Need Ideas for 30 - 50 mile winter hike around central valley of California

PostedJan 9, 2015 at 4:44 pm

I've got three days next week to try some winter hiking with my dog.
I mostly do summer hiking in the Sierras, but want to try some lower altitude hiking.
I will be using warm 3 season equipment for the most part, so not looking for anything too high or cold, but don't mind a little distance.

I don't know how much water is around Death Valley, or maybe some coastal range.

Anyone have any favorites for this time of year.

Thanks

Lori P BPL Member

PostedJan 9, 2015 at 6:07 pm

Henry Coe State Park, or the Ventana Wilderness. If you prefer trails and hills, Coe is great. If you don't mind encroaching ceonothus and poison oak and crawling over/under/around fallen redwood trees occasionally, Ventana. Either one, permethrin is a necessity – ticks are everywhere.

ETA: I just reread and caught the part about the dog – that leaves out Coe, as no dogs are allowed there. Ventana Wilderness it is. Unless you drive all the way down to Sespe.

Rex Sanders BPL Member

PostedJan 10, 2015 at 11:09 pm

I’ve done a few day hikes near Cache Creek, and always wondered about backpacking there:

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ukiah/cachecreek.html

There’s a patchwork of public lands adjacent to the BLM lands, too. Rumors that National Monument declaration might happen soon.

You can find trail descriptions with a little searching.

— Rex

Joe Lynch BPL Member

PostedJan 11, 2015 at 12:24 am

I've wanted to try Snow Mountain for a long time.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mendocino/recarea/?recid=25214

Kevin's Hiking blog has a write up.

http://kevingong.com/Hiking/SnowMountain.html

Might work for you and your dog.

I was at Cache Creek last weekend day hiking and it was really nice. Water was flowing in Fiske Creek so you might be OK in the area. During the summer, there's not much water beyond Cache Creek and Lake Berryessa.

Yolo Hikers has trail descriptions.

http://yolohiker.org

Rex Sanders BPL Member

PostedJan 11, 2015 at 11:36 am

Kevin Gong’s description of overnight backpack trip along Cache Creek:
http://kevingong.com/Hiking/200305CacheCreek.html

Seven day trip with excellent photos:
https://plus.google.com/photos/102272541504333067399/albums/5463504063721976017

Again, a little digging will find many trip reports:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=84743
http://keithhikes.blogspot.com/2009/05/date-4112009-4122009-distance-19-miles.html
http://calipidder.com/wp/2009/05/wilson-valley-backpack-cache-creek-redbud-trail/
http://thecampingkitchen.com/cache-creek-wilderness-ukiah-blm-district/
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=606721

Forgot to mention I’ve rafted Cache Creek a few times, beautiful scenery, lots of eagles!

Snow Mountain overnight TR:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=33146
http://destination-isolation.com/almost-no-snow-mountain/

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument proposal
http://berryessasnowmountain.org

LA Times article about National Monument proposal:
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-snow-mountain-monument-20150111-story.html

— Rex