July 1, 2022 - we started from Mosquito Flat, hiking up past Ruby Lake to Mono Pass - Richard went trail running past with a friend, we were plodding slowly with bigger packs. We dropped our big packs at the pass and headed up Mt Starr. There were nice views from the top, and we missed a stock train while up on the peak. Then we headed down the trail detouring to Golden Lake where we failed to catch any fish, then down the trail to rejoin the Mono Pass trail and at the first switchback we cut cross country towards Pioneer Basin. This saved us some elevation and annoying stock pounded dusty trail switchbacks, but probably not much time. We rejoined the trail and headed up to the first lake. There the trail being a loose stock trench and then on up past the next 2 lakes where the trail got a little more diffuse. We found a campsite above the largest amoeba shaped lake in the basin. Iris took a dip in the lake and I barely washed myself. She also caught a decent sized fish which we boiled up with chicken broth. It was a tasty addition to dinner. (she caught more smaller fish too).
| |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
July 2, 2022 This day we did a number of peaks I had done in the 2015 Sierra Challenge. We hiked past the lakes and up some scree to the ridge and then up Mount Crocker. There was some fun scrambling on the way up to an impressive summit - I am not sure why this or Robber Baron Peak aren't SPS peaks compared to Stanford or Morgan North which are. The descent and ridge up to Robber Baron peak had quite a bit of scrambling. We probably should have just stayed on the ridge and gone over more of the towers, but we did make it. Then the descent and way up Mt Hopkins was much easier. The descent of Hopkins went mostly pretty quickly with a lot of quick dusty sand and scree to descend. We saw 2 women at the lake at the base - they were up from a lower lake for fishing. That night we caught a few more fish to add to dinner and we both swam in the lake.
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
July 3, 2022 This was to be our longest day - back to the head of Pioneer Basin and up to the saddle between Crocker and Mt Stanford (the north one - there is another one farther south). Then we headed up to Stanford. There was a cold wind blowing and we had to stop to put on a layer. There were some steeper bits near the top, so things got a bit more interesting. We opted for the 3rd class variation around to the right instead of the possible fourth class option slightly left. The summit wasn't much of a summit since it was barely a high point on a ridge to the east, but it did have pretty epic views. Then we headed off along the ridge up and down and up and down along the blocky ridge towards Morgan (once again North, since there is a Morgan South also). This was getting tedious and frustrating for Iris. After too long we packed up the trekking poles and things went a little better. We decided to head to Esha since we were so close, then dropped down across the hanging valley to climb up Morgan. It was pretty late by then, but we made better time on the return, mostly staying below the ridge on the south side. We still passed just a few feet away from the summit of Stanford on the return, then back down around the gendarmes and ridges to the saddle and down into Pioneer basin. We made it back to camp without needed our headlamps, but it was close. There were no fish that night.
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
July 4, 2022 - Happy Birthday America. We slept in a bit and had a somewhat relaxed morning. Fortunately it was cold enough at first and then the wind picked up so that the mosquitos weren't much of a problem. Then we headed out across the basin and up towards Mount Huntington. The basin was pretty pretty with flowers and streams and sadly a few mosquitos. We got up higher and the wind picked up - that cleared them up pretty well. There was a bit of annoying talus and we had to cross some snow and loose morraine style rocky mix. Then once on the ridge we crossed to the south side and things went quickly up to the S Summit. Then things looked a bit rougher. We stowed the poles and dropped down to the saddle, then dropped down a bit to the right (SE) and traversed and climbed around the rocks and then back up to the summit. Supposedly there was a summit register, but we never found it - just a few little scraps of cardboard and one page that included some of our friends from a few years earlier. We relaxed on the nice rocks and enjoyed the view before returning. We dropped down a little lower on the return and then back to leave the ridge. The loose scree was a lot easier to descend, and then we went down the snow (it was pretty soft, and felt solid without any ice axe or crampons). Then we debated swimming in the half frozen tarn there. We decided we should - the sun was warm, we were somewhat sheltered from the wind, and there were no mosquitos. So, we went in. I was planning to swim out to the edge of the snow-slush and pop up through it, but as soon as I was submerged the cold struck and I needed to exit immediately. Much the same thing happened to Iris. After a few minutes we dried off and felt good again. Then we headed back to camp and to fish - that night we had 5 fish making for some really tasty ramen soup - 2x spicy.
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
July 5, 2022 This morning was a little warmer and there wasn't really any wind. Iris was dreaming of fish breakfast - so we had that - and mosquitos. Lots of mosquitos. I wore my jacket to keep them at bay despite it getting too hot, Iris wore my sheet of netting. Things were also more dew-wet so it took a while to dry camp out to pack up. Then we headed out - taking a different trail for the first part and dropping all the way down to the trail junction. Then up and up towards Mono Pass with a stop at Trail Lakes - before we got there I was waiting for Iris and she took a more direct trail to the lake. When she didn't show up I back-tracked and followed her tracks to the lake where she was fishing as planned. I took a nap. She caught some little fish there and then we hiked up over the pass enjoying the views as we dropped back down towards Ruby Lake. The trail from there back to the trailhead seemed extra long, but eventually we made it.
 |
|---|
 |
|---|