We did...time got away from me when we got back and I forgot to post. I should add that posts from folks like Egan really helped a lot when I was planning.
The trip went really well. It turned out different than expected though still a great trip. I had some problems with my brakes that caused us to take it much easier than originally planned. Short story is that I had all four brakes replaced the day before the trip because they started to make that metal warning sound...not the sound to have going into a 5-day offroad trip in the mountains...the local shop that I used because of short notice (not my regular place, lesson learned) didn't properly bleed the rear lines which caused the front to overheat with offroad braking.
On a positive note, our trip was during the weekdays (M-F) so we found the mountains virtually all to ourselves. We decided to make the best of our situation to explore lightly during the day and try a few of the Forest Service campgrounds that we would other try to avoid due to crowds. Another important factor was that campfires were permitted at the campgrounds which otherwise were prohibited at dispersed sites due to the fire alerts.
Night 1: Stayed at a dispersed site about 20-30 minutes further in from Hull Creek Spring Campground. I'm not sure if it has a name...if you are looking at Hull Creek campground on the map, look east to where Trout Creek crosses 3N26Y. We had it completely to ourselves which was wonderful. Nice creek runs through it. This is a great spot if you go on a weekday; it gets pretty full on the weekends as there are ATV trails nearby. There are a few other dispersed sites along the Clavey River - just follow the roads nearby to where they cross Clavey.
Night 2: During the day we tried out some trails and various forest roads near where we camped the night before. This was also the day that the brakes started to make me nervous. So instead of continuing further in where we were, like to Dodge Meadows / Dodge Ridge (2018 shortlist), we headed north to the Herring Creek Reservoir Campground. The sites were empty except for a long-term person (campground host?) who was parked at the very first site. We took one of the sites that was along the stream and a wooded privacy screen. Another great find that we could enjoy essentially all to ourselves. A bit cooler at night because of the higher elevation. If you are looking for dispersed sites, there were lots of fields and areas to pull off while heading up Forest Route 4N12 to the campground.
Night 3: After a lazy morning and a leisurely hike around the Gargoyle rim, we headed back down the mountain to spend the afternoon in Sonora getting the brakes fixed. Unfortunately that detour cut into our plans to explore Pinecrest Peak and Eagle Peak / Eagle Meadow - both of which seem pretty accessible via forest roads (2018 shortlist). For night 3, we drove to Sand Bar Flat Campground which is on the Stanislaus River. It was by far the most remote of the three FS campgrounds - down a very long, windy, and rough road - yet oddly was the most modern of the group once you make it there. This would have been a nice place to do some fishing if we had brought any rods. Just keep in mind that it is a long, rough drive in and out.
Night 4: Daytime packed on a lot of miles just driving through the Stanislaus / Yosemite area and ended with a nice dinner in Twain Harte. It was getting late when we finally paid the bill, so we decided to see if there were any spots at Hull Creek Spring Campground. It was the closest campground and we could always head further in on forest roads if it was full. Fortunately we found yet another amazing site. We wrapped the trip with another very lazy morning. This is my second trip where I've stayed here and both have been positive experiences. The other time was on a Saturday night and there was some noise the next morning from the ATV trails; not an issue on this trip due to our weekday itinerary.
Feel welcome to let me know if you have any questions.
