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Dunderberg Peak September 12-20, 2017
Dunderberg Peak
Mazourka Canyon
Storm clouds and shafts of light from Mazourka Camp on my way north
Clear sky heading south
My first and last camp of the trip was my usual Mazourka Canyon Road camp. At 4000 feet in elevation it was not as cool in temperature as my other camps which ranged from 6000 to 9300 feet. I showed up in the late afternoon or evening both times so the temperature was fairly comfortable in the low 80s.
Mono Lake
The lake is up over three feet since I last saw it earlier this year. (Formation on the left is my  measuring stick)
My measuring stick in June (3 months previously about 6' exposed)
Although 200 miles from the ocean the two Mono Lake islands are sea gull rookeries.	Mono Craters (North Americas youngest mountain range)
I camped twice near Mono Lake at the same site off Rush Creek Road. Rush Creek was still too high to ford so to get to the Tufa formations I used Test Site Road. The second time I got inundated by flying ants. I took a while to clean them out of my bathroom vent area.
Dunderberg Peak
Kavanaugh Ridge from the summit of Dunderberg Peak
About the only time I take pictures of myself are on mountain summits	Dunderberg Peak 12,374'
About two miles of  the Kavanaugh Ridge Jeep trail brings you from Dunderberg Meadows Road at about 9300' to a dead end at about 11,000 feet and a beautiful view into the Hoover Wilderness. About four hours of huff and puff brought me the final two miles to the summit. There appeared to be a more direct shorter route but I decided on the safer route since I was alone. I reached the summit on September 16th. The last two summit log entries were on the 9th and the 12th of September, so if I had a mishap it might be a while before anyone found the body. There were six off road vehicles leaving the end of the road when I got there. Most the traffic is four wheelers not climbers. Recently doctors decided I have COPD so I decided to check it out. Six hours of aerobics at over 11,000 feet, seems I still have lungs. I didn't bring my dog Mya because I was worried about her making the summit. I think she may have been able to make it with the route I took but it turned out that deer hunting season started when I was there. One of the hunters told me he had gotten a deer in the area last season and someone had shot two coyotes. Why they were shooting coyotes I don't know but many people are convinced my husky is part wolf or coyote. Glad I didn't bring her. Although hunters don't go up where I go they were shooting a lot one morning around my camp.
A chain of lakes stretching out towards Excelsior Mountain from the saddle on Dunderberg Peak
Gibbs Lake
Gibbs Lake looking towards Mount Dana (far peak) The foreground peak is actually the end of the Dana Plateau.
I took a five hour hike coving six miles round trip to Gibbs Lake at about 9500 feet between Mount Gibbs and Mount Dana. Trailhead was at the end of Upper Horse Meadow at about 8000 feet. There was a stiff wind at the lake that the forested trail had shielded me from. When I got back to the trailer the wind out in the open was enough to convince me to pack up and move to Obsidian Dome Road where I was again sheltered by the forest. Besides Gibbs Lake I also hiked from the Mono Pass trailhead in Yosemite towards Mt Dana. I'm trying to figure the best approach to climb the peak. Gibbs Lake isn't it.
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