Photo: Steve Wilson Beginner Backpack to Pioneer Basin, John Muir Wilderness, California Highlights:
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Trip Number: 09111A Price: $685 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 12 Rating: L/M Leader:
The Trip  Photo: Steve Wilson "Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years of wandering and wondering in the heart of it, rejoicing in its glorious floods of light, the white beams of the morning streaming through the passes, the noonday radiance on the crystal rocks, the flush of the alpenglow, and the irised spray of countless waterfalls, it still seems above all others the Range of Light." - John Muir Experience some of the finest of John Muir's Range of Light. We will lead you over a 12,000-foot Sierra crest pass and into a lake-filled alpine basin where wildflower-strewn meadows lie beneath the snow-capped granite peaks of the Sierra crest. We’ll discover our own unforgettable scenes of Sierra splendor. Whether you have some limited backpacking experience or you'd like to give it a try for the first time, we can help you learn what you need to know to enjoy a week in the wilderness. Your leaders have years of backpacking experience and enjoy sharing their expertise with others. In pre-trip correspondence, we will make suggestions about getting in shape and will provide you with a detailed list of gear to bring. We will also advise you on renting or purchasing equipment. Upon your arrival, we will go through all the gear you have packed and help you decide what to bring and what you might leave behind. We'll teach you basic skills -- how to pack and adjust your pack, select a campsite, pitch a tent, and read a topographic map. We'll discuss leave-no-trace principles, trail etiquette, camp hygiene, water purification, cross-country travel, and trip planning. During the trip we will learn about conservation issues that affect the area in which we are hiking.
 Photo: Steve Wilson Day 1: The trip officially starts at 5 p.m., when we will meet at a campground at the end of Rock Creek Road, south of the ski town of Mammoth Lakes on the beautiful eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. There we will have the first session of our backpacking orientation, as our bodies begin to acclimatize to the altitude. Day 2: The morning will consist of further backpacking instruction and discussion. Then we will hoist our backpacks and hit the trail. As our trailhead is above 10,000 feet, we will experience instant gratification, entering the wide-open high country within minutes. After a short but steep hike of 2 miles, we'll camp in the glacial cirque holding Ruby Lake (11,100 feet). Day 3: We will cross the Sierra crest at 12,000 ft. Mono Pass (our high point). Here we’ll enjoy the spectacular views and then descend to our camp at the headwaters of Mono Creek.  Photo: Steve Wilson Days 4-5: On day four we will reach Pioneer Basin, the centerpiece of our journey. We will camp here for two nights, giving us an entire layover day to explore the gentle alpine terrain of the basin, swim in any of its many lakes, follow a meandering stream, climb a nearby peak, or simply enjoy the solitude and opportunity for reflection. The joys of exploring without full packs cannot be exaggerated, especially in this very high country. Day 6: Leaving Pioneer Basin, we will backtrack downhill to Mono Creek, cross the creek, and then climb into a spectacular nearby glacier-carved canyon. Days 7-8: We will begin to retrace our steps, camping en route to Mono Pass on day seven. On day eight we will re-cross Mono Pass, arriving at the trailhead by early afternoon, where the trip will officially end. Getting There Our meeting place is at the Mosquito Flat trailhead campground at the end of Rock Creek Road, 10 miles from Route 395, between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. Driving time to the campground is about 6-7 hours from Las Vegas, San Francisco or Los Angeles, or about four hours from Reno, Nevada. We will provide a roster two months before the trip begins, so participants can make carpool arrangements. We recommend that participants arrive a day before the trip begins and sleep at altitude, in order to get a head start on acclimatization. There are numerous campgrounds along Rock Creek Road located at elevations of 7,000 to 9,000 feet. Another good option would be to stay in Mammoth Lakes, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, offering numerous lodging and dinner options. We expect to return to the trailhead by early afternoon on the last day. Please make your return travel arrangements accordingly.
