I can't advise on the 172s, other than they are available at most places. The club near me has a couple of decent ones at a low price, but it's a limited member club with a non-refundable joining fee.
Catalina is $25 to land now, or $150 a year for unlimited. I love hiking there so that's good value for me.
I was at Big Bear just over a week ago and it was 9000' DA; it took me nearly 500' to get airborne, but that was solo in an RV-8 with 180HP and CS.
Furnace Creek in Death Valley may be a bit more tolerable by October - 200' below sea level. There's another airfield just north of there at Stovepipe Wells within walking distance of Mosaic Canyon.
Borrego Springs makes a nice trip out of the hot season too.
Santa Paula has some interesting resident aircraft and a small museum in a nice setting; open house on the first Sunday of the month.
North over the mountains is Kern Valley in the mountains near Lake Isabella.
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