Put the camper on the truck and headed down 395 last week-end, nothing hard-core, just scouting some new backpacking trips for later this summer. Thought I'd post a few pics for all the good folks here at Super Topo...

First stop, Sonora Pass. Virtually no snow in the pass area, but Leavitt Falls is running pretty good right now:


Camped at Twin Lakes (had the entire campsite to ourselves) but hurricane force winds blew out any chance of good photography. We wanted to head for Agnew Meadows or Reds Meadow, but the road was still closed, so we opted for Rock Creek Road and Little Lakes:


Lakes are free of ice up to Long Lake, which is about 50% clear. Gem Lake, Chicken Foot Lake higher up are still solid, but there's little snowpack:


Decided too head for Mono Pass, a place I hadn't been before. A real treat to be hiking to 12,000' this early in the season. Here's the switchbacks above Ruby Lake:


Final saddle approach to Mono Pass is snow. From the pass looking north, here's a dreamy shot of frozen Summit Lake and Mt. Huntington (black dot center foreground are two day hikers) :


A view to the northwest of Pioneer Basin. Not much snow, but all the lakes looked iced in. Haven't back packed here before, but I want to now, after seeing this:


Ruby Lake, iced in, with crazy melt patterns and spider cracks:


All in all, everyone had a good time:


Funny coincidence dept.: Old meniscus tear from last fall flared up after three days out on the trail, so I went to the DR. yesterday - ended up e-mailing all my Bear Creek Spire pics to the physicians asst., as he's attempting a climb next week and needed a snow report... Me, I'm off for the MRI and knee repair.

Cheers, etc. Take care, out there.
Steve

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