The day after hiking Mono Pass was a rest day, I moved my truck all the way up to the campground at Walker Lake and organized my gear, that hike I had done in my tennis shoes, this would require an ice ax and crampons.
I headed up the trail to Mono Pass again, getting a really early start and again crossing the stream on a snowbridge. Before I got to the top of the pass, I took a right up a snow covered coulour. I made it about halfway up before crampons were necessary, and while it was not very steep, they made a huge difference.
I reached the top and found the summit register, which was an old ammunition box that had been placed by some navy guys from one of the bases in Nevada.
Looking back to the far east, I could see Boundary Peak and the White Mountains on the horizon.
While looking directly North I could see Mt. Dana and decided to climb that too.
I went down the east side of Mt. Gibbs and then followed the ridge north, pausing at the saddle to take a picture of Mono Lake
Before heading up the snow covered ridge to Mt. Dana, having to use my crampons and ice ax again.
I got to the top of Mt. Dana and found the summit register, it was a PVC pipe that I was unable to open. I met a couple of skiers who had skinned to the top from the north of the peak, paused for more pictures and then headed back down the snowy ridge, which was not steep enough to glissade unfortunately.
From there I went around the west side of Mt. Gibbs rather than trying to go up and over the top. On the south side of Mt. Gibbs I saw some Bighorn sheep and again saw the miners cabins at the pass.
It was getting to be dark as I started down the pass, and when I crossed the snow bridge over the creek it gave way underneath of my weight. There was enough snow that I didn't end up in the water, but it was still an unsettling experience.
I reached my camp at Walker lake around midnight and took the next day off to rest.