High Sierra Hiking: Mammoth Crest to the Silver Divide, California

The Trip

If you’ve always wanted to backpack in the High Sierra, then this is your trip. While we will cover new ground on most days over this 30-mile hike, we will enjoy a layover day amidst the spectacular lakes and peaks of the Silver Divide, where participants may choose to relax, swim, climb a peak, and/or take one of several day hikes. 

Our goal is to be in camp by mid-afternoon on most days to allow time to explore or swim, or maybe even just find a quiet place to relax and take in the picturesque scenery. We’ll camp each evening near a pristine alpine lake above 10,000 feet with a wondrous mountain view.

Our hike starts at a trailhead at 9,100 feet elevation near the town of Mammoth Lakes, CA. Scenic highlights include two trail crossings of the Sierra Crest -- one at nearly 12,000 feet -- where we’ll enjoy awe-inspiring views of the Silver Divide and the purples, crimsons, tans, and browns of neighboring metamorphic peaks. This is some of the most colorful country in all of the Sierra Nevada.

Join us if you seek the adventure and wonder of hiking a high, mostly-on-trail route through some truly spectacular scenery.

We graciously travel through the lands of the Eastern and Western Mono/Monache and Numu (Northern Paiute) peoples who inhabited this area long before it became the Inyo National Forest (established in 1907). The Sierra Club recognizes Indigenous Peoples as traditional and current inhabitants and stewards of North America and honors the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

How far we get each day and where we camp depends on how we feel, the weather, and other factors outside of our control. Flexibility is important. The itinerary described here should be taken as a general plan -- the actual camps and schedule may depart from this plan.

Day 1: Our trip officially starts this evening, when we meet at a campground near Mammoth Lakes, California. We’ll get acquainted and spend the night here, at about 7,900 feet, to help us adjust to altitude. Campsites will be provided for the night. Participants are responsible for their dinner this evening, but all other meals are provided, starting with breakfast on the morning of day two. We will be looking for volunteers to get here a bit early so we can shuttle a few cars to our exit trailhead at McGee Creek.

Day 2: We will serve a group breakfast, gather our gear, and head to the Duck Pass Trailhead, where we start our trek. We plan to hike about five miles and climb nearly 1,700 feet, crossing 10,800-foot Duck Pass, where we obtain our first view of the Silver Divide. Our first camp is about a mile beyond the pass at Pika Lake, nestled beneath the Sierra Crest at 10,600 feet. We will have our heaviest packs of the trip this day, and we won’t be fully acclimated to the altitude -- good conditioning will be important from the start.

Day 3: We’ll hike approximately seven miles, ascending past Duck Lake, descending a short distance to the John Muir Trail, then joining the JMT and turning south. We’ll continue past Purple Lake to Lake Virginia, where we will spend the second night. We expect to make camp early enough so that participants can enjoy a swim or explore around the lake before dinner.

Days 4-5: We resume our hike on the John Muir Trail, descending some 800 feet to Tully Hole. There we meet the McGee Pass Trail, which we will follow for two miles before cutting off on an unmaintained trail toward Tully Lake. Then we take an off-trail route to camp near secluded Cotton Lake at the foot of the Silver Divide. We will spend two nights there, taking a layover day to relax and explore -- perhaps climbing Shout of Relief Pass to view Bighorn Lake and points south, hiking to Red and White Lake, or going down to Lake Isaak Walton.

Day 6: On our sixth and longest day, we’ll return to the McGee Pass Trail, then make a steady climb to McGee Pass, which, at just shy of 12,000 feet, is the highest point on our planned route. Time and weather permitting, we may choose to drop packs there and climb the 13,140-foot Red Slate Mountain. The climb is not trivial -- it will take two to three hours round-trip -- but the effort is well worth it. The views from the summit are spectacular. From McGee Pass, we descend 1,500 feet to Big McGee Lake and our final camp, which sits at the edge of a bowl beneath the Sierra Crest. Not counting the Red Slate Mountain side hike, we will hike about five miles (and ascend nearly 1,800 feet).

Day 7: On our final day we hike steadily downward, generally following McGee Creek in one of the most beautiful valleys in the eastern Sierra. Altogether, we’ll hike nearly eight miles and descend 2,600 feet. We expect to reach our cars by mid-afternoon.

Getting There

Our hike starts at the Duck Pass trailhead and finishes at the McGee Creek trailhead, both near the town of Mammoth Lakes on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. Mammoth Lakes is about 160 miles from Reno, 250 miles from San Francisco, and 310 miles from either Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

Trip members arriving from other parts of the country should explore the option of flying to one of these major cities and sharing a rental car or arranging a ride. Alternatively, Eastern Sierra Transit (www.estransit.com) operates a bus service from the Reno airport to Mammoth Lakes several afternoons per week. (Reservations are recommended.)

We will send a trip roster to all participants well before the trip to help facilitate ride-sharing. Specific driving directions will also be sent before departure.

Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

We will plan a diverse and appealing menu to accommodate both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Please let the leader know of any food allergies or limitations, including being vegetarian, as far in advance of the trip as possible. We are often able to make accommodations, but we need to know in advance -- so we can plan and let you know if we’ll be able to. Responsibility for cooking will be shared among the trip members. Our first meal will be breakfast on the morning of day two before we start hiking, and our last meal will be lunch on the final day.

