a lot of open country up there.... |
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 11, 2016 14:42:25 GMT -8
Beehive out from O'Shaunessey dam (Hetch Hetchy) is reportedly just patchy snow so that general area could work for Memorial Day. The park snow report had 3 to 6 feet above 8k Which means, of course, that EVERYONE will be out there. But, there's a lot of open country up there.... Well, there IS that...... OTOH how much of around there was impacted by the Rough Fire? |
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almostthere
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putting on my hiking shoes....
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Post by almostthere on May 11, 2016 15:18:49 GMT -8
THe Rough Fire got a lot of acreage but didn't eat up the Paradise/Bubbs area at all. Monarch Wilderness took a hit, as did the forest around Hume and right up to the General Grant grove. Some of Converse Basin is burnt.
It made for a lot of wild flowers along the road into Kings Canyon this year.... And the cranky bar man that worked at the Lodge has to get a new job, since the building is like, totally gone. The old gas pumps are still there.
I keep looking at the Inciweb map but I can't see that the trail into Tehipite was cleared of the truckloads of brush, leaves and pine needles... Would have been the first maintenance that trail has ever seen.
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