Pioneer Basin and Mono Recesses, John Muir Wilderness, California

The Trip

This lake-to-lake adventure reveals one of the High Sierra’s hidden gems.  We enter and exit the spectacular John Muir Wilderness from the Rock Creek Canyon and over 12,000-foot Mono Pass. We will explore the Third and Fourth Recesses and dayhiking among idyllic alpine lakes, granite peaks, and gentle meadows in the vast Pioneer Basin. Lakeside campsites will afford ample opportunities for swimming, fishing, or just relaxing in the cool alpine air.

Day 1: We'll meet in the afternoon just west of Bishop California, up Rock Creek Canyon at the Mosquito Flat Campground, just over 10,000 feet. After introductions we will set up camp, eat our first group dinner, check packs, and discuss the trip ahead. 

Day 2: After breakfast, we’ll organize our gear and strike out up Rock Creek to Ruby Lake at just over 11,000 feet. Because of the initial high elevations, this first travel day is intentionally short to allow us to acclimate to the thin air and get comfortable with our packs and gear.  At first the gentle trail follows the natural moraines, but soon reveals 12,800-foot Mt. Starr and the headwall that becomes Mono Pass. We plan to arrive before lunch to get a good group campsite and explore the classic alpine lake and its surroundings. Total mileage is 2.5 miles, with an ascent of about 950 feet.

Day 3: We awake to the sunlit peaks that guard today's assault over Mono Pass. After breakfast we begin what appears to be a formidable climb up the canyon headwall that soon opens up to a sprawling vista that reveals our playground for the next five days, including Pioneer Basin and the Third and Fourth Recesses. Our plan is to have lunch at Trail Lake and then continue down canyon to and slightly back up the Fourth Recess to its granite-walled lake. We will camp on its western slopes that often provide spectacular alpenglow sunsets on its eastern peaks. Total mileage is 6.5 miles with an ascent of about 1,300 feet and a descent of 2,250 feet.

Days 4-5: Day four takes us back across Mono Creek and up canyon to the highlight of our trip, Pioneer Basin. We will spend two days in this vast basin with Mount Stanford and Huntington to our east and Mount Crocker and Hopkins to our north and west. Pioneer Basin is filled with a cascade of glaciated lakes above and below the timberline, affording a wide variety of easy-to-moderate day hikes. For the more adventurous, Hopkins and Crocker peaks provide awesome views. Total mileage is 4.5 miles with an ascent of about 950 feet and a descent of 300 feet.

Day 6: Refreshed after our layover day, we'll make our way out of Pioneer Basin, once again cross Mono Creek to the south and then climb into the Third Recess. This classic alpine lake is forested on three sides and is ideal for swimming. In the past, the Third Recess Lake has provided some great fishing for those so inclined. Total mileage is six miles with an ascent of about 1,020 feet and a descent of 1,350 feet.

Day 7: We begin to make our way out of the John Muir Wilderness, first traveling back up Mono Creek and then continuing uphill to Trail Lake for our last night in the wilderness. Total mileage is five miles with an ascent of about 1,610 feet and a descent of 925 feet.

Day 8: On our final day we continue our rigorous hike up to Mono Pass. As we round the base of Mt. Starr, we'll be treated to the expansive vista of the basins and recesses that we will have traveled through for the past six days. As we cross the Sierra Crest we'll encounter steep, downhill switchbacks by Ruby Lake. We'll end our hike at Mosquito Flat trailhead. Total mileage is 5.5 miles with an ascent of about 1,050 feet and a descent of 2,010 feet.

This trip operates under a Special Use Permit within Inyo National Forest.

Getting There

The closest major airport is in Reno, Nevada, 210 miles (four hours) to the north. The closest major city is Bishop, California, which is a six- to seven-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

The first meal included in the trip will be a group dinner in the Mosquito Flat campground on the first day. The last meal will be a lunch on the trail on our last day. Trip participants will share cooking and meal cleanup duties. The menu will include white meat that can be added separately to accommodate vegetarians. We will have plenty of food carefully squeezed into the bear canisters, so there's no need, or space, for additional personal food. If you have special dietary restrictions, please check with us well in advance of the trip about whether we can accommodate them.

Participants are expected to assist with cooking, cleaning, camp set-up and breakdown, food storage, and adhering to Leave No Trace guidelines.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated 3 (Moderate) on a scale of 1 to 5 (Easy to Strenuous).  A couple days will be strenuous, with large elevation gains. Elevations on this trip range from 10,000 to 12,000 feet, exclusive of peak climbs, and all camps are above 10,000 feet. Participants who have not backpacked at these altitudes are encouraged to arrive a day or two prior to the trip to acclimatize.

Participants must have previous backpacking experience in an alpine environment to be approved for the trip. Participants must maintain a regular fitness program including practice hikes with a 40-pound pack and boots starting at least one month before the trip. Out of fairness to all participants, the difficulty of this trip requires a careful screening process. The stronger hikers may be asked to assist weaker hikers on more difficult stretches.

August in the High Sierra typically brings beautiful weather conditions. However, backpacking in remote wilderness areas requires that we are prepared for extreme conditions that can occur at any time. At lower elevations temperatures can reach 80 degrees while nights at high elevations can dip into the 20s. Thunderstorms or snowstorms can occur at any time of the year, with sudden cloudbursts of wind, rain, lightning, and hail.  

Equipment and Clothing

We will use bear canisters for commissary food storage and each participant will be carrying one bear canister and incidental group equipment with a total weight of about 14-15 pounds during portions of the trip. A list of recommended personal equipment can be found at www.knapsack.org/basic_equipment.html.

Try to limit your personal gear to 25 pounds, including two quarts of water so that your total pack weight does not exceed 40 pounds. This route will require sturdy, full leather, high ankle boots with rubber lug soles. The leather should be thoroughly waterproofed to withstand the rigors of prolonged contact with snow and water.

References

• Clark, Ginny, Ansel Adams Wilderness. Provides a good overview of most of our trek with accurate trail, lake, and stream descriptions.
• A good overall map of our area is Tom Harrison Cartography's "Mono Divide High Country" map, published at the 15-minute scale.
• The 7.5-minute USGS series maps for the route are: "Mt. Abbott," "Mt. Morgan," and "Convict Lake."

Conservation

Our trek will primarily be within the John Muir Wilderness area in the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Congress designated the John Muir Wilderness with the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. We will experience firsthand the unique beauty of this area and the fragile nature of its ecology. Air pollution, acid rains, logging, rural development, and grazing are just some of the threats to these otherwise pristine environments. The Sierra Club continues to sponsor and promote national legislation and local activities to protect these wilderness areas. While on this trip, feel free to ask your leaders about specific conservations issues and programs that you can participate in.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under a permit from Inyo National Forest.