Hello all, im looking for some thoughts on a great 2-3 day trip to the Sierras. Looking to hike fish and enjoy the beautiful country. Can anybody out there offer some opinions? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!! Tim PS this will be a backbacking trip.

There are about a bazillion places to go in the Sierra Nevada, and most of them are beautiful. It sounds like you don't have anyplace in mind. The problem is that so many trails have trail quotas in order to avoid overuse. The trail quotas can be dealt with in advance by way of a wilderness permit reservation which costs a few bucks. Then some portion of the quota is held until the day before the permit date, and these are for "walk-up" permits, which generally are free (although there may be exceptions). Then there are many trails which have no quotas, but you still have to get a free wilderness permit. So, which way you go kind of depends on when and where. Some areas will allow you to take your dog along, and some won't. Some people go to fish, and then some people go to actually catch fish. Some backpackers will tolerate having a few strangers on the same trail, and some need to be out in some really deserted spot. If the fishing is that good, then there will be fishermen up and down both banks and wading in the middle. Some places will require that you store your food overnight in a bear canister. Other places don't care.

--B.G.--

You can get a reservation for Desolation by Lake Tahoe thru a service and print the permit out or get a walkin permit at the South Shore FS office behind Denny's or the Visitor Center close to the turnoff to Fallen Leaf Lake. Any place is pretty good from the south or east sides. Can get crowded with dayhikers, they leave about 4 or 5. Aloha, Dicks, Velmas are great with hikes to surrounding lakes/peaks.

Mammoth Lakes FS or the Visitor Center by Mono Lake can issue a permit I believe for Ansel Adams or John Muir Wildernesses. Use the Silver Lake/Rush Creek TH, head to Clark Lakes or Thousand Island Lake or lakes close by. GREAT views of the Minarets on the hike in by way of the Clark Lakes. Post card stuff.

South Lake, you can explore this area out of Bishop, many, many lakes to hit. Parking is tough at the TH.

Duane

As far as I know, the national parks do very little fish planting. Lots of the very high elevation lakes are almost sterile.

The national forests, especially Inyo, do quite a bit of fish planting, and there are several fish nurseries along the East Side from Mammoth down past Lone Pine. But, of course, you might have to settle for some variation of Golden Trout.

--B.G.--

How many miles do you want to cover in the trip.

How much elevation gain are you comfortable with?

How comfortable are you on snow?

Where are you coming from?

"im looking for some thoughts on a great 2-3 day trip to the Sierras. Looking to hike fish and enjoy the beautiful country."

If you are in very good physical condition, an out and back trip in over Lamarck Col to Darwin Canyon would fill the bill on both counts. It is beautiful country, and there are some very good sized Golden trout in the lakes of Darwin Canyon. Hike in to Upper Lamarck Lake the evening you arrive and camp to acclimatize. Day 1 will put you over the col and into the canyon. Fish and day hike all of day 2 and the morning of day 3, then hike out. If you are not in very good condition, ignore this post.

"If you are not in very good condition, ignore this post."

Tom, I agree.

The first time that I went over Lamarck Col, I was carrying a 50-pound pack, and it kicked my butt.

--B.G.--