Mono Creek Second Recess up Mills Creek

[dbourke]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first posting on HST, so I will start with just a quick bit of my background:
-Live in North Lake Tahoe Area, 57 years old
-Level 3 backpacker, mostly in the Sierra from a very young age
-Generally comfortable with class 2-3 routes, but getting less comfortable with big exposure as I get older
-like fishing and photography

Planning a trip next week:
-Lake Thomas Edison up Mono Creek,
-Second Recess to Lower or Upper Mills Creek Lake
-Over Gabbot Pass to Lake Italy
-Back to Trail head via Bear Ridge trail or
-Night in Bear Creek and out via Bear Creek cut-off trail

My specific question is about the route up the second recess. Having read a few posts about this, it sounds like it can be tedious bushwacking, if you get off the use trail. I will certainly follow the open granite where possible, but I am hoping someone can give me advice regarding the portion of the route from where the trail ends on the map to the top of the first bench.

Thanks,
David

[SSSdave]

I doubt someone could describe how to move through that small scale willowy brushy glacially bedrock shaped landscape to make much difference. Will advise simply looking at the topo plus Google Earth and moving along by sight. The use path switchbacks up the steep section are likewise not always a single path but rather several. Look and choose.

[dbourke]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply. Looking at Google earth there seems to be a hint of a trail in spots east of the creek. Also looks like one could go straight up the rock at the steep section of the creek. I will just keep my eyes open and follow the path that looks good.

[caleng]

Dbourke, did you hike up to Upper Mills Creek Lakes and over to Italy Lake? If so, how was your hike?

[Wandering Daisy]

The use-trail is in fair shape once you find it. Just plan on doing a lot of scouting and spend the time to actually find it. Going on up to Gabot Pass, is a matter of finding the better path. There are many ways, a few better than others. It gets a bit cliffy if you get off so just backtrack if needed. The other side going down to Italy Lake is easy. You do not even need a trail. I have only done it with quite a bit of snow so cannot say what it is like when the snow is melted.

The trail up Second Recess from Mono Creek goes through some old burn so can get a bit faint. The problem with that is also getting on it to begin with. The best way is to bite the bullet and wade across at the horse crossing. There is a downstream log but then you can have trouble finding the trail. The trail is easier to follow late season. It is on the High Sierra Route which is well used by late August.

About five posts down is my old trip report of a loop from Edison. I went up to Lower Mills Creek Lake and back down- missed the trail on the way up and found it on the way down. You may want to look at that.

[RiseToADry]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21987&p=169184#p169184

The thread above has a lot of good information about Mills Creek / Gabbot Pass. I attempted to describe my route in detail on the 4th or 5th post in that thread for those interested in a more detailed description.

I'll just add to what I wrote in the above thread about finding the 2nd Recess Trail... There is a sign along the Mono Creek trail that points up the 2nd Recess trail but it's not obvious so you really need to make sure you're looking for it as you're hiking. Wandering Daisy is correct, the trail crosses Mono Creek at a horse crossing and then continues east for a bit and crosses a second smaller creek before heading up into 2nd Recess. Finding the trail and crossing the two creeks is paramount, but if you do that the trail is quite obvious all the way up to the point where it heads up into Mills Creek basin.