Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Climb 300 feet to junction with Goodale Pass Trail and the Lake of the Lone In-
dian. The scenery is spartan and expansive, and it's possible to camp here. Keep
climbing until the trail plateaus a bit near Chief Lake set among scrubby boulders
and tarns and cradled by grand craggy mountains. Catch your breath before the next
series of switchbacks and admire the views back toward Papoose Lake. Approach
the pass through an exposed broad cirque. Much of the year the final push to grand
Silver Pass (10,900 feet) requires traversing a snowfield.
You may notice that the snow has a pinkish hue. The Sierra Nevada range is
well known for its high-altitude “watermelon snow,” a phenomenon resulting from
an algae bloom that thrives in cold temperatures. The scientific term is
Chlamydo-
monas nivalis,
and if you compress the snow under your boot or make snowballs, the
reddish tint is heightened. Despite the sweetish watermelon scent from which the
snow derives its name, it is ill-advised to taste the pink snow, as it's rumored to
cause severe gastrointestinal issues. As a general rule, it's best to never eat colored
snow—pink, yellow, or otherwise!
To truly appreciate the view from the pass, climb the higher rocks to the western
side of the pass and soak in an eyeful of breathtaking snowcapped mountains and
lakes. Essentially, it's all downhill from here, more than 3,000 feet, all the way to
Edison Ferry, 8.5 miles away. Say good-bye to the Inyo National Forest and descend
into Sierra National Forest on the southern side of the pass.
Hike down past the gorgeous turquoise waters of an unnamed mountain tarn,
where there is little to no camping, and continue through boulder-strewn grasslands
to lovely Silver Pass Lake, to find several fine campsites. This is very exposed coun-
try with little shade but tremendous views.
The descent moves from open exposed area to wooded meadow and finally
down precipitous switchbacks to the North Fork Mono Creek. Continue down,
down, down steep and loose rock. The final descent toward the river can be a bit of a
knee buster, with two challenging fords that require caution: one at Silver Pass Creek
and the other over the North Fork Mono Creek. After crossing the river this second
time, continue descending and ignore the trail to Mott Lake. The JMT skirts briefly
away from the water to enter shady Pocket Meadow, where campsites are plentiful.
Enjoy a more moderate descent along the creek, and meander through waist-
high monkey flower and grasses dotted with Yosemite asters and black-eyed Susans.
Water tumbles over smooth slabs of granite, and sunlit meadows give way intermit-
tently to aspen groves and wooded thickets. As the view opens up, begin switch-
backing down again, ignoring the Mono Creek Trail and continuing to follow signs
to Selden Pass. After this juncture, the trail becomes nearly flat. Cross the river and
