All,

I'm a newbie (not to camping but to backpacking) and am looking for a nice 1-2 night out and back type trip for me, my wife and 11 yr old daughter. Nothing to strenuous the first time out. We live in Tehachapi so anywhere in the Lone Pine to Bishop area would be good. Any suggestions?

Thanks

on the Rock Creek drainage--Tom's Place exit off of 395

not too steep, but you get up into authentic and beautiful high country right away (I think trailhead is over 9K and Gem Lake up there is around 11K about 4 miles in but there are several lakes along the way).

many of the other east slope trailheads are pretty tough, especially those closer to Lone Pine and Independence, but South Lake trailhead out of Bishop has a beautiful string of lakes--couple different good routes there. A little steeper but not too bad and similarly high and beautful.

Paiute Pass out of the North Lake Trailhead is also nice with several lakes along the way, but a little steeper if memory serves.

Edited by cbert on 08/21/2010 23:12:53 MDT.

You could try hiking up Bishop Pass. You wouldn't have to go the whole way. After a few dusty first miles, it's all pretty lakes, one after the other. It would be up hill all the way in and downhill all the way back, but it is the mountains after all. I think it's about 6 miles from the trailhead to Bishop Pass, so you could hike in a few miles to a nice lake, make camp and do a dayhike to the Pass for the full High Sierra experience.

You might also consider hiking in to Cottonwood Lake. It's not a particularly strenuous hike and it's in pretty lodgepole pine forest to a nice lake. If you are feeling like a strenuous dayhike, you could then climb Langley Peak from there.

I would second Cary's claim on Gem Lake. That whole area is amazing and a pretty easy hike with low mileage.