I'm looking for a few training hike suggestions that are:
-Within driving distance of the Monterey Bay Area (day trip or weekend overnighter)
-Start at a fairly high altitude
-Somewhere to familiarize myself with an ice axe and crampons around late April-May (doesn't have to be the same hike)
-Dog friendly is a huge plus
Salty, Once Tioga Pass opens, you could drive there in about 5 hours from Monterey. I know some people will sleep overnight in their car just outside the park -- some "old road" turnouts available. From Tioga Pass, Mt Dana offers some good high altitude, and if you hike in to the east side of Dana, there is some major "ice axe and crampons required" climbing, more than you would encounter on Whitney.
You could take the dog on the east side of Dana, but the normal hiking route (north side directly from Tioga Pass) is inside Yosemite N.P.).
Tioga opens sometime in May, but since this winter has been so dry, it may open earlier.
