Mono Pass Trail
Originally I planned to start with the Gaylor Lakes hike and finish with Mono Pass, but at the last moment (literally), I chose to start with Mono Pass instead, since it was longer and harder, and finish with the "easy" one.
How harder I had no idea though. Woah the pain.
Worth it though, I also chose that for the scenery, and it is superb.
Wildlife, part one
Lots of birds and squirrels in here, there's chirping and buzzing everywhere. That said, it's a National Park after all, so the contrary would be surprising...
The trail alternates between shade and open paths
Some stream
Awesome vista all along
Wildlife, part two
Another view of blue sky, pines and mountains, if you're not bored yet. I'm not :)
Chillin'
Spot the bird!
Final stage of the trail, a long, relatively flat path through an open plain. Stunning alright, but at that point also kind of painful.
And I finally reached the end of the trail. Well, technically not an end since it actually continues on the other side in the general direction of Mono Lake, through barren, rocky wastelands perfectly suited for a post-apocalyptic movie set. But I digress. Main thing here is, I reached the pass. Elevation 10599ft.
Just out there there was a beautiful lake, so I walked a bit farther to spend a few minutes there doing absolutely nothing at all.
Wildlife, part three
Then I left, after a last pic
I made it!
7.5 miles (12 kilometers)
Trailhead Elevation: 9,700 feet (2,950 meters)
Mono Pass Elevation: 10,599 feet (3,230 meters)
Elevation Gain: 900 feet (275 meters)
Time spent: five hours.
Funny tip: "This is one of the highest-elevation day hikes in Yosemite. If you live near sea level, you may want to spend a day or two acclimating to Yosemite before hiking to Mono Pass."
I wish I had read that before doing it...
But I survived!
How harder I had no idea though. Woah the pain.
Worth it though, I also chose that for the scenery, and it is superb.
Wildlife, part one
Lots of birds and squirrels in here, there's chirping and buzzing everywhere. That said, it's a National Park after all, so the contrary would be surprising...
The trail alternates between shade and open paths
Some stream
Awesome vista all along
Wildlife, part two
Another view of blue sky, pines and mountains, if you're not bored yet. I'm not :)
Chillin'
Spot the bird!
Final stage of the trail, a long, relatively flat path through an open plain. Stunning alright, but at that point also kind of painful.
And I finally reached the end of the trail. Well, technically not an end since it actually continues on the other side in the general direction of Mono Lake, through barren, rocky wastelands perfectly suited for a post-apocalyptic movie set. But I digress. Main thing here is, I reached the pass. Elevation 10599ft.
Just out there there was a beautiful lake, so I walked a bit farther to spend a few minutes there doing absolutely nothing at all.
Wildlife, part three
Then I left, after a last pic
I made it!
7.5 miles (12 kilometers)
Trailhead Elevation: 9,700 feet (2,950 meters)
Mono Pass Elevation: 10,599 feet (3,230 meters)
Elevation Gain: 900 feet (275 meters)
Time spent: five hours.
Funny tip: "This is one of the highest-elevation day hikes in Yosemite. If you live near sea level, you may want to spend a day or two acclimating to Yosemite before hiking to Mono Pass."
I wish I had read that before doing it...
But I survived!