Winter Trip Ideas

[MisplacedTexan]

I am going to be flying into LAX the first week of February for a business conference and plan to take 2 or 3 vacation days to go backpacking. I’ve never been to California before, and I probably won’t have the time or money to fly out there again anytime soon, so I’ve only got one shot at choosing a destination. I don’t mind driving a long way. If you had to choose one place to go (in February) within ~5 hours of LAX, what would you choose?
I’ve found Channel Islands, Joshua Tree, and the entire huge Seqouia-Kings-Yosemite area. I think I’d prefer to visit the mountains, but I really don’t know how accessible the higher elevations are in the wintertime. I’ve backpacked with snowshoes in the Canadian Rockies before, so that’s not a problem as long as there is somewhere I can rent them. I would love to go to Joshua Tree and do some stargazing, but it’s not going to be ideal due to a full moon while I’m there. Any suggestions welcome!

[Vtec44]

You'll need snow chains to get to Yosemite Valley, and winter is beautiful there. However, if you're not familiar with the area please call ahead to the reanger office and ask for suggestions. It's VERY cold even during the day time. The weather was around 40 degrees during the day, and 10 degrees at night when we were there in March a couple of years back. YosemiteFun.com has extensive information for visitors, check them out.

[NEJ]

If you are set on backpacking, I would suggest Anza Borrego State Park. It has a place called Coyote Canyon. You drive up a ways and then hike in. There are side canyons---Cougar, Sheep, and Alder---that all have springs of drinkable fresh water. This is Colorado desert so even in February, it is not too cold.

Another place if you want something more strenuous, but way cool, is Surprise Canyon in the Panamint Mountains in Death Valley National Park. I have done this hike in the winter. This is a seven mile hike up to the old ghost town of Panamint City. There are mines and many cabins. Charley Manson hung out there back in the day and at the end of one of the tunnels where a lot of people have written their names on the wall is the name "Tex."

Or, you could give up the ideas of backpacking and take a car camping and driving tour of Death Valley, or Red Rock canyon State Park, or just go out to Owl Canyon and Rainbow Basin. Opal Mountain and Inscription Canyon are nice that time of year.

The low desert, Anza-Borrego, is going to be best, though, as the wildflowers will already be in bloom.

NJ