Women's Backpacking in Pioneer Basin and the Mono Recesses, John Muir Wilderness, California

The Trip

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” ― Chief Seattle

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 dayhike among idyllic alpine lakes, granite peaks, and gentle meadows in the remarkable and expansive Pioneer Basin. During our week we will enjoy two separate layover days to further explore at least three of these basins, each with its own personality. We will camp two nights in a more remote and less visited recess for greater solitude and connection, and a truly shared wilderness experience among women. Come saunter with us and enjoy this moderately paced alpine adventure in the High Sierra.

Day 1: The trip officially begins Saturday afternoon at the Mosquito Flat walk-in trailhead campground.  We will introduce ourselves to one another, review trip details, and share an early dinner together. After dinner there will be time to answer questions and finalize our group gear. 

Day 2: After breakfast, we’ll organize our gear and start the hike directly from camp. We will immediately begin our ascent from Rock Creek to Ruby Lake, located at just over 11,000 feet. Our first travel day is intentionally short to allow us to acclimate to the thin air and get comfortable with our packs and gear. The trail starts out gentle and 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. Today’s hike is about 2.5 miles with a 1,000-foot ascent.

Day 3: After breakfast we begin what appears to be a formidable climb up the canyon headwall to surmount the Sierra crest at Mono Pass (12,077 feet). From the Pass, it opens up to a sprawling vista that reveals our playground for the next six 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 with its iconic inlet stream waterfall.  We will camp on its western slopes, which often provide spectacular alpenglow sunsets on its eastern peaks. Total mileage is 6.5 miles with a 1,000-foot ascent and 1,800-foot descent.

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 remarkable and expansive lake 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, wildflower-filled meadows, and spectacular vistas 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 a 900-foot ascent and 300-foot descent.

Days 6-7: 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 remote and less visited Third Recess. This classic alpine lake (Third Recess 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. We plan to camp here for two nights to provide more opportunities to further explore and enjoy the Mono Divide, solitude, or perhaps to create quiet space for yoga and meditation. With the setting of the sun and the rising moon, we may be treated with yet another iridescent alpenglow upon the peaks and the bright moonlight illuminating the basin. Total mileage is 6 miles with a 1,000-foot ascent and 1,300-foot descent.

Day 8: Today 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. We will embrace our final evening together with time to reflect on our adventure and wilderness experience. Total mileage is 5 miles with a 1,600-foot ascent and 900-foot descent.

Day 9: On our final day we continue our rigorous hike up to Mono Pass (12,077 feet). 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 to Ruby Lake. We'll end our hike at Mosquito Flat trailhead. Total mileage is 5.5 miles with a 1,000-foot ascent and 2,000-foot descent.

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

Getting There

The closest major airport is in Reno, Nevada, located 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. The campground is located at the end of Rock Creek Canyon, west of US 395.

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

Accommodations and Food

The first night's campground fee and all meals are included, beginning with dinner on the official first night in camp on day one and concluding with lunch on the last day on trail. Meals will be healthy and vegetarian friendly, featuring some organic and non-GMO items. Some food sensitivities might be accommodated. However, please let the trip leaders know of any food allergies or dietary restrictions when you apply. Boiled water and a gravity water filter system for treating group water will be provided. For any and all non-group personal water treatment, you must provide your own water purification method. Trip participants will share in the responsibility of preparing daily meals, cooking, and cleaning up while on trail. 

Throughout our trip, we will adhere to all land agency regulations and guidelines as well as the principles of Leave No Trace (LNT).

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated 3 (Moderate) on a scale of 1 to 5 (easy to strenuous).  A couple days will be challenging, with large elevation gains. Elevations on this trip range from 10,000 feet to 12,000 feet, exclusive of peak climbs, and all backcountry camps are above 10,000 feet. Participants are encouraged to arrive a day or two prior to the trip to help acclimatize to the altitude.

Participants should have some previous backpacking experience in a subalpine environment to be approved for this trip. Participants must maintain a regular fitness program, including doing 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.

Equipment and Clothing

The Sierra Club will provide all group cooking equipment, a group first aid kit, a group water filter system for camp use, and bear-resistant food storage canisters (participants are responsible for personal water purification method on trail). At the start of the trip you will be given a full bear canister and/or a portion of the group gear with a combined weight of up to 15 pounds. It is very important that you limit your personal gear and pack weight to no more than 25 pounds, so that together with 1-2 liters of water your total pack weight will be less than 45 pounds. We require that you bring or plan to share a tent (highly recommended) or lightweight tarp (at a minimum), sturdy and comfortable broken-in boots that provide good ankle support, a sleeping bag that will keep you warm in freezing temperatures, a small personal first-aid kit, and a waterproof rain jacket and pants.

The leader will send detailed equipment recommendations to participants well in advance of the trip. More information regarding personal gear may be found at http://www.knapsack.org/basic_equipment.html

References

• Tom Harrison Cartography's "Mono Divide High Country" trail map provides the best overview. The U.S. Forest Service map of the John Muir Wilderness also covers the entire route.
• Except for the first (and last) half-mile of the trip, the entire planned route is contained on the “Mt. Abbot” USGS 7.5-minute series map.

• Secor, R.J., The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails. The Mountaineers. The encyclopedia.
• Arnot, Phil, High Sierra: John Muir's Range of Light. Vivid description of Pioneer Basin as well as many other spectacular areas in the Sierra.
• Morey, Kathy et al, Sierra South: Backcountry Trips in California’s Sierra Nevada. Wilderness Press.

Conservation

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” ― John Muir

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