No California Trips?

“On the trips page there appears to be no scheduled trips for California? I remember a year or two ago there being bunches. Maybe CA folks aren't posting here anymore? Or not hiking anymore? Oh, well, give me a holler if you'd like to go hiking anytime this winter/spring in So. Cal.”

“There are hiking opportunities in CA?”

“No, nothing to see here, you're right, stay away.”

“I know that I am reluctant to post a trip because everyone wants to come to California and there are so many people here already that you end up with 50 people wanting to go. That's the price of being so darned attractive......”

“I think bearcrossing is volunteering to host a trip - excellent!!”

“I'm up for a hike, but you'll have to carry me for now...”

“I have tried hosting a few trips on this site. I always seem to pick a bad date or something because I get very few signups. The only really successful one was the Snowshoeing Among the Giants Trip back in 2005.

So let's toss around a few dates.

New Year's Weekend? Joshua Tree maybe?”

“I'm looking at Death Valley between Christmas and New Years...3~4 days.
Car camping, day hiking and tons of photography.”

“The CA folks tend to be a very cliqueish lot. Very few new people from the East are allowed on their trips.”

“WW - question 4 ya.

Is Death Valley like one of those 'either you love it or you hate it' type of deals, or what?

I spent probably 13 months, 24/7, in Death Valley and I don't know why anyone would want to go there. Of course, I was on a military base ... where the land was pulverized from nuclear testing ... but is it much different out from there?

I guess I'm picky. I don't like mountain vistas either - I think they all look pretty much the same (shriek! the unmentionable was mentioned!) ... but I love mountain streams.”

“Death Valley for New Years? I tried to plan such a trip here a few years ago and didn't get any takers...

Death Valley is a wonderful place to go in the winter, but I love it most after a wet winter when it's blooming :)”

“Sarge, you might like Darwin Falls then.”

“Sarge, my wife hated it....she said
"it's just dirt and rocks and more dirt and rocks....then you see a sign and it says Devils this or that...so you follow another dirt road for 20 minutes...only to find it's.... yep you guessed it, more dirt and rocks!!!"

I was on the same trip and have wanted to return to D.V. ever since...go figure.

D.V. has a subtle beauty...patterns, shapes, huge skies, etc.
On really wet years...the valley comes alive with wildflowers.”

“I quit posting trips because many who'd expressed interest in the last one bailed at the last minute. I posted it here because I DIDN'T prefer hiking alone. I ended up enjoying a solo hike, despite unpredictable circumstances.

Perhaps it's my deodorant?

My sparkling, effervescent personality?

Or, my ability to lead an army to certain death in the face of overwhelming odds?

Perhaps they know me better than I thought?”

“Iffin you'll plan one for the summer of 2009 I will come all the way from NC.”

“Alright y'all, here it is...

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trips/trip/1423.php”

“Thanks guys. I've often wondered.”

“Many of my trips are planned last minute. No time to invite anyone who would have to travel more than 4 hours. I'll make an effort this time to post a trip.

I, like Bowlderman and Bowlderson, like to go snow camping. We are planning on going out to Echo Lakes this year. Ooohhhh...crossing a frozen lake with a pack on and towing a sled is sooo scary.”

“We're still hiking in California, but the people from other parts of the country took over this forum and filled it with threads unrelated to hiking or hikers.”

“I know about those last minute trips... when I used to solo a lot all my trips were last minute. And snow camping is fun, but Tahoe's a little far north for me. Anybody doing any snow camping in Yosemite or southwards?”

“Sandyann, When you going to Echo lakes? Is it an open trip?”

“Could we just go along the edge and not actually on the lake? Yikes!”

“SandyAnn, Echo is a great spot, probably my fav Desolation entry-point in the summer. In the winter, though, my fav is Loon Lake, ever been up there? I like it for a lot of reasons, one is that SMUD keeps the road plowed so they can access their site back there so you'll never get snowed-in for any more than a day! :)”

“I was hoping for a snow camp for New Years, sort of a Winterfest South. But the snow situation puts a big question mark on that.

So I signed up as a Maybe.
Bear of the campsites you mentioned Thorndike and Mahogany are closed. Emigrant and Wildrose sound good to me especially because they have toilets and then I can bring my wife.”

“Let's try for Emigrant or Wildrose, then. Thanks for the info!”

“There's a big storm that's supposed to hit the Sierra this weekend - a couple feet of snow.”

“bearcrossing -

I'm in southern cal and would love to do some trips this winter and spring. I can't do anything over new years, but definately let me know if you are planning something after that!”

“I need a trip real bad, but not sure when I can get away. I have accumulated some winter gear so it may be time for that!!! (navi!)”

“Okey Dokey Phil.”

“a snow trip sounds nice.”

“Songbryd...Normally the trips are closed. But last year, a few other people were invited, so I am thinking if I wanted to have someone come out and meet us there would be no problem. Except we never quite know were we are headed. It usually depends on the conditions. I will let you know if the plan is on this year.

Bowlderman, it is much more dangerous on the edge where the ice is thinner. We watched as some guys were ice fishing on the lake. They used 4ft awls (is that the word?) to get through all that ice. That year, it was safe.”

“Obama? What happened with the last eight years.
Work on that worthless pottie that can't even get elected. Trying to shove Palin down the throats of americans, it's no wonder even Cheney had to hide again.”

“LOL..if they would have bribed PrezBO enough they could go on trips.”

“I have been wondering about this myself...I really want to go backpacking da^^it!”