Re: Trip suggestion April 2-4,2010

I have a 3 day weekend and was wondering if anybody had a 3 day 2 night trip suggestion. Preferably with light snow. I know it's early in the season but I'm hopeful I can find something to do that weekend. At the very least a few day hikes. All comments and suggestions welcome.

TIA!!

Should this be in Yosemite or anyplace?

Lodging? Car camping? Backpacking?

In all three cases Yosemite Valley is a good start, although Lodging, even this time of the year, might be a problem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2010 08:02PM by qumqats.

Sorry about the vagueness. It was so clear in my mind as I was typing! Lol!

I was thinking backpacking in yosemite from the valley. Although I realize conditions may limit those options. I'll be going solo, so I don't want to do anything that may be too adventurous.

I'm also open to day hikes if necessary.

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DanTheMan
I was thinking backpacking in yosemite from the valley.

From the Valley you are pretty much limited to these:

• Snow Creek Trail
• Yosemite Falls Trail
• John Muir Trail

You might try the Hetch Hetchy area...its lower, for the most part, and has a lot of south facing slopes. Its probably below the snow line, depending on which trail you might take. It will be really wet at this time of year. And watch the weather closely, wherever you go...more storms seem to be on the way.

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DanTheMan
I have a 3 day weekend and was wondering if anybody had a 3 day 2 night trip suggestion. Preferably with light snow. I know it's early in the season but I'm hopeful I can find something to do that weekend. At the very least a few day hikes. All comments and suggestions welcome.

TIA!!

If I had the time I'd be heading to Death Valley right NOW! I like camping at Stove Pipe Wells. Be sure to get up early in the morning and "read" the dunes that are about a mile away from the campground. You can still see the tracks left from all the animal activity the night before. Take the Titus Canyon drive. Don't forget the pup fish. The wildflowers should be in bloom or just starting.

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Dave
Take the Titus Canyon drive.

A friend was up there last week and told me Titus Canyon is currently closed.

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eeek

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Dave
Take the Titus Canyon drive.

A friend was up there last week and told me Titus Canyon is currently closed.

Must have been from all the rain. Some areas got over 5 inches for the season.

It appears to be open now:

March 23, 2010
This report will be updated as conditions change.
All other park roads are open and in standard condition.

• Badwater Road - Open; expect delays due to repairs through March 26.
• Devil's Golf Course Road - CLOSED due to mud.
• Hunter Mountain Road - CLOSED; impassable due to deep snow.
• Keane Wonder Mine Road - CLOSED; road and mining area closed to all entry due to safety hazards.
• Saline Valley Road (North Pass) - CLOSED by Inyo County due to snow and ice.
• Saline Valley Road (South Pass) - CLOSED by Inyo County. Areas of mud and fallen rocks.
• Scotty's Castle / Bonnie Clare Road - Open; expect delays and 24-hour controlled traffic due to road construction through the winter and spring seasons.
• Titus Canyon Road - Open; high-clearance recommended.
• Ubehebe Crater Road - CLOSED through March, 2010 due to road construction. Open to through traffic to Racetrack Road and Big Pine Road only. No parking in construction area.
• Wildrose Charcoal Kilns Road - Open to Charcoal Kilns; CLOSED beyond kilns due to snow and ice.

Interesting.... I thought the kiln road ended at the kilns. Anyway, from what I hear, it's a nice hike from there to Telescope Peak. Maybe next spring.

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Dave
Interesting.... I thought the kiln road ended at the kilns. Anyway, from what I hear, it's a nice hike from there to Telescope Peak. Maybe next spring.

It just gets much worse past the kilns.

Yeah I guess it's a bit early for anything worthwhile in the valley. I'll look in to something out here in the bay.

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DanTheMan
Yeah I guess it's a bit early for anything worthwhile in the valley. I'll look in to something out here in the bay.

