Funny you mentioned this, as this was exactly why I was looking for an alternative to Cottonwood Lakes this year! But doesn't seem to be anything else that allows you to hike to 11K without much elevation gain - at least nothing within an hour's drive of Lone Pine.
I mentioned the alternative to the CL/NAP Trail in an earlier post. We utilize the South Fork Trail for reasons you state.
Many trailwalkers get spooked by a hike that forces them out of cruise control. This is not one of them. The trail is established all the way into South Fork and Cottonwood Lakes Basins.
