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Hi,

Im planning a trip to Dinkey from June3-7 with some buddies. We've been backpacking before, and although we have some experience, I wouldn't go so far to call us "experienced". We are pretty fit (all of us are either military or recruited athletes), and up for some strenuous stuff. The focus of this trip is fishing/sightseeing, so I'm looking for something around 20-25mi. We'd prefer to have moderate amounts of snow at times to provide a challenge, but prefer not to be stuck trudging through waist-deep snow.

Can anyone tell me what the snow will be like this year? Also, does fishing work if its cold outside (will we be able to fish at the higher-elevation lakes)? Any advise or suggestions about this trip would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the input!

snowshoes & a 4 wheel drive unless it warms up in a hurry the road back there can be pretty rough in the early season and at that evevation there will be a lot of snow. come back closer to your trip date and see if anyone has been back there yet

good luck

My experience with the Dinkey Lakes region is it is best in July/August (except for the mesquites).
Info here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/publications/pdfs/rogs/dinkeywilderness.pdf
This year expect more than normal snow. To me this means that there will be snow covering the trails well into middle of June. Cliff Lake did not unfreeze until mid-June last year and I would expect the same or even later this year. The Dinkey lakes and surrounding area are relatively flat and tend to pool or flood with all the snow melt. I would expect muddy/sloppy boots. As for trail access, Willow Meadow trailhead might not be passable until late June this year. I second Fish4Dinner’s 4WD is a MUST this year at least for that trailhead. The Cliff Lake trailhead might have access issues depending on when Edison opens Courtright Reservoir. Last year the road past Wishon did not open until the third week of June I believe. There are other trailheads to the region; I however cannot vouch for them. Your 20-25 miles would be a better time if you hold off until July (my opinion). I would expect snow on the Three sisters to last into mid July so you could get some easy snow climbs that way. Either way, you’ll have a good time with your buddies. Dinkey Lakes is just a chill spot to be.

Bascuela wrote:My experience with the Dinkey Lakes region is it is best in July/August (except for the mesquites).
Info here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/publications/pdfs/rogs/dinkeywilderness.pdf
This year expect more than normal snow. To me this means that there will be snow covering the trails well into middle of June. Cliff Lake did not unfreeze until mid-June last year and I would expect the same or even later this year. The Dinkey lakes and surrounding area are relatively flat and tend to pool or flood with all the snow melt. I would expect muddy/sloppy boots. As for trail access, Willow Meadow trailhead might not be passable until late June this year. I second Fish4Dinner’s 4WD is a MUST this year at least for that trailhead. The Cliff Lake trailhead might have access issues depending on when Edison opens Courtright Reservoir. Last year the road past Wishon did not open until the third week of June I believe. There are other trailheads to the region; I however cannot vouch for them. Your 20-25 miles would be a better time if you hold off until July (my opinion). I would expect snow on the Three sisters to last into mid July so you could get some easy snow climbs that way. Either way, you’ll have a good time with your buddies. Dinkey Lakes is just a chill spot to be.

Thanks! Despite our athleticism, I dont think we're equipped/prepared for endless snow. If it was half-snow, half-dry, it'd be a different story. So assuming that Dinkey is ruled out, can you or anyone recommend another destination in the sierra's where 20-25mi is possible with fishing. While endless snow is a problem, I think that half-at the snow line and half-above could work. Any suggestions?

I know this is an old post, but I have yet to find any others in the site.

I have a question...

What is the road quality going up to the Willow traillhead?

Is it a 'dangerous' road, or just potholes/bumpy?

We may go up with a couple of vehicles (one a minivan, the other a pickup truck with gear) next weekend (labor day)

Any feedback would be appreciated.