Full TR: Mono/Parker Pass>Devils Post Pile>Tuolumne Meadows
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:36 am
Dates: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - Friday, August 18, 2017
Duration: 6 Days
Distance: 76 Miles
Group Size: 4 (became 3)
Route: Mono/Parker Pass > Devils Postpile (via PCT) > Tuolumne Meadows (via JMT and Minaret Loop)
This trip was a memorable one, as they usually are. Having done a trip of similar length in less time (High Sierra Trail / 78 Miles / 5 Days), I knew this trip would be doable and worth it. But this was also an uncharted area of the Sierra for me, an area I've always wanted to visit, AKA the Ansel Adams Wilderness. One thing I have learned going into this trip was that there is always something that doesn't go to plan. Sure enough, something unpredictable happened on this one as well...
Day 1 - Sunday, August 13, 2017:
Route: Mono/Parker Pass Trailhead > Alger Lakes (12 Miles)
This day was intentionally one of the shortest for several reasons: 1) Acclimatization - We had come up from the Bay Area the day prior, would be going over Koip Peak Pass (12,300 ft), and would be camping at Alger Lakes (10,600 ft). 2) Permit - We managed to show up only 4 minutes after the wilderness office closed at Tuolumne Meadows (thanks largely to a slow driver of Tioga Road), so we had to wait for the office to open the next morning, delaying the start of our hike. 3) Elevation Gain - This day would end up being one of our bigger climbs of the trip.
After obtaining our permit, we drove to the trailhead at Mono/Parker Pass. Our first stream crossing was less than 10 minutes in, but easy, nonetheless. Everything was so green. It felt much more like late Spring than mid Summer, and the mosquitoes were in full force. We managed to pass a few fellow backpackers and day hikers, but once we forked off on the Parker Pass trail, we saw NO ONE until mid-day the following day near Gem Lake. The trail was pretty wet going up to Parker Pass, but easy to navigate otherwise and plenty of water. Traversing from Parker Pass to the base of the switchbacks at Koip Peak Pass required a few snow and water crossings, but again, nothing treacherous. I had spent a good amount of time trying to spot out where the switchbacks were going up to Koip Peak Pass once we left Parker Pass. They are impossible to miss on a map, so surely I would find them on the actual mountain. I looked at one of the steepest slopes in front of me, thinking "that can't be it," only to realize they were in fact the switchbacks, and from that moment I knew the rest of the day would be tough. Sure enough the switchbacks were a slow going, but we eventually reached the pass, where it was windy and smoke (probably from the Wawona Fire) started to blow in. After a lengthy rest at the pass and taking in the views, we headed down to Alger Lakes, which seemed so close. However, it took awhile to reach them, including some loose rock and snow crossings, along with steep switchbacks. We camped near the south end of Alger Lakes. As we were readying for bed, it became extremely windy, cold, and very smoky. We could not see more than 100 yards through the smoke by nightfall as we went to bed.
.....
Duration: 6 Days
Distance: 76 Miles
Group Size: 4 (became 3)
Route: Mono/Parker Pass > Devils Postpile (via PCT) > Tuolumne Meadows (via JMT and Minaret Loop)
This trip was a memorable one, as they usually are. Having done a trip of similar length in less time (High Sierra Trail / 78 Miles / 5 Days), I knew this trip would be doable and worth it. But this was also an uncharted area of the Sierra for me, an area I've always wanted to visit, AKA the Ansel Adams Wilderness. One thing I have learned going into this trip was that there is always something that doesn't go to plan. Sure enough, something unpredictable happened on this one as well...
Day 1 - Sunday, August 13, 2017:
Route: Mono/Parker Pass Trailhead > Alger Lakes (12 Miles)
This day was intentionally one of the shortest for several reasons: 1) Acclimatization - We had come up from the Bay Area the day prior, would be going over Koip Peak Pass (12,300 ft), and would be camping at Alger Lakes (10,600 ft). 2) Permit - We managed to show up only 4 minutes after the wilderness office closed at Tuolumne Meadows (thanks largely to a slow driver of Tioga Road), so we had to wait for the office to open the next morning, delaying the start of our hike. 3) Elevation Gain - This day would end up being one of our bigger climbs of the trip.
After obtaining our permit, we drove to the trailhead at Mono/Parker Pass. Our first stream crossing was less than 10 minutes in, but easy, nonetheless. Everything was so green. It felt much more like late Spring than mid Summer, and the mosquitoes were in full force. We managed to pass a few fellow backpackers and day hikers, but once we forked off on the Parker Pass trail, we saw NO ONE until mid-day the following day near Gem Lake. The trail was pretty wet going up to Parker Pass, but easy to navigate otherwise and plenty of water. Traversing from Parker Pass to the base of the switchbacks at Koip Peak Pass required a few snow and water crossings, but again, nothing treacherous. I had spent a good amount of time trying to spot out where the switchbacks were going up to Koip Peak Pass once we left Parker Pass. They are impossible to miss on a map, so surely I would find them on the actual mountain. I looked at one of the steepest slopes in front of me, thinking "that can't be it," only to realize they were in fact the switchbacks, and from that moment I knew the rest of the day would be tough. Sure enough the switchbacks were a slow going, but we eventually reached the pass, where it was windy and smoke (probably from the Wawona Fire) started to blow in. After a lengthy rest at the pass and taking in the views, we headed down to Alger Lakes, which seemed so close. However, it took awhile to reach them, including some loose rock and snow crossings, along with steep switchbacks. We camped near the south end of Alger Lakes. As we were readying for bed, it became extremely windy, cold, and very smoky. We could not see more than 100 yards through the smoke by nightfall as we went to bed.
.....