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Post by slobackpacker on Jun 27, 2016 14:37:09 GMT -8
I'm looking for one-night trip ideas in the SEKI area for my 12-year-old daughter and I. I was thinking something around 5 miles hike in with no more than 1,000 ft of climbing. Just looking for an easy short trip to introduce her to the experience, teach her a few back-country skills, but not so strenuous that she's turned off to future longer trips.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 27, 2016 18:06:35 GMT -8
Hmm. We did an easy overnight a few years ago in the Jenny Lakes Wilderness (to a lake...ill have to look up what it was). That would be a good starter trip. IIRC it was about 3 miles each way, and not a bad climb. I know many of the shorter and easier hikes in SEKI are too popular. Some options out of Mineral King could work as out-and-back hikes, if you wanted to deal with the long drive in (maybe drive in and camp, then backpack in for a second night?).
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 27, 2016 18:07:33 GMT -8
And by the way, welcome to the Forums! If you want, go introduce yourself in the Trailhead Register, and prepare for the standard welcome  |
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Post by slobackpacker on Jun 27, 2016 18:18:22 GMT -8
Thanks Rebecca!
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 1, 2016 7:42:36 GMT -8
The hike we did was to Weaver Lake. My husband and I did a nice little loop up on Shell Mountain behind the lake while our boys opted to stay below and play in the lake. Here's the TR for the trip we did last summer out of Mineral King--much longer and tougher than you are thinking of, but the scenery might give you some ideas. The map suggests some possible one-nighters to lakes from there. bpbasecamp.freeforums.net/thread/622/rebeccas-backpack-sequoia-np |
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Post by slobackpacker on Jul 6, 2016 15:50:49 GMT -8
Thanks for the ideas! I checked Jennie Lake Wilderness and talked to a ranger at the Hume Lake District station. The area was described as kind of a locals only region without the usual SEKI crowds. I think we'll car camp at Big Meadows Campground, then hike out for an overnight at Jennie Lake -- seems the ideal first trip for a kid.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 6, 2016 21:22:16 GMT -8
Sounds great! Have fun. Take some special treats for her, and check out the hiking with kids forum here for any other ideas and questions. (Oh, yeah, and make sure she knows how to pee in the woods).
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Post by slobackpacker on Jul 28, 2016 14:34:39 GMT -8
Thank you for the great recommendation for a first backpack! My daughter and I did Weaver Lake from Fox Meadow - just a hair over 2 miles and less than 1,000 of climbing. We passed quite a few day-hikers, but there were only three other groups backpacking for the night. We swam in the lake, did some bouldering, and made good use of her new star finder at night. I kept her pack to 12 pounds and she handled it well (she's only 80 pounds herself). The hike out the next day went so fast (all downhill back to Fox Meadow), that we had time to check out the Grant Grove area before car camping at Sunset for our last night. The only dicey part was the forest service road (14S16) out to the Fox Meadow trailhead. It's passable with a passenger car, but really rocky with some deep ruts in some sections. I have an SUV and made it up OK, and another guy pulled up after us in a Prius (not recommended!). All-in-all a super successful trip and my daughter wants to do it again -- mission accomplished!
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 28, 2016 15:57:00 GMT -8
All-in-all a super successful trip and my daughter wants to do it again -- mission accomplished! Terrific! So glad she had fun. And taking our Prius on not-recommended roads is a specialty of ours |
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tarol
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Post by tarol on Jul 28, 2016 19:28:04 GMT -8
Weaver Lake was a great suggestion. Also check out Redwood Canyon - combine the Sugar Bowl and Hart Tree loops. It was recently written about in Backpacker Mag and it's especially beautiful in early June with flowers or fall when the dogwood leaves change.
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Post by slobackpacker on Jul 31, 2016 17:25:13 GMT -8
Funny you mention Redwood Canyon -- heading there next Sunday for a few days. It's suppose to reopen this week following the prescribed burn activity.
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Post by johntpenca on Aug 2, 2016 21:57:49 GMT -8
There are a couple of easy hikes out of Mineral King, but it is a long drive. And the marmots/critters are likely to eat your car belts and hoses (unless things have changed since I was last there).
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 3, 2016 16:30:34 GMT -8
And the marmots/critters are likely to eat your car belts and hoses (unless things have changed since I was last there). They haven't changed. Last summer we had to wrap our car in tarps and chicken wire.  |
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tarol
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Post by tarol on Aug 8, 2016 7:30:51 GMT -8
When I hike out of Mineral King, I always park across from the Ranger Station and hike the extra little bit up to the trailhead. No marmots there.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 23, 2016 14:06:58 GMT -8
When I hike out of Mineral King, I always park across from the Ranger Station and hike the extra little bit up to the trailhead. No marmots there. Yes, they told us that. It was going to be our fall-back, but we were able to scrounge enough and our first day was long enough already; we didn't want that extra half/three quarters of a mile. |
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