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Mammoth Lakes to McGee Pass via Laurel Lake and Silver Pass 8/4-8/11 2013


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Home Forums Campfire Member Trip Reports Mammoth Lakes to McGee Pass via Laurel Lake and Silver Pass 8/4-8/11 2013

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  • #1306780
    Richard Gless
    BPL Member

    @rgless

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    We came up with this trip based on several things: photos of the Deer Lake Basin on the Sierra High Route that were posted at the local climbing gym (Berkeley Iron Works) showing the open, essentially treeless country between Mammoth Lakes and Deer Lake, as well as the desire to do a section of the Sierra High Route we hadn’t already done and a section of the John Muir Trail that my wife hadn’t done.

    We started at Lake George in Mammoth, climbed up to the SHR and went south to Deer Lakes. From there we continued on the SHR which coincides with the JMT for a while then just beyond Tully Hole, climbs out of Horse Heaven to Izaak Walton Lake and then drops back down past Laurel Lake to the Mono Creek Trail. We then went down the Mono Creek Trail to pick up the JMT just East of Lake Thomas A Edison and then went north on the JMT over Silver Pass. We turned east at Tully Hole and exited the Sierras via McGee Pass. This is a very spectacular area. Unfortunately the smoke from a forest fire to the south resulted in hazy afternoons the first few days obscuring the views, especially later in the afternoon.

    10a

    Lake Mary and Lake George in Mammoth Lakes

    26a

    Crystal Lake and the Mammoth Crest

    37a

    Looking South on the Mammoth Crest

    59a

    Deer Lakes basin

    70a

    Alpen Glow at Deer Lakes. Roper's “conspicuous gap” in the ridge between Deer Lake and Duck Lake is at the left.

    94a

    Looking back to Deer Lake Basin and a hazy view of the Minarets and Mts Ritter and Banner

    119a

    Duck Lake

    124a

    Fireweed along the trail

    160a

    Purple Lake

    173a

    Camp above Virginia Lake

    206a

    Switchbacks down into Tully Hole. Note the haze from the forest fire.

    217a

    Horse Heaven

    220a

    View to McGee Pass from benches enroute Izaak Walton Lake

    222a

    Izaak Walton Lake

    240a

    Notch to Rosy Finch Lake from a tarn near Cotton Lake

    252a

    Red Slate Mountain

    262a

    What’s for dinner?

    291a

    View back from the Pass. Mts Ritter and Banner in the haze on the horizon

    301a

    View South to Rosy Finch Lake and Bighorn Lake, Notch to Laurel Lake

    322a

    Laurel Lake far below

    331a

    Laurel Lake basin

    342a

    View back up the canyon containing Laurel Lake

    344a

    View south into Mono Creek Canyon and beyond into the Second Recess

    376a

    View to First Recess

    396a

    View up canyon towards Mott Lake and Rosy Finch Lake

    407a

    Trail to Silver Pass

    410a

    View from camp below Silver Pass South to Granite Ridge and Selden Pass far to the South

    452a

    View North from Silver Pass

    460a

    Chief Lake

    466a

    Squaw Lake

    494a

    On the McGee Pass Trail

    518a

    Sunset at Tully Lake

    534a

    Trail to McGee Pass

    561a

    Looking back from the approach to McGee Pass

    589a

    McGee Pass

    596a

    Descending McGee Pass

    649a

    Big McGee Lake

    678a

    McGee Canyon has to be one of the more spectacular East Side Exits from the High Sierra

    #2018047
    Ike Jutkowitz
    BPL Member

    @ike

    Locale: Central Michigan

    I enjoyed your trip report and pictures. What was for dinner?

    #2018053
    Richard Gless
    BPL Member

    @rgless

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    That particular night it was Backpacker’s Pantry Katmandu Curry and crystal-lite lemon ice tea. We think this is a good, filling, vegetable curry that is pretty lightweight.

    #2019336
    Marc Eldridge
    BPL Member

    @meld

    Locale: The here and now.

    Nice trip Richard. That smoke must have been from the Aspen Fire. We encountered it on a trip out of Mammoth to Thousand Island Lake and Donohue Pass July 24-28.

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