KevinR -- your most recent post seems to suggest that it might be considered a day hike, but honestly, it wasn't that clear to me as to the specifics of what you were saying. More detail might help. (Or if I'm wrong, and others could see precisely what you were describing, let me know!) For example, when you say "this way" "less than 20" . . . WHAT "way"? Precisely what starting and ending points are involved to wind up being less than 20 miles in contrast to the starting and ending points being 33.8 miles that I found? I was able to confirm online that Mahogany Flats is 7 miles of descent from the summit. I can buy in to the idea of someone hanging out there to pick up a returning hiker to finish the day hike (even noting that it's a 1 1/2 mile 4 wheel drive road to end the drive to Mahogany Flats). If you or someone else can come up with some definitive information for a route that describes Badwater to the Telescope summit in only 20 miles or less we then have a 27 mile hike that to my mind CAN be called a day hike. (As always, anything I opine can be commented on!)
saltydog -- EXCELLENT nomination for Mount Washington! And you get the honor of being the first to nominate a hike east of the Mississippi. (I'll bet there are other worthy hikes we need to consider in the east. I'm also wondering when the first hike involving a slot canyon will be nominated.)
With your assumed concurrence, and based on my double checking online, it looks like we can consider a Mount Washington day hike as being an up and back using ANY trail or combination of two trails. (I noted that the Tuckerman Ravine and Lions Head trails are the two most popular.)
Like many others, I have done a day RIDE of Mount Washington. Up and back in my trusty 2001 Toyota Celica, with a short walk from the parking lot to the actual summit. This was in the late summer, but boy, once on the top, with no jacket, it was colder than a witch's single mammary gland -- as well as being fogged out. In other words, typical for Mount Washington.
RenoFrank, Flume Trail -- Lake Tahoe, Nevada looks good for me. Just one question though -- the hits that come up Googling show this to be primarily a biking trail. I presume hikers are allowed? ARE there quite a few hikers on the trail at any given time? (Also, I see that this is primarily a one way trail, with a shuttle available at one end back to the start, although I presume you could do it as a round trip if you were really ambitious.)
