I'm looking for a good route to do with a slower hiker, but I've never done any real hiking in California. We usually spend time in the Uintas (Utah) or Winds (Wyoming) but we're looking for a change of pace and the Winds are pretty buggy this time of year.
I'm just looking for a few suggestions I can check out, since I'm really unfamiliar with what's available. Needs to be:
1. Not real buggy (hopefully bugs aren't as big a problem in the Sierra as in the Winds!)
2. ~20 miles or less roundtrip--either a loop or out-and-back--less is fine.
3. Good alpine scenery, high peaks, nice lakes, etc
4. As little elevation gain as possible. We're talking under 1,500 up and 1,500 down for sure--I'm not sure how high the trailheads in CA tend to be.
5. Enough lakes/streams/water that we can camp a few times en route
I know, I know, that's kind of a lot of conditions. But hopefully there are some options that come close to fitting the bill. Any suggestions? This'll be our last trip before we move to the East Coast, so I'd like to make it a good one.
Thanks!