Being "Westsiders", the Wolverton area might make the most sense. By Christmas Tioga Pass (I don't plan to hike across like A. Joe!) and other easy access paths to the Owens valley should be shut.
I am assuming that snowshoes would be the order of the day for travel above Wolverton.
For those who have hiked here in winter:
Has anyone built a snow cave in the area?
Do you normally do an "out and back" or loop trip?
It can be quite variable that time of year. After a big storm there may be snow from the trailhead on and you will want skis or snowshoes. If there is a prolonged warm / dry stretch it may melt back in places. You will want to be able to carry your snowshoes or skis. Once I encountered melt/freeze ice on the lower part of the trail -- glad I had crampons
The trips I've done from Wolverton / Lodgepole have all been out-and-back. Some terrain is good for snowshoeing, and some isn't. Some can be avalanche-prone, particularly near the Watchtower's north face. Someone was killed in that area by a slide a few years ago after getting lost in a snowstorm.
If you are heading to Pear Lake I suggest looking into the Hump Trail -
http://www.summitpost.org/route/157048/The-Hump-Trail-Pear-Lake.htmlIMO That early in the season & that far south there is rarely enough snow to build a snow cave. If you want to practice making snow shelters, I'd suggest heading north and going later in the season after more dumps (perhaps Jan/Feb). In the Tahoe area, you might look into Carson Pass and Donner Summit. Higher elevations of Lassen NP and Shasta near Horse Camp might be worth looking into.
