TR Mono/Gabbot and Pioneer 7/9/20 to 7/19/20
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:52 am
Well, I was lucky to get out on a prior trip (Seki) for 12 days and I managed to get out on a second trip for 11 days. Pretty good start.
I had planned to do this trip solo, but my Colorado friend Mike had planned to go to Europe for the Tour de France and he had nothing better to do.
So while I usually visit him once per year in the Winds, he instead came out to the Sierras.
I have been over many Sierra passes, both on trail and cross country. But it is kind of weird to me that I have never been over Mono Pass, which many consider the easiest. I also have done most of the Sierra High Route, but never been up Second Recess. So.. I developed a route in the Winter. Over Mono Pass, up second recess and Gabbot Pass ( I have climbed both Gabb and Abbot but never been over Gabbot Pass), and around back to Mono Creek and visit some lakes on the north side of Mono Creek drainage. The back half didnt quite go as planned as I wanted to get to Bighorn and Grinnell Lakes, but instead went to Pioneer Basin, which was beautiful.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Harlen's report a couple of weeks ago with similar destinations.
Very beautiful view north to Ruby Lake and Mount Abbot posted many times before.. Made it to the top of Mono Pass. Not much of a view to the north, but the south is splendid.
A view of Lower Mills Creek Lake. A beautiful Lake.
I would note.. that we found the route up Second Recess, from elevation 9200 feet to 10400 feet, quite difficult. This was day 2 of planned 12, with heavy packs, and we had planned to make it to Lowe Mills Cr. Lake, but fell short, from fatigue. The cross country here was tedious, with lots of one step up and half step back, and some brush. We finally camped at the pond at 10400 feet and caught up Lower Mills Cr. Lake the next morning. And a view north from just below Gabbot Pass, looking north to Ritter.
We made it over Gabbot Pass into familiar territory for me ( last visit for me here Oct 2017--even though Oct..lots more snow then). And walking around Lake Italy.
We eventually made our way down to the John Muir Trail and returned to Mono Creek Basin.
A view of Seven Gables, climbing Bear Ridge. We saw only 3 people in a couple of days on the high route ( each solo doing the entire high route).
But of course back on the JMT, saw the masses. After 50 years more or less of on and off backpacking, I think Seven Gables is tied ( with Milestone Mountain) as my favorite mountain. My favorite photo is Maverick's with the lightning.
We made it down to Mono Creek. I would add that Mike had never done any of the JMT before. When we left the JMT going up Mono Creek.
I said congratulations. You have just done 10 miles of so of the JMT. Which is about 5%. That is the good news. The bad news is that I would
consider these 10 miles to be just about the most boring of the whole trail, and perhaps no other section of the trail was more inspirational for the formation of the Sierra High Route. He agreed the SHR portion we just did was more awesome.
In Mono Creek, there is one huge boulder --no others around it. It made me think of the famous boulder in Camp 4 in Yosemite.
Lots of huge mushrooms in Mono Creek valley. Not many people doing this lateral.
We finally made it to Pioneer Basin. I had never been here before. It was a good, easier alternative to the more ambitious plans we had further west.
I consider the views back to Mills and Abbot over the lakes in Pioneer Basin one of the classics.. and it didnt disappoint.
A thunderstorm brewing. And pardon me.. perhaps another shot. This one with clear sky.
Oh, and I guess one more. I really liked this view. Couldn't get enough. Part 2 of 2 coming..
I had planned to do this trip solo, but my Colorado friend Mike had planned to go to Europe for the Tour de France and he had nothing better to do.
So while I usually visit him once per year in the Winds, he instead came out to the Sierras.
I have been over many Sierra passes, both on trail and cross country. But it is kind of weird to me that I have never been over Mono Pass, which many consider the easiest. I also have done most of the Sierra High Route, but never been up Second Recess. So.. I developed a route in the Winter. Over Mono Pass, up second recess and Gabbot Pass ( I have climbed both Gabb and Abbot but never been over Gabbot Pass), and around back to Mono Creek and visit some lakes on the north side of Mono Creek drainage. The back half didnt quite go as planned as I wanted to get to Bighorn and Grinnell Lakes, but instead went to Pioneer Basin, which was beautiful.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Harlen's report a couple of weeks ago with similar destinations.
Very beautiful view north to Ruby Lake and Mount Abbot posted many times before.. Made it to the top of Mono Pass. Not much of a view to the north, but the south is splendid.
A view of Lower Mills Creek Lake. A beautiful Lake.
I would note.. that we found the route up Second Recess, from elevation 9200 feet to 10400 feet, quite difficult. This was day 2 of planned 12, with heavy packs, and we had planned to make it to Lowe Mills Cr. Lake, but fell short, from fatigue. The cross country here was tedious, with lots of one step up and half step back, and some brush. We finally camped at the pond at 10400 feet and caught up Lower Mills Cr. Lake the next morning. And a view north from just below Gabbot Pass, looking north to Ritter.
We made it over Gabbot Pass into familiar territory for me ( last visit for me here Oct 2017--even though Oct..lots more snow then). And walking around Lake Italy.
We eventually made our way down to the John Muir Trail and returned to Mono Creek Basin.
A view of Seven Gables, climbing Bear Ridge. We saw only 3 people in a couple of days on the high route ( each solo doing the entire high route).
But of course back on the JMT, saw the masses. After 50 years more or less of on and off backpacking, I think Seven Gables is tied ( with Milestone Mountain) as my favorite mountain. My favorite photo is Maverick's with the lightning.
We made it down to Mono Creek. I would add that Mike had never done any of the JMT before. When we left the JMT going up Mono Creek.
I said congratulations. You have just done 10 miles of so of the JMT. Which is about 5%. That is the good news. The bad news is that I would
consider these 10 miles to be just about the most boring of the whole trail, and perhaps no other section of the trail was more inspirational for the formation of the Sierra High Route. He agreed the SHR portion we just did was more awesome.
In Mono Creek, there is one huge boulder --no others around it. It made me think of the famous boulder in Camp 4 in Yosemite.
Lots of huge mushrooms in Mono Creek valley. Not many people doing this lateral.
We finally made it to Pioneer Basin. I had never been here before. It was a good, easier alternative to the more ambitious plans we had further west.
I consider the views back to Mills and Abbot over the lakes in Pioneer Basin one of the classics.. and it didnt disappoint.
A thunderstorm brewing. And pardon me.. perhaps another shot. This one with clear sky.
Oh, and I guess one more. I really liked this view. Couldn't get enough. Part 2 of 2 coming..