Trip Difficulty

The overall difficulty of the trip is rated 4 on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 denotes the least difficult and 5 is the most difficult trip. This trip will be strenuous, hence a disciplined training and conditioning program will be necessary to achieve the very good level of physical fitness that is required for the trip. Very good aerobic conditioning is also essential.

Our hiking days will be relatively short in terms of distance covered: five to six miles on three of the days, and more than seven miles on the other two days. However, we will gain significant elevation on all days but one, which will add to the difficulty of the hike. 

Our first day will have a great amount of elevation gain when we will ascend nearly 1,700 feet. Elevation gains on all other hiking days but one will be greater than 1,200 feet. The sole exception is the final day when we will descend 2,600 feet in about 7.8 miles. Altogether, we will hike a little more than 30 miles, and the total elevation gain over the five-day hike will be around 6,000 feet.

The high elevation of this hike also contributes to the overall difficulty. We will reach an elevation of 10,000 feet on the morning of the first day, and, except for one brief segment on the third day, we will remain above 10,000 feet until the final day. In years with high snowfall, late-melting snow on the high passes may also make hiking more difficult.

Participation in this outing requires that you be experienced, in shape, and have reasonable expectations for the trip. Beginners with superior fitness may be considered. Recent backpacking experience and very good aerobic conditioning are essential. Our objectives are to enjoy some spectacular country and to complete the trip safely as a group. Group wilderness trekking requires not just aerobic strength; it requires patience when scouting is needed, and a collaborative team-first approach. We look out for each other and sometimes have to compromise our individual goals. We also owe it to each other to arrive at the trailhead physically and mentally ready for the challenge described here.

The leader will screen participants to help ensure each individual, and the group as a whole maintains the ability to accomplish the goals of the trip. The leader will call each participant to discuss the expectations of the trip and answer questions.

If you have questions or concerns about whether this trip is appropriate for you, please do not hesitate to contact the leader.

Equipment and Clothing

A list of suggested personal equipment will be sent to all participants. If you would like the list before signing up, let the leader know and a copy will be sent to you. Each person should keep the weight of personal gear, including backpack and water, around 20 pounds so that, with the addition of approximately 15 pounds of commissary equipment and food, the expected total pack weight will be less than 40 pounds at the start.

We will provide all food and cooking equipment, but you must bring your cup, bowl, and eating utensils. Some of the group equipment is relatively bulky, particularly pot sets and bear canisters. Your pack should be sufficiently large to carry an item about the size of a full paper grocery bag in addition to your gear. The bear canister protects the bears and other animals from our food.

Although Sierra summers are generally relatively mild and dry, you still must be prepared for rain and afternoon thunderstorms. For shelter, tents are strongly encouraged, and lightweight waterproof tarps are the required minimum. For clothing, you should bring a waterproof jacket and rain pants rather than a poncho.

The most important “thing” to bring on a trip of this nature is a flexible attitude -- sometimes conditions beyond our control intervene and we need to adapt. Responding to these conditions and meeting the backcountry on its terms is part of the thrill of being in the mountains.

The second-most important item is what you wear on your feet while you carry your backpack. A pair of broken-in, well-fitting boots is ideal because we’ll be crossing rocky passes and negotiating angled slabs and these may afford enhanced ankle protection. Some hikers favor lighter-duty footwear, sacrificing some protection for enhanced comfort. Please discuss footwear with the leader if you are considering an alternative to boots.

References

Please plan on bringing your map and compass. Not only is this a matter of safety, but you will have a better appreciation of where we are going and where we have been.

Maps covering our route include:

• National Geographic Trails Illustrated Topographic Map 809: Mammoth Lakes and Mono Divide
• USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle maps: Bloody Mountain, Graveyard Peak, Mount Abbot, and Convict Lake. You may find it easier to print your map by using personal computer software such as Topo! or by using map-printing facilities that can be found online or at outdoor stores.
• The combined Mammoth High Country and Mono Divide High Country maps published by Tom Harrison Maps (www.tomharrisonmaps.com)
• The two-sheet map set for the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia/Kings Canyon Wilderness published by the U.S. Forest Service

Books of interest include:

• Secor, R.J., The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails. The Mountaineers. An excellent general reference to trails, cross-country routes, and climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada.
• Roper, Steve, Sierra High Route – Traversing Timberline Country. The Mountaineers. Includes a guide to a portion of our planned route.
• Laws, John Muir, The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada. Heyday Books. An excellent field guide to the plants and wildlife of the Sierra.

Conservation

The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about the conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and aided by a salaried staff, encouraging grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding, advocacy, and participation in the goals of the club.

The magnificent wildlands of the Eastern Sierra are home to over 35% of California’s native species, 200 endemic plants and unique animals, and some of the most spectacular scenery and recreational opportunities in the world. Upwards of 90% of the land in the Eastern Sierra is public land managed either by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service. However, although much of the high and mountainous portion of the Eastern Sierra, such as the region we visited on our trip, has been designated as Wilderness, the vast majority of these Eastern Sierra public lands still do not have Wilderness designation. This land where the desert meets the mountains deserves diligent protection.

Although we seek to minimize human impact on the wilderness, clearly we do affect the environment. Our trip provides a good opportunity to consider our impact on the land. COVID-19 brought more people outdoors and as a result, many places are being stressed due to overuse. We will have a chance to consider these issues and more as we reflect on the opportunities and challenges for conservation as it relates to our planet, the humans whose temporary lives can have such a lasting impact and the economy. 

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.