Approach
The approach starts at the Mono Pass trail head on CA State Route 120 in Yosemite National Park. The trail head is 43 miles east of the Crane Flat Junction (about 6 miles east of the Tuolumne Meadows Visitors Center) and 1.25 miles west of the Tioga Entrance Station. The trail travels southeast through nice forest and meadows gaining about 1000 ft. in about 4 miles to Mono Pass. The trail is well marked, but stay left at each trail juntion.
Route Description
At or near the old mine shaft along the trail, turn north and start up through the good solid rock. There is no climbers trail (although it appeared that one duck had been set, but that was it) so some route finding is involved, but mainly keep going up. This rock with some scrub soon gives way to a seemingly endless scree / talus slope. Once at the top of the "hill" (between 11, 000 ft. and 11,500 ft) the rock improves somewhat as the pieces are bigger and the footing a bit better. Here also is where you actually see that you are on a ridge headed for the summit. I stayed mainly right on top or slightly below the ridge to the west. There is a pretty steep drop off to the east side of the ridge. As you near the summit there are some very small craggy sections that make for much faster travel. At the very last section before the summit there appear to be random little trails, are they from climbers or animals?
Essential Gear
Good foot wear and water in the summer. Be prepared also for summer thunderstorms. For winter to late spring, skis or snowshoes for the longer approach an ice axe and crampons for the climb itself.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
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