fedak wrote:The old joke is that you go to the Sierra to train for Henry Coe

There are a number of easier outings (Frog Lake, Manzanita Flat, China Hole, etc) but in general the Henry Coe elevation profiles are pretty brutal

First post ever, so I dunno how much you'll trust my input, but...

I agree with the guys warning that its not just 'rolling hills'. For henry coe you have to be careful which routes you head off on because some can get pretty rugged and would make a 7 year old plop down and refuse to move after a few hundred feet.

If I remember correctly from going to sequoia often as a kid, the foothills in your area are pretty gentle (hiking and climate wise) for day hikes that can take all day. You don't have to deal with bugs/heat/snakes like in the summer, so it might be cool to experience it offseason.

If overnight is a must and you're willing to drive past gorman, near los angeles in the santa monica mountains or pasadena area you can definitely patch together longer hikes at low elevations to avoid the strain and cold.