Thanksgiving backpacking ideas?

Lost Coast?

http://www.climbwild.net/INFO_The_Lost_Coast_page_one.html

http://www.igorkoltunov.com/maps/lostcoast/KingRange_LostCoast_small.jpg

That's the other option, south of San Jose

The Sierra, by thanksgiving, is going to have a good load of snow on it, with any luck at atll.

Ventana Wilderness (plenty of poison oak and ticks, though) – check out Jeffrey Schaffer's "Hiking the Big Sur Country")
Henry Coe
Point Reyes, but it will be more crowded
Cache Creek? I'm not sure of driving time there
Ohlone Wilderness
Skyline to the Sea in Big Basin

The Lost coast is a lot more than 3 hours away from Oakland, I think. Lassen is a little over 3 hours as I recall; it should be relatively uncrowded at that time in the backcountry. Desolation wilderness is probably the same distance.

I would think Pt. Reyes would be nice rain or shine… I like to enter from the south near Bolinas… If you are new to the area there is a lot to see and do from the GG to Mt. Tam & north of the point…

Another vote for Big Basin. The Santa Cruz mountains are really nice. Lassen is great but you risk snow. We have reservations for Point Reyes the weekend before thanksgiving so fingers crossed for no rain.

Cache Creek is just up the road from the cache creek casino, so use that for travel calculations. I've hiked there but not stayed overnight. Coastal hills area that is decent in the fall and winter. Yolohiker.org has trail and route descriptions. Will be less crowded than Point Reyes or Big Basin.

A little farther afield is Snow Mountain in the Mendocino NF. I've not been there but hope to go in the next 6 months. Kevin's hiking page has a description.

These are all great ideas — thanks so much to everyone who contributed.

I keep hearing about Henry Coe, though I've not been. What is it that makes it so popular among backpackers? Maybe we'll give that a try.

We made the mistake of going to Big Basin during the fourth of July holiday weekend and it was mobbed. Wouldn't mind seeing it again a little less overrun.

Anyway, these are all excellent suggestions! Thanks again, all.

Welcome to Oakland!

(I have no suggestions to add, bases have been covered.)

Craig, Point Reyes is 1.5 hours from Oakland and Coast Camp or Glen Camp are about 6 miles from Bear Valley Visitor Center. If you had permits for each, you could have days of about 6, 4, and 6 miles plus however many day trips and side trips you wanted to take.

I'd expect that unless you head out to the lighthouse (that's sightseeing, not backpacking), any of the backpacking camps ought to be pretty calm as everyone else will be home eating turkey.

http://www.willhiteweb.com/california_climbing/point_reyes_national_seashore/point_reyes_map.jpg

We'll be hiking around there that weekend, having flown from Alaska to Oakland and staying with the in-laws in Inverness.