R03/R04 TR: Mono/Gabbot and Pioneer 7/9/20 to 7/19/20

[Rockyroad]

Thanks for a great report. The piece of equipment I use that I think most people would laugh at is the Instaflator which is basically a long narrow plastic bag that I use to blow up my air mattress. It's very effective but equally outrageous!

[giantbrookie]

Fabulous 11-day trip. I've never been out that long. And your track record of exceptional goldens continues. Nice! As for the weather...I couldn't help but chuckle at the clear skies over Lake Italy. That has got to be one of the worst places in the Sierra to get caught in a hailstorm. Two miles without any cover and there we were when the heavens unleashed the biggest hailstones I've ever been hit with on 7/24. They hurt so much I was putting my arms over my head. We went over Gabbot Pass on 7/23 while it was snowing (kinda clumped snow like light fluffy slow-falling hail). More on that when I post about the 7/21 to 7/28 trip that overlapped a bit of this one, but back on topic...Great trip and report. I gotta download my photos and I'm behind two reports now (west Desolation 7/16-7/18 and the 7/21-7/28 Morgan Creek-Pine Creek loop).