Читать книгу Sierra South. Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada онлайн

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Best Season: Deciding when in the year is the best time for a particular trip is a difficult task because of yearly variations. Low early-season temperatures and mountain shadows often keep some of the higher passes closed until well into August. Early snows have been known to whiten alpine country in late July and August. Some of the trips described here are low-country ones, offered specifically for the itchy hiker who, stiff from a winter’s inactivity, is searching for a warm-up excursion. These trips are labeled early, a period that extends roughly from late May to early July. Mid is from early July to the end of August, and late is from then to early October.

Pace: For each trip, we give the number of days you’d spend hiking at the trip’s described pace—leisurely, moderate, or strenuous—as well as the number of layover days (below) you might want to take. Since this book is written for the average backpacker, we chose to describe most trips on either a leisurely or a moderate basis, depending on where the best overnight camping places were along the route. We call a few trips strenuous. A leisurely pace lets hikers absorb more of the sights, smells, and “feel” of the country they have come to see.