The Chief wrote:SMG... Who's that?
It is possible I misunderstood your prior comment. You said he did a spring run up Mt. Whitney, I was not sure if he was guided by SMG (Sierra Mountain Guides. Place where you work?) or not. Whatever it is, you mentioned "
He, the Client, is 61 who started this Everest quest at 52." By 'quest' I suppose you mean he worked his way up to get to his goal- which is good.
To the OP: I hope you find what you like most. I can suggest a 2 week vacation to CA during summer (Summer time is the best). You can go up Shasta for example (alone or with a partner. I would suggest Shasta in late April, may, or early june), get to the regular base camp and see if you want to summit or not. If not, hanging out there is nice- scenic spot. Than you can easily do White Mountain hike, and check out Bristlecone pines (oldest trees in the world). If you secured a permit for Whitney, you could do that. Or do a hike up to see Temple Crag.
Temple Crag (worth a visit)
Mt Whitney- beautiful
A good challenge would be to do Mt. Lyell - short class 3 scramble with incredible views (easy, but long and very scenic hike out of Toulumne meadows). Harder and much more exposed scramble would be East Ridge of Mt. Russell (fantastic). NE face of Mt. Abbott is also nice and has a snow section, and a 3rd class scramble section. There is a lot to do alone. And I am sure there is a lot you can do with guides too. It depends on your priorities. If you want skills RIGHT NOW/particular difficult goals, than guides may be a better solution. If you want to enjoy the wilderness, than simple research and time off is your friend. You do not always have to climb a high point to have an awesome trip.
One of my favorite photos was taken from a pretty obscure peak down the ridge from Cloudripper. Cloudripper should have great views and not be very difficult.
Check out this view!