Any backpacking area that is not wet/snowed out in the winter around Northern CA?

haha james we actually ended up going up to henry coe. very nice park but the trail systems were brutal. trails would go straight up ridges with no switchbacks and most of the roads were worse.. we did a big loop down to coit lake up through osterimba wilderness and to mississippi lake and back.

Looks like the Wapama Falls bridge in Hetchy Hetchy is repaired to the point they are allowing hikers to cross.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm#CP_JUMP_124755

Yes, this was made public a week or two ago. There's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that the bridge is open now so you can get to Rancheria Falls. The bad news is that since the bridge is open, everybody will be headed to Rancheria Falls or some other low-elevation destination since the high country will be covered in white stuff for a long time. I'm trying to figure out the best season for wildflowers in there. Last year, the end of May was just slightly too early, and we got snowed on.

–B.G.–

I saw it in the SF Chronicle this weekend, but hadn't seen anything on BPL. Looks like the reserved permits for the early May weekend are pretty much booked already.

I like the Rancheria Falls trip in early season if the flowers are out. It's not much mileage (7?), but it is a good shakedown trip to begin the rest of the summer backpacking season. I wish that Yosemite had more similar destinations at low elevations.

–B.G.–