Oh man, no way!! Yosemite Valley is always a worthwhile destination. Yosemite Falls trail and Snow Creek (per eeek) are good. Also consider the Panorama Trail over to Glacier Pt. Glacier Pt is best visited when the GP Road is closed, as it is now. You may well have it all to yourself. AND you're allowed to camp there when the road is closed. Bathrooms open, tent view of HD, hot meal overlooking Yosemite Valley, Teneya Canyon, etc.and all just a short backpack. What more can you ask for?

.....oh yeah, it did rain here last night, so probably snowed in Yosemite.

But then you could do day-hikes. Yosemite Falls, Snow Creek, Mirror Meadow, the western end of the Valley Loop Trail, spend half a day exploring El Cap meadow and the Merced...........

Which bay? I know just about every trail there is in the East Bay. Want a 3 day hike there?

I hear you about the valley. I was there during the firefall week and got to do some touristy sight seeing. Did the panorama trail last October and you're right! The views are breath taking! We're doing a north rim trip on memorial day weekend so I'll get to do snow creek trail then. I live in the bay and have a trip in to the central valley on Friday. My first thought was yosemite but I don't have much experience or gear to be going through snow. Before this little storm I was considering yosemite. I'll play it by ear as the weekend nears.

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DanTheMan
The views are breath taking! We're doing a north rim trip on memorial day weekend . . .

Don't skip Eagle Peak!

I think it's one of the best views in the park.

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DanTheMan
I have a 3 day weekend and was wondering if anybody had a 3 day 2 night trip suggestion. Preferably with light snow. I know it's early in the season but I'm hopeful I can find something to do that weekend. At the very least a few day hikes. All comments and suggestions welcome.

TIA!!

Not quite snow... but if you might be interested in something closer to home:
Just came back from a few days of backpacking in the Ventana Wilderness. On the way out, we encountered a few fellows that started out around Michaels Hill (the Cold Spring campground) and came cross-country past Mt. Olmstead and along Logwood Ridge to the Pine Ridge Trail. Most of Logwood Ridge is around 3.5k and they said that ice was forming on the pine trees during the night. As it warmed up during the morning, the wind was blowing the ice from the needles into a flurry of little “dartcicles.”

I'm in the east bay and going to Point Reyes next weekend after all. I've always wanted to go but I'm usually always drawn to Yosemite. I can't get enough of that place. Being out here in the east bay I spend some time on Mt Diablo. I'll try the coast this time and check it out.

Regarding the north rim trip, we'll definitely do Eagle Peak as well as El Cap and North Dome. We'll be coming back down in to the valley via Snow Creek. Ventana Wilderness is definitley on my list. So many places to see, so little time!

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DanTheMan
I'm in the east bay and going to Point Reyes next weekend after all. I'll try the coast this time and check it out.

Sometimes weekend campground reservations can be difficult at Point Reyes - not certain how it being Easter weekend is going to affect that. I have a marked preference for the Sky Campground (sites 7, 6, 5, 12, & 11 are best if you want to place your tent under the protection of trees) which is located along the spine of the Inverness Ridge. Be certain to "Climb Mt. Wittenberg" which is a very short hike from Sky so that you can tell people that you have scaled a fourteener (note lower case "f", elevation is 1470 ft.). A must dayhike is the Tule Elk Reserve up at Tomales Point to search for the herd.

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szalkowski
Sometimes weekend campground reservations can be difficult at Point Reyes - not certain how it being Easter weekend is going to affect that. I have a marked preference for the Sky Campground (sites 7, 6, 5, 12, & 11 are best if you want to place your tent under the protection of trees) which is located along the spine of the Inverness Ridge. Be certain to "Climb Mt. Wittenberg" which is a very short hike from Sky so that you can tell people that you have scaled a fourteener (note lower case "f", elevation is 1470 ft.). A must dayhike is the Tule Elk Reserve up at Tomales Point to search for the herd.

It sounds as though, most of the month, the campsites are completely full. They mention 'spring break' as the reason. There were only spots at Glen Camp this weekend. Thanks for your advice! I'll definitely look into your suggestions!

