Mono Pass Hike Preview

Read on to find out what to expect next week if you're coming along with Jaunt With Us! on our first group hike.  Also, check out the previous post for more details and how to sign up to do this jaunt with us: jauntwithus.blogspot.com/2012/10/welcome.html

A 3.7 mile hike to the Mono Pass sign

Our family was in need of a fall Jaunt, so we thought we'd go check out current conditions on the trail where we want to take you all next week.  Our original plan was to camp near the trail-head the night before, and then hike in the next morning with our gear to stay the night. Well, as we set up our tents at Aspen campground a few miles over Tioga Pass, the storm that was expected to come came in full force.  We had to readjust the backpacking plans since the storm was dumping snow up at the elevation of the hike - they even closed Tioga Pass road for the night and into the next morning.  Plan B, figured out while lying in the tent listening to the all-night long downpour, was to check out Bodie, the ghost town off 395, and let the kids explore Mono Lake.  The eastern side of the Sierras has so much to offer!  

Weather cleared as expected, so Saturday we hit the Mono Pass trail around 10:40 a.m.  The first part of the trail is in the 9000 feet elevation range, and trail conditions were dry, as seen in the photo below.

The first 2 miles of the trail has 2 short uphills, and there were some areas with snow on the trail, less than an inch, as we got higher or were in shady areas.

The last 1.7 miles leading to the Mono Pass marker sign has the longest uphill of the hike, but it isn't constant and has lots of rest spots (logs or rocks to sit on).  Once up at Mono Pass, the meadow areas had more than an inch of snow.

We knew we wanted to continue ten more minutes past the Mono Pass sign... 

so that we could get the vista of Mono Lake over 3000 feet below.  

Looking out to Mono Lake 

Hiking with a 6 year old meant frequent stops, so getting to this point took 3 hours.  Without her we could have made it in just over 2, I think, because our 9 year old keeps up a good pace.  After a warm lunch using our stove, and taking off our damp shoes and socks to let the feet dry a bit, we were ready to explore the mining cabins. (Jeff wore boots, and had perfectly dry feet, whereas the kids and I had shoes that let water in from the snow on the trail.  Wool socks are a life-saver because even when wet they still insulate, and no one's feet were cold until the end of the day.)

The day proved to be a gorgeous fall day, giving us the refreshment we sere seeking in the mountains.  We can't wait to share this spectacular piece of the Sierra Nevada with you next week on our first Jaunt With Us! hike.  

For more information on how to come along, see this post: jauntwithus.blogspot.com/2012/10/welcome.html