The idea here was to use Mono Pass as a way to get to and cross the Silver Divide twice. On the way in I would use 'Shout of Relief' Pass on the SHR to cross over to the north side and after connecting to the JMT would cross back over via Silver Pass. After that I would have the option of getting back to Rock Creek in one of three ways: 'Half Moon Pass', Mono Pass or the longer but more interesting 2nd Recess to Gabbot Pass and on over the Divide at Cox Col. In the end I choose the way I'd come in mostly because I was tired and wasn't sure what kind of snow conditions to expect on Cox Col. I did not have an axe or micro spikes with me. As boring as that decision sounds it certainly was not. If fact it ended in high drama - weather wise that is.
SUNRISE ON BCS AND A PARTIALLY HIDDEN NORTH SIDE OF DADE
THE ALWAYS IMPRESSIVE RUBY LAKE WALLS
SUNRISE ON BCS AND A PARTIALLY HIDDEN NORTH SIDE OF DADE AND ABBOT ABOVE RUBY LAKE ON THE WAY TO MONO PASS
OUTLET FROM SUMMIT LAKE LOOKING BACK AT MONO PASS
STARTING THE LONG DESCENT DOWN INTO MONO CREEK CANYON
LOOKING OVER TRAIL LAKES TO PEAKS IN THE 4TH RECESS
MEADOWS BELOW TRAIL LAKES AND MONO ROCK IN THE DISTANCE
GOLDEN CREEK ON ITS WAY DOWN THE VALLEY WHERE IT MERGES WITH ALL SORTS OF OTHER SOURCES TO BECOME MONO CREEK
LOOKING UP THE 4TH RECESS TO THE NORTH FACE OF MT MILLS
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE MONO CREEK TRAIL
PARTIAL VIEW INTO THE 2ND RECESS FROM THE 'PATH' TO LAUREL LAKE
LAUREL CREEK STARTING ITS STEEP DESCENT TO THE VALLEY BELOW
LAUREL CREEK JUST BEFORE ITS STEEP DESCENT TO THE VALLEY BELOW
LAUREL CREEK WITH RED AND WHITE MT IN THE DISTANCE
LATE AFTERNOON LIGHT IN LAUREL CREEK CANYON AS THE DAILY SHOWERS MOVE IN
END OF DAY ONE WITH SOME BIT OF ALPENGLOW OVER GABB PEAK IN THE 2ND RECESS
LAUREL CREEK FROM JUST ABOVE THE SO CALLED SWAMP
EARLY MORNING VIEW OF RECESS PEAK IN RECESS ONE
SIMILAR VIEW OF RECESS PEAK IN RECESS ONE AND PART OF RECESS TWO
VERY AVOIDABLE CHOKE POINT AS LAUREL CREEK TIGHTENS BEFORE LEVELING OUT BELOW LAUREL LAKE
LOOKING DOWN THE CANYON ABOVE THE SHORT HEADWALL / CHOKE POINT
RED AND WHITE PEAK FROM THE MEADOWS JUST SOUTH OF LAUREL LAKE
ANOTHER VIEW OF RED AND WHITE PEAK FROM THE MEADOWS JUST SOUTH OF LAUREL LAKE
IDEAL WALKING IN THE MEADOWS JUST SOUTH OF LAUREL LAKE
RED AND WHITE PEAK FROM THE MEADOWS JUST SOUTH OF LAUREL LAKE
THE MASSIVE SOUTH SIDE OF RED AND WHITE MT
LOOKING DOWN AT LAUREL LAKE FROM THE START OF THE RISE TO BIGHORN PASS
TYPICAL TERRAIN ON THE WAY TO BIGHORN PASS
MID-DAY VIEW SOUTH FROM BIGHORN PASS
ROSY FINCH LAKE AND MT ISSAK WALTON FROM BIGHORN PASS
FIRST VIEW OF SHOUT OF RELIEF PASS FROM BIGHORN PASS
SMALL LAKE ABOVE ROSY FINCH ON THE WAY TO SHOUT OF RELIEF PASS
THE LAST RISE TO SHOUT OF RELIEF PASS
VIEW NORTH FROM SHOUT OF RELIEF PASS
SEPT BLOOM OF MT HEATHER NORTH OF 'SHOUT OF RELIEF' PASS
PENTSTEMON ALONG THE SHORELINE OF A TARN NORTH OF 'SHOUT OF RELIEF' PASS
PENTSTEMON ALONG THE SHORELINE OF A TARN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 'SHOUT OF RELIEF' PASS
EVENING LIGHT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 'SHOUT OF RELIEF' PASS
D2 CAMPSITE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 'SHOUT OF RELIEF' PASS
EVENING LIGHT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 'SHOUT OF RELIEFT' PASS
THE MAKINGS OF A NICE SUNSET AT THE END OF DAY 2
SUNSET COLOR ON RED SLATE MT
UNDERCUT SNOWBANK ALONG SHORELINE OF TARN
MORNING DAY 3 - DESCENDING TO TULLY LAKE
MORNING DAY 3 - TRYING TO FIND TULLY LAKE
LAST LOOK BACK AT 'SHOUT OF RELIEF' PASS
FIRST GLIMPSE OF TULLY LAKE
LOOKING NORTH OVER TULLY LAKE
WANDERING PAST TULLY LAKE ON THE WAY TO THE MCGEE PASS TRAIL
DESCENDING THRU THE GORGE OF FISH CREEK ON THE WAY TO TULLY HOLE