Glen Camp is nice, but no views. Point Reyes is one of California's treasures, but it can get pretty crowded. My wife and I went there this past December and I was surprised how many people were on the trail to Arch Rock. I prefer going to the Lost Coast. Just as pretty, but more solitude.

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sierranomad
Glen Camp is nice, but no views. Point Reyes is one of California's treasures, but it can get pretty crowded. My wife and I went there this past December and I was surprised how many people were on the trail to Arch Rock. I prefer going to the Lost Coast. Just as pretty, but more solitude.

BINGO! Pt. Reyes is ridonculously busy. (actually found most of the North Bay areas that way though).

Lost Coast... ah... yes... very nice.. Walking on da beach can become a beach after awhile.

(Alamere Falls was crawling with peeps 2 weekends ago)
(where's yocals to keep out the riffy raff when I need them)

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Ha. Yeah. It gets to feel like exercise pretty quick.

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sierranomad
Ha. Yeah. It gets to feel like exercise pretty quick.

That's why I hike slow, smell the flowers, rest in the shade, soak my feet in the stream. If I wanted exercise, I'd buy a treadmill.

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Dave

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sierranomad
Ha. Yeah. It gets to feel like exercise pretty quick.

That's why I hike slow, smell the flowers, rest in the shade, soak my feet in the stream. If I wanted exercise, I'd buy a treadmill.

I learned the hard way to plan short days when taking a group backpacking. Works out a lot better that way.

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eeek
I learned the hard way to plan short days when taking a group backpacking. Works out a lot better that way.

I learned that too. Not everyone, despite what they claim, is not on the same level. I've led many hikes and I try to get the group to go at the pace of the slowest hiker. That's also for safety. It's that "lagger" that gets lost.

Now is the time to hike the Ohlone Trail.. I start in Sunol (east of Fremont) and take 3 days/two nights to get to Del Valle (south of Livermore). You can do it with one night of camping, but why? One one trip in the spring I counted over 60 different wildflowers.

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Dave
Now is the time to hike the Ohlone Trail.. I start in Sunol (east of Fremont) and take 3 days/two nights to get to Del Valle (south of Livermore). You can do it with one night of camping, but why? One one trip in the spring I counted over 60 different wildflowers.

dayhike

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chick-on

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Dave
Now is the time to hike the Ohlone Trail.. I start in Sunol (east of Fremont) and take 3 days/two nights to get to Del Valle (south of Livermore). You can do it with one night of camping, but why? One one trip in the spring I counted over 60 different wildflowers.

dayhike

It's close to 50 miles, so I make it 3 day hikes. My llamas carry the gear, so we have ice cream and cold beers the whole trip. I can turn a 10 mile hike into a 5 day trip. My goal is not to get to the end of the trail and back. That's no fun. My goal is the trail. If you hike too fast, you got to go home sooner.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2010 08:47AM by Dave.

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Dave

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chick-on

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Dave
Now is the time to hike the Ohlone Trail.. I start in Sunol (east of Fremont) and take 3 days/two nights to get to Del Valle (south of Livermore). You can do it with one night of camping, but why? One one trip in the spring I counted over 60 different wildflowers.

dayhike

It's close to 50 miles, so I make it 3 day hikes. My llamas carry the gear, so we have ice cream and cold beers the whole trip. I can turn a 10 mile hike into a 5 day trip. My goal is not to get to the end of the trail and back. That's no fun. My goal is the trail. If you hike too fast, you got to go home sooner.

Yur Funny.

Abalone Trail from Sunol to Del Valle (one way) is 20 miles. Not a bad dayhike.
Gotta shutle but.. 10K in a day back is a bit much...

Anyway, please poopy off the trail... and have fun Llama Dave.

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chick-on
Abalone Trail from Sunol to Del Valle (one way) is 20 miles. Not a bad dayhike.
Gotta shutle but.. 10K in a day back is a bit much...

Closer to 30. But why do it in one day when you can do it in three? It makes no sense to me.

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Anyway, please poopy off the trail... and have fun Llama Dave.

My llamas do poop off the trail, and you can't tell we used a campsite after we're gone.

This trail is as crowded as the trail/road up to Turtleback Dome.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2010 10:56AM by Dave.

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Dave
[Closer to 30. But why do it in one day when you can do it in three? It makes no sense to me.

28 from Mission to Del Valle (over Mission Pk area)
Only 20 from Sunol to Del Valle.

Why one day? Cause some schmo wants to dayhike it.

(another reason would be "must camp here" (yuck)

Anyway, have fun with your llamas

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chick-on
28 from Mission to Del Valle (over Mission Pk area)
Only 20 from Sunol to Del Valle.

Not the way I do it. A side trip to "Discovery" Peak is a must. (Highest point in Alameda County.)

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Why one day? Cause some schmo wants to dayhike it.

I'll never understand that.

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(another reason would be "must camp here" (yuck)

Eagles Aerie is not a bad campsite. Fresh water. Then on to Rose Peak. Great views. Why miss all that, and all the wild flowers, on a forced march day hike?

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Anyway, have fun with your llamas

I know of one being given away if someone wants one.

Wha?

20 miles in day is nothing dayhiking.

Still gotz plentyz of times to nappy in the flowas:


So did ur llamas jump the fence to Discovery?

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chick-on
Wha?

20 miles in day is nothing dayhiking.

Still gotz plentyz of times to nappy in the flowas:

My way, I have 3 days - or more - to do that.

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So did ur llamas jump the fence to Discovery?

I have a key. I've also driven most of the trail.

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chick-on
Wha?

20 miles in day is nothing dayhiking.

That's because it's not your big feet being pounded to mush!

I think he got 16 or 17 miles out of me one day on the JMT.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
I think he got 16 or 17 miles out of me one day on the JMT.

And how were your feet after that?

My body was flattened.

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Old Dude

Beeesides, since WHEN did Chick-on do ANY hiking??? Properly worded, he should say "The GOAT hiked 20 miles, while I did sightseeing".

BEWARE when Chick-on advises about the ease of miles!! Consult the Goat!

PS

I have hiked all of the Bay Area Trails mentioned, and lost coast, too. WHile it is not in the spirit of backpacking, I normally stay at a private campground in Olema, and dayhike for two days...and yes, it is like being stationed in the middle of a Scout Jamboree, but it beats driving back while tired.

PSS

I attended Ohlone College, and for a workout, I used to run from the Ohlone trailhead to Mission Peak almost everyday.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2010 11:30PM by Bee.

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Bee
...I attended Ohlone College, and for a workout, I used to run from the Ohlone trailhead to Mission Peak almost everyday.

One day on the Ohlone Trail a jogger passed us up. It was about noon on our 2nd day out. Later in the day he was coming back, still jogging. In the few words he could exchange, he had started that morning in Fremont, went all the way to Del Valle, turned around and was headed for Fremont. He does that a few times a month.

eeekie:
Ewe might wanna give deez a try:
http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Deluxe-Halloween-Costume-Accessory/dp/B001E2PI8C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1269954128&sr=8-3

ur feetz no hurt no more


(btw I'll take Henry Coe over Abalone Trail any day)

Mizz Bee, sad to say but my lazi bootie never even been up Mission Peak.
Been up Monument and Rose... nearly all the trails in Coe multiple times... but never Mission
(my heart lies East)

In all seriousness I'll go and mention where we've been early April:
- Echo Valley
- Quarter Domes
- Eagle Peak
- Inspiration
- Diving Board
You do the math

The Panorama Trail is prob. still covered in a couple feet of snow...
Snow was up to the sign at Starr King/Panny Tr. Jct. Mar. 13.

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Recent mutterings on the Ventana board indicate a run for the Double Cones might be do-able. Bottcher's Gap to Pat Springs and a mondo dayhike to the cones and back, out the next morning...

But I will do that later, as am heading for a reprise of Hites Cove on Easter Sunday.