After two weeks with Betsy wandering around the Sierra and introducing her to places she hadn't seen (the west side in particular), she flew home to the real job and I settled on doing this long 20 mile round trip day hike. Throw in 4000 feet of gain and you can bet my tank was empty when I got back to the trailhead. Big cloud buildup but at best at bit of a spritz from time to time. Lots of snow, bugs and wildflowers.
SUNRISE, COOL MORNING START TO THE MCGEE PASS TRAIL
BIG ROCK OFF OF A SPUR OF MT BALDWIN
CLASSIC EARLY MORNING EAST SIDE START
MORNING LIGHT BEGINNING TO FILL THE VALLEY
ANOTHER SUNRISE SHOT
SUNRISE, MAGEE PASS TRAIL
VERY COMPLEX GEOLOGICAL CONTACT ZONE
A SMALL SET OF TARNS A COUPLE MILES IN
LOOKING BACK AT THE AFOREMENTIONED TARNS
A NEWLY INSTALLED CROSSING OF MCGEE CREEK
THE CANYON BEGINS TO OPEN UP
MORE VIEWS OF WHATS TO COME
MCGEE CREEK IN MEADOWS BELOW BIG MAGEE LAKE
MEADOWS BELOW BIG MAGEE LAKE
BIG MAGEE LAKE
OUTLET FROM LITTLE MCGEE LAKE
WILDFLOWERS ON LABOR DAY
STARTING THE SIDE HILLING TO LITTLE MCGEE LAKE
THE TURN
ICE OUT AT LITTLE MCGEE LAKE
ICE OUT AT LITTLE MCGEE LAKE
THE FINAL SET OF SWITCHBACKS TO THE PASS
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE NORTH FACE OF MILLS
THE PASS AT LAST
LOOKING DOWN THE SNOW SECTION OF THE ROUTE
A GROUP OF 12 COMING UP FROM TULLY HOLE
LOOKING OUT AT THE SILVER DIVIDE FROM MCGEE PASS
MCGEE CREEK ROARING DOWN THE VALLEY
LOOKING AT THE LONG DISTANCE YET TO GO
THE BIG WASHOUT OF THE LOWER BRIDGE
GETTING CLOSER TO THE BIG TURN HOME
MIXED ROCK TYPE ON SHARPLY ETCHED RIDGE LINES
SAME VIEW WITH ASPEN IN THE FOREGROUND
REST DAY VIEW OF RITTER RANGE AND MINARETS
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE MINARETS AND THE RITTER RANGE
EARLY MORNING FOG LIFTING OVER MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN