First solo trip, Northern CA or Northern NV, early October?

Trinity Alps?

I did http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Trinity_Alps_Granite_Lake_Horseshoe_Lake_Hike last October and it was great. You have to look at weather reports and maybe avoid that if the weather's too bad.

Thanks, Jerry! Your report is very helpful and I appreciate the suggestion.

I noticed you graded the trip as difficult… is this because of elevation overall or elevation change or some other reason? Would you expand on that please?

My biggest concern is knee pain with lots of elevation change or even just boulder hopping and/or rugged, steep terrain.

You can put together a nice trip at Point Reyes with the best weather all year in October. You will want to stick to weekdays to avoid the crowds and will want to get reservations asap. Bonus is you can visit San Francisco before or after.

Closer to Reno Desolation is great. assuming no fires. It's at elevation so weather is a concern.

The other options that are very close to Reno are Grouse Ridge, of Highway 20 right where it meets I-80, or Carson Pass north.

Grouse Ridge has loads of lakes within an easy walk of the ridge itself, and the trailhead starts at the top and leads downhill. You can pick out which lake you want to visit from the view at the trailhead, and then it's all downhill. By the time you are hiking uphill, you are on your way home, with a lighter pack.

From Carson Pass you can head into the Meiss Meadow area—Boulder Lake, Round Lake. These are relatively easy hikes and put you into lakes that still might have some fish in them. IN fact, people day-hike to each of these, so an overnight is pretty doable. Southbound, you can hike uphill to Winnemucca or Round Top Lake. Steep climb, but it's less than two miles, so just take you time. But those require more complicated permits…

Paul, how is the dirt/gravel road part of the drive in to Grouse Ridge these days? I haven't been for several years, but I recall it as having a lot of fairly serious potholes for a non-4WD vehicle.

Haven't been up there for several years myself. The last time we did it was in a Volvo wagon….and we were stunned to see a guy up there with a about a 1965 Ford Galaxy….

Must have been quite a ride.

Thank you, all, for the additional options!

I think Grouse Ridge sounds like the best option for me.

I'll be in a Volvo wagon, so hopefully that road is decent enough for that.