Andrew,

Yosemite does have some sequoias. I do not know the conditions this year, but it is possible to walk, snowshoe, or ski up the road from South Entrance of Yosemite (two miles with about 500 feet of elevation gain in the mountains). I have hiked up there before the road was open in the spring, but it was a light snow year. The road through the park will be closed, so you cannot drive directly from Yosemite Valley through the park to the south entrance. You would have to drive out of the park, south, then back north into the park on 2-lane curvy mountain roads.
There are also two small groves (Tuolumme and Merced) that you can hike/snowshoe to from the Crane Flat area in Yosemite. Not nearly as impressive as Sequoia NP, but you can see some trees without the hours on the boring road.
You are supposed to carry tire chains in the winter in Yosemite. I'm not sure rental car companies allow chains. Locals can tell you more about these requirements than I.

Do not underestimate what Janisj says about tule fog. On my first visit to the central valley in December when I woke up I went to the hotel window and couldn't see anything past the balcony--nothing but a thick solid white cloud. Unfortunately it results in multicar accidents on the highways.

A memorable experience was standing at SFO watching the fog literally roll over the ridge/hill toward the bay. It looked like a roll of the batting used for fake snow or quilt stuffing being unrolled--that solid and thick. Lovely to see from a distance, but would totally block any coastal sightseeing that day.

So, I'd still suggest flying from Las Vegas to SFO/OAK/SJO. Then plan enough days to see the city plus do a loop trip up to Yosemite on whichever days the weather is best. If Yosemite weather won't cooperate, then Lake Tahoe probably won't either, but maybe Big Sur coast will. And, you can see redwoods (not sequoias) right by the city. Definitely worth it.

I'm glad I found this forum.

Bigtyke, as no one, least of all me, is likely to mistake me for a world class track man we hadn't planned on walking to the river unless we could get lodging at the Phantom Ranch(??) and with a 4 or 5 weeks notice we couldn't. We were thinking of going as far as Skeleton Point on the South Kaibab trail and the 3 mile point on the Bright Angel trial.

Can anyone tell me how the Hermit Trail down to Waldron Basin or Santa Maria compares?

Once more, thanks again for these responses, they are very helpful.

-Andrew

I'm not sure if this should be a seperate topic, but I'll try here first..

What sort of car would people advise for this trip, and any suggestions of where to rent from in Vegas.

Thanks,

Andrew

4 wheel drive would be better. a lot of car rental companies rent an Xterra, which is a good choice. If you can get a Jeep Wrangler, you would probably enjoy it and they are fun(and it would be the absolute best for getting around in snow). But they only get about 19 MPG.

If you do really want to hike to Phantom, don't give up. Call up to the very last day, you might get lucky. People cancel all the time.