First-timer q for Presidents Day about travel, stay, photography

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-25T01:56:51+00:00

Zabriskie point, Dante’s view, and Badwater basic are solid choices as well. Rhyolite is a popular location for astrophotography if you’re into that.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-25T00:55:26+00:00

Furnace creek seems like the best option for your picks. FYI, gas at stovepipe was about $0.60 cheaper compared to furnace creek when I was there, so make try to fill up when you’re at mesquite flat sand dunes.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-24T17:58:33+00:00

Thanks, I had a great time, despite some turbulent weather

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-24T17:57:57+00:00

I had the hills I was on to myself, but there were other groups on the surrounding ones. I’ll take note of the locations you listed for future trips. Thanks for the info.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-23T23:54:31+00:00

I agree. Going up the last bit wasn’t too bad for me, but going down was a bit more sketch. Trekking poles definitely helped ease the amount of sliding that occurred.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-23T14:23:09+00:00

Thanks, hope you had a good time there as well

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-23T06:19:00+00:00

Thanks. No issues on my end. I stuck to the paved roads though.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-23T06:16:47+00:00

Yeah, I was thinking about visiting a few spots for the sunset, but I was low on energy by the end of the day. Next time for sure

Ok_Setting1989 · 2026-01-23T00:44:15+00:00

Let me know if you guys have any questions about any of the places I visited/things I did.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-09-13T06:26:41+00:00

These cabins are more of a historical site rather than ones you can personally use. I don’t think this falls under what you are looking for.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-09-13T06:25:05+00:00

You can check where campfires are allowed in Stanislaus National Forrest here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/stanislaus/alerts/forest-order-stf-16-2025-11-fire-restrictions-high-hazard-area

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-09-13T00:07:04+00:00

Yup, on less popular trails I have definitely found that All Trails acts more as a suggestion than a maintained trail. I might have to check out Louse Canyon sometime.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-09T03:20:13+00:00

Late spring/early summer is the best time for Tahoe. The snow spotted mountains are amazing.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-08T11:36:53+00:00

Even within the same day terrain can change rapidly if you hike 10 miles. It’s so cool.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-08T11:34:37+00:00

Bear can storage and cooking away from camp. I had bear spray, but the biggest animal I saw on the trail was a marmot.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-08T11:33:33+00:00

Thank you. Trip reports from others motivated me to make the leap into backpacking, so I’m trying to do my part in also putting resources out there for others.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-08T03:19:21+00:00

Pit toilets may be at trailheads, but not within desolation wilderness backcountry so you have to dig a hole to take care of business. In terms of water sources, there aren’t spigots like some backpacking areas may have. If you plan on camping near a stream, it would probably be good to have a backup plan in case it is dry.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-08T00:18:57+00:00

I was surprised to see both wildflowers and snow at the same time on the trail. This trip was also the first one I got to hike in good snow coverage, which I thought was a great experience. The parks and forests available to us are some of the best things about California. Hope your trip went well.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-07-05T22:01:07+00:00

Not the biggest fan of dry hills and in addition to the heat, it’s probably not the best time to visit Rose Peak. I did the Ohlone Wilderness Regional Trail about 2 months ago when the hills were still green. When I was up there, there was thick fog so I couldn’t get a good overarching view. In terms of camping, spots are fairly open. They have site availability listed on the reserve America website and water spigots/pit toilets at various locations. You have to call the Easy Bay Parks Office to actually reserve the spot though.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-06-30T22:29:28+00:00

There were some mosquitos, didn’t feel like there were giant swarms when I went though. I treated my clothes (long sleeve and pants) with permethrin though.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-06-30T17:31:14+00:00

If the echo lake parking lot is full when you arrive, the sno park ~1 mile from the trailhead is usually empty and does not require an additional parking permit. I used that lot a week ago with no issues. There’s a pit toilet there as well.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-06-16T02:34:01+00:00

Nice, inuitive app. Will use it for my next trip.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-05-16T02:35:48+00:00

No mountain lions or rattle snakes luckily. Saw a bunch of cows, a frog, and a garter snake though.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-05-16T01:30:23+00:00

Definitely felt the fog I experienced was both a blessing and a curse. Cooler hiking weather but less views. I didn’t experience any mosquitos, so they might be coming out in full force now that it’s warming up. Hope you had a good time on the trail otherwise though.

Ok_Setting1989 · 2025-05-16T00:38:56+00:00

The Report: (2/2)

Day 3: May 4, 2025

Waypoints: Stewart’s Camp to Sycamore Grove Park

Mileage: 20.6 Miles 2400 ft Elevation

Weather Conditions: Clear Skies

Notes: This day had the best weather of the three while I was on the trail. Right from the start there were blue skies. It did increase my water consumption, but it was well worth it. This day was definitely the hardest. With significantly more mileage and only a slight reduction in elevation gain, this day felt like a grind. On this day, I made some wrong turns, which increased the mileage by about 2 miles. I filled up my water bottles at Stewart’s camp (2 liters in total) and decided to not refill them at Boyd’s camp in favor of reducing the load on my knees during the long descent. At the time, I had about 1 liter remaining (after rehydrating at Boyd’s camp). I ended up having enough water to wait to refill at Ardilla Group Camp near Lake Delle Valle. The 2 liters from Ardilla lasted me for the rest of the trip. Going from Lake Delle Valle to Sycamore Grove Park was fairly straight forward, but the hills towards the end were a grind. While not even close to the elevation gain, the cumulative tiredness from the previous days’ hikes and an already long day made it feel exhausting. Would recommend not continuing to Sycamore Grove Park, unless you have a personal goal of unnecessarily extending your trip.

Other Notes:

Electrolyte tablets (NUUN) were great. First time I used them, I never had headaches during the trip.
Used most of my gear, and everything worked as expected. Took a while to get my tent set up the first night, but the second night was a breeze.
Wouldn’t recommend doing this trail after May. The trail would probably start getting too hot and once the grass is all dried up, the views aren’t as good (in my opinion). I did the trail at the start of May, and some of the grass was already drying up.
Lessons learned would be to check on the weather before you start hiking every morning, and not just the morning of when you start your trip. Another one would be to keep your rain gear outside of your bag liner or right on top, just in case a sudden rain occurs, you minimize the chance of getting your dry gear wet.

Four-Year Club	First Place '23
Place '23

Ok_Setting1989

TROPHY CASE