We provide delicious meals that are lightweight and simple to prepare, offering good variety and sufficient quantity. Sometimes that means tortellini with pesto, parmesan, and pine nuts. Typically, we also make rice with ginger-curried chicken and veggies. Several meals will include chicken or fish, but we can easily accommodate vegetarians by adding these items last. It's likely that you'll learn several new menu ideas you'll want to try on your own trips; we'll be glad to share the recipes. Participants will be expected to assist with meal preparations and clean-up. We will provide all meals, from lunch at the entry trailhead campground on day one, through lunch on the final day. This includes a snack bag -- with energy bars, as well as salted nuts and raisins -- for each participant.
This trip is designed for beginning backpackers, but participants need to be physically fit. Although the trip is rated L/M overall, backpacking is by nature a strenuous activity, and some days may be quite taxing. You will carry a pack with 40 to 45 pounds of gear at the start and you will be hiking rugged trails at high altitude over steep terrain. The overall distance is about 30 miles, and elevations range from 10,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level. Daily distances range from 2 to 6 miles. The maximum elevation gain in one day is approximately 1,700 feet. The best way to get in condition for the trip is to hike regularly, carrying a backpack, with increasingly heavy loads on non-flat terrain. Begin with 20 or 25 pounds of whatever you find that's relatively bulky, load it into your backpack, and walk up and down some good-sized hills (or even the stairs of a tall building). Do this at least once or twice a week for a few months prior to the trip, working up to 35 or 40 pounds during the last month. Make sure to wear the boots you'll be wearing on the trip to minimize the risk of getting blisters. You owe it to yourself and the group to be in shape.
The Sierra Club will provide the group equipment, including bear-proof food canisters, cooking equipment and other group gear and supplies. Although we try hard to keep the commissary weight down, each participant's share of the group equipment and food will be about 12-15 pounds at the start of the trip. As soon as you are approved for this trip, the leaders will send you a detailed list of personal equipment to bring. You will want to bring all the items on the list and nothing more (well, maybe one lightweight "luxury" item). It's critical to limit your personal gear to 25 pounds (with pack) to maximize your enjoyment of the trip and to assure that you can keep up with the group. The two most important items you will need are boots and a backpack. Make sure your boots are made of leather, have lug soles, cover your ankles, and are well broken-in but not worn out. Blisters are the most common problem experienced by backpackers. As for the backpack, make sure that it fits you well, spreads the load evenly between your shoulders and hips, and has enough capacity for all of your personal equipment plus a bear canister (a cylinder 12 inches long and eight inches in diameter) as well as one or two smaller pieces of group gear.
Tom Harrison's "Trail Map of the Mono Divide High Country" shows the entire route. For a highly detailed topographic map, see the USGS 7.5-minute topographic map, “Mount Abbot.” The Falcon Guide Hiking Northern California by Ron Adkison describes the hike into Pioneer Basin. Conservation Our route lies entirely within public National Forest lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Fortunately, most of the highest regions of the High Sierra are permanently protected as congressionally designated wilderness. Our trip is located in one of these, the John Muir Wilderness. However, most National Forest lands that do not have wilderness protection are under continual assault. Logging, road building, overgrazing, and mine wastes have blighted many public forests with clear-cuts, water pollution, mudslides, invasion of non-native species, and loss of habitat. Much of this environmental degradation has been paid for by American taxpayers at a cost of billions of dollars. During our trip we will discuss federal public lands and wilderness protection, and learn about how the various land agencies perform in terms of environmental stewardship. We will also learn about the Sierra Club's storied legacy, dating from John Muir himself, of efforts to preserve endangered habitat and wilderness.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Jane Jontz has backpacked in the Ansel Adams Wilderness (with Sierra Club) as well as the Chugach Range of Alaska and the Pioneer Mountains of Montana (with Outward Bound,) the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Mount Shasta and Mount Kilimanjaro. She has lead trips in Baxter State Park, Maine, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan and co-led this trip last year. In addition to backpacking, she enjoys long distance running and working as a National Ski Patroller. 
Born in the UK, Deirdre Butler showed a love for nature and passion for animals from an early age and grew up hiking and horseback riding in Dartmoor National Park, southern England. As Wildlife Chair for the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Sierra Club and both Chair and an Outings Leader for the Indian Peaks group, Deirdre takes delight in sharing her knowledge and observations of wildlife with trip participants.