You guys are right, I don't want to scare her away from future trips...or do I? I'll save the Pioneer Basin for a trip with the guys.

I've decided to spend the first night at Ruby Lake and the 2nd night at Gem Lakes. She can bag Mono Pass on the 2nd day before we backtrack towards Little Lakes Valley and spend the night there. Should be a nice intro right?

I hiked over Mono Pass one time and couldn't even pull off to pee there were so many people. Sucks! Pine Creek is just as bad.

Do you want to lose a girlfriend or have somebody get altitude sickness? It happened to me on the Pine Creek trail.

The better way to go over to Pioneer Basin is over Half Moon Pass. It is a little bit more challenging but saves a lot of time. Pioneer Lakes Basin is nothing special. In fact, I wouldn't even camp there. Hopkins is nicer. Then you go over the pass and exit out through Pioneer.

Golden Lake is nice.

It's all nice.

I would go to the Tamarack Bench in Rock Creek or the Tyee Tr. Something like that where you get up into the high country but don't kill yourself getting there. Comprende? We want photos!

It's only 16 miles and little elevation gain, 2200 in and about 600 out, according to my GPS. It's not difficult at all, not nearly as tedious as day hiking Whitney. But Dusy Basin (to me) is more scenic.

I love Piute Pass too into Humphreys Basin. Did that yesterday and saw only 2 people the whole hike.

Ulysses, you

Never tried to hike over Bishop Pass down into the bottom Dusy Basin and then hike out the same day. But then I was always staying down there for the night. The thought of hiking in and then out didn't make any sense to me back then. I liked waking up down there then going over to Palisade Basin for some fishing.

In the shape I'm in now, it would probably take me a night just to get over Bishop Pass...

"The thought of hiking in and then out didn't make any sense to me back then."

It doesn't make any sense to me now. I had to do it one time when the young lady I was with got altitude sickness and heat exhaustion going up the Pine Creek Trail. So I helped her back down to the car, took her home, and immediately returned to hike right back up that sucker. That's back when I had old Inyo, and he was tougher than me.

When a man is on a mission nothing stops him!

I like the other Mono Pass trail, the one that starts at the Tioga Road.

another of the off-trail gems; Williamson Creek

Blue Lake with Thompson Ridge in background. Sometime ago I think I got the names correct - west of Sabrina ya can't miss it. Just quite a few lakes up there ...

I have never been beyond Blue Lk. but would like to know if there are any meadows up there where the sheepherders left carvings? They were at George Lk. in 1895 so it stands to reason that they were up in the Blue Lk. basin.

Remember that they came along the creek before the dam was there and up the valley. It must have been unreal with nice little meadows. Freakin' dam. Damn the dam!

a four photo stitch of the dusy basin

^^^If my memory serve me right is that the Inconsolable Range in the background? Great image cjk...

So close PG, but the Inconsolable Range is just out of frame to the left.

L-R goes something like this: Agassiz, Winchell, Thunderbolt, North Palisade (the big guys), then Isosceles, Columbine and off to the right, Giraud sits under the puffy cloud. Several unnamed peaks are seen too.

Giraud is the only named peak I haven't climbed in the photo.

this would be the Inconsolable Range
from Bishop Pass

If you are not a guide, you should be one. I have met few people who have been to as many places or done so much in the ES as you cjk. You have some great photos to prove it.

You have lived the life and much more to come.