Trip Advice: Mono pass conditions

[Love the Sierra]

Hi everyone,
Thank you all so much for your help and experience.
I will be leaving on 5/19 and will be going out for 4 nights, 5 days.
I am thinking of going over Mono pass and exploring around Pioneer and all of the other Recesses and maybe head West along Mono Creek for as long as time permits. If everything is perfect, I may stay out an additional night.
So, here are the questions:
1) Any ideas of conditions getting over the pass? Is the north side going to be too dangerous?
2] What would snow be like once I am over?
3) Mosquitos?
4] And the all miserable question this year, permits?
Thanks again to all of you!

[Wandering Daisy]

I did a snowy trip 7/10-15 2017, a very high snowpack year. Although I could not say if this will be representative of your time frame, it does show what it is like with quite a bit if snow (still were plenty of dry spots to camp). I did a trip report that you may want to look at. If conditions are similar you would need micro-spikes if you want to get over the pass in early morning hours. Sort of a trade-off- if you go over later in the day you can kick good steps, but then you post-hole until out of the snow on the other side. Ruby Lake is very beautiful and I was glad I stayed there the first night (same day I drove over) and went over the pass early AM and used my crampons. Micro spikes would work but I did not have any at the time.

My trip report is on Pg 45 of this sub-forum

Mono Pass 7/10 2017

[grampy]

@Love the Sierra -
As of this morning, May 19th shows (20) quota slots for your permit - it’s unlikely this will drop to zero if you wait a couple days to reserve your permit. But you should book at least a week before, to allow for the e-mail exchange necessary for the Inyo permit office to actually issue your permit. Was there some other question about permits you wanted to ask ?

[Love the Sierra]

Hi,
Thank you so much WD and Grammy! I had searched the board for your Pioneer Basin trip, remembering that you had mentioned it a couple of years back, but was unable to find it.
@Wandering Daisy So, it looks like a heavy pack for sure:crampons, mosquito repellent, wading shoes. The wild cards are 1] snowshoes and 2] snow camping gear such as snow anchoring stakes and down pad as opposed to ridgerest, etc.
I would like to be able to hike all day so do you recommend the snowshoes?
@grampy Thank you so much! Get the permits a week ahead, that was the kind of nuance and advice I needed.

[Love the Sierra]

@Wandering Daisy THANK YOU SO MUCH. for the forest service snow conditions link!!
I had actually posted the question on the board and no one answered.
Thanks, the link is perfect!!

[Wandering Daisy]

I would not take snowshoes; I rather just put up with post-holes and plan on some slow travel. You can avoid a lot of post-holing simply by timing your travel. All but the upper lakes of Pioneer Basin were generally snow-free or spotty snow. Once down to Trail Lakes there was little snow. Wading shoes are simply a luxury- you could always just wade in your hiking shoes and put up with wet feet. Micro-spikes would be sufficient. You could also stash some gear once over the pass and pick it up on the way out.

After I set up camp at Ruby Lake I poked around and found a good route for the next morning. What was really stupid is that I stashed my fishing gear at Ruby Lake thinking the lakes in Pioneer would be iced over. I wish I had taken it! I took my ice axe but never needed it.

You do not need snow camping gear. There are plenty of dry places to set up if you look around a bit. This is NOT winter camping- just take your summer gear. Ruby Lake looks really snowy but up on the bench just north of the outlet are dry places hidden in the trees. So I really do not see that you would have a pack much heavier than normal.

Your comfort on Mono pass with snow will depend on your snow skills. It is exposed and a bit scary if you are not used to that. Plenty of people go over it so there is a trail in the snow- it does get icy in the mornings. There is short one section that if you fell you may crash into rocks- but the upper part has a good run out.

[Love the Sierra]

Thank you.
I will keep watching the forecast and the snow reports.
Cannot wait to get out!