Click here for Bill's photo blog - a more extensive photo selection and more complete, coherent narrative than mine.

Bill and I share a pool of photographs. We each made our selection from the pool. There is some overlap, but we did not collaborate in determining who uses which captures. The pool consisted of raw image files, and we each developed the photographs independently.

Mammoth 2016 Photo Albums


Annotated by Stella and Frank


Sep 10 Sonora Pass
Sep 11 San Joaquin Ridge
Sep 12 Mono Basin
Sep 13 Rest Day Ride
Sep 14 Hour Glass
Sep 15 Red's Meadow
Sep 16 Conness East Ridge

Summary

This was a peculiar year. No summits, no epics, no definite goals successfully reached. None of us felt strong physically, despite our training program, and Stella and Frank actually fell ill - Stella enough so that she missed several days of activity, and we almost departed prematurely.

Despite all this, it does not feel like the trip was a waste or a failure. We did some valuable explorations for future climbs, and our last day's climb up part of the East Ridge was thrilling fun.


  • On Day Zero, Frank climbs Sonora Pass West by bike on the way to Mammoth.
  • On Day One we overreach on a first day hike, and miss getting to the Two Teats.
  • On Day Two we meet up with Maureen and Frank, and walk among the Tufa, and climb Panum Crater. After this we aim to climb a big sand dune in the desert, but stop short.
  • On Day Three we have a rest day. Frank and Stella do a short walk at Lake Mary, but Stella is already feeling sick. Frank does a short, easy ride along Lake Mary Bike Path to Horseshoe Lake.
  • On Day Four Frank is also getting sick, but determines he is well enough to hike. So Bill and Frank reconnoiter the route to the Hour Glass and Mt Dade. Stella is entertained by noisy work crews at the condo.
  • On Day Five Bill and Frank do the ride to Red's Meadow again. While Frank leaves it at that, Bill does his usual add-on loop, until his crank free-wheel disintegrates and he limps home. .
  • On Day Six we climb the easier part of the Conness East Ridge, looking for the route to the Conness plateau.
  • On the Seventh Day God rested again, so we all went home as usual.