š„¾Hiking at Mammoth in 2024šļø
- Barbara Levine
- Oct 20, 2024
- 20 min read
Updated: Mar 11
June-October, 2024
Written by Barbara Levine
š„¾1.0 Prefacešļø
We usually spend a week each month in Mammoth Lakes, CaliforniaĀ where we have a condo. StanĀ skisĀ there during the winter and spring months. IĀ go with him, although IĀ had to stop skiingĀ 16 years agoĀ due to replacement or fusion of body parts.
In the summer and fall, we ride our bikesĀ on the many bike paths in the area. We haven't hiked there for many years, but on our four tripsĀ from JuneĀ to October in 2024, we add hikingĀ and exploringĀ by car to our activities.
September 24, 2024:Ā Ā StanĀ and I on a hike around Rock Creek Lake
The scenery is breathtaking everywhere we venture.
On two of our four trips, in JuneĀ and October, StanĀ and IĀ are on our own. On the other two tripsĀ in AugustĀ and September, we are led by our friend GaleĀ who lives in Mammoth LakesĀ during the summers.
IĀ am with Stan and Gale on a hike by Convict LakeĀ in August 2024
StanĀ skis with GaleĀ during the winter months, and she knows all of the hiking and biking trails in the area. We have given her the nickname RangerĀ Gale.
š„¾2.0 Our Hiking Historyšļø
Stan and I each had our first hiking experience during separate backpacking trips in 1974 ā more than a year before we started dating in late 1975. Once we were a couple, we hiked during backpacking and horsepacking trips into the Sierras for the next 35 years through 2011. We always took our three kids with us until they became adults.
Left:Ā Ā StanĀ (age 38) with his son Dave (on the right), his daughter Tiffany (second from the right) and his friend's two sons on his first backpacking trip in 1975.
Center:Ā Ā At 34 years old, I am on my first backpacking trip in 1975.
Right:Ā Ā StanĀ and IĀ in front of my home in Manhattan Beach after a backpacking trip together in 1977
We have continued hikingĀ around the hills of Palos Verdes PeninsulaĀ where we live, and now we are once again hikingĀ in the mountains at Mammoth in our 80s.
š„¾3.0 HikingĀ in the Mammoth Area in 2024šļø
We visit an amazing amount of places during our four tripsĀ to Mammoth Lakes from JuneĀ to OctoberĀ of 2024, including 28Ā biking, hikingĀ and exploring destinations.
There are many hiking trails in the Mammoth area, incorporating day hikes as well as multi-day backpacking and horsepacking treks.
The table below summarizes our 10Ā hiking destinationsĀ in date order during three of the four tripsĀ that we are there in the summer and fall of 2024.
Our 10Ā Hiking Destinations at Mammoth in 2024
Note: The nomenclature used throughout this missive to describe destinationsĀ isĀ Destination(#), where the #Ā refers to a Map Point.
The following two maps display our 28 adventure destinationsĀ in red numerals including our 10 hiking destinations. The first mapĀ shows nine of our hiking destinations with the exception of Rock Creek Lake(25), which is displayed on the second map.
Map 1: Our Adventure Destinations 1-24 at Mammoth in 2024
Map 2: Our Adventure Destinations 25-27 at Mammoth in 2024
In the following segments, I describe each hike we take in date order. Ranger Gale leads us on the first eight hikes in August and September, and I am the leader on the last two hikes in October.
š„¾3.1 HikingĀ to Minaret Falls(20), 8/11/24šļø
During our visit to the Ranger Station in the Mammoth Visitor Center(4) in June, the ranger had marked Minaret Falls(20) near the Devils Postpile National Monument on a map she gave me as a place we might like to hike to. In the past, we have hiked to Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls, and we horsepacked out of Agnew Meadows, but I hadn't heard about Minaret Falls(20).
When I told Ranger Gale that I would like to hike there, we chose it as the first hiking destination during our August trip.
The route to the Devils Postpile National Monument starts up the road past the Main Lodge(18) on Mammoth Mountain (see the map on the right). It is a narrow pavel road, but there is a lot of construction going on this summer so there are stretches of gravel. Also, cars are not allowed in between 7am and 7pm. Visitors during those hours must take a shuttle bus from the Main Lodge(18) instead.
After our flat tire misadventure with our Tesla on a gravel road in June, Gale offers to drive. We didn't know cars weren't allowed in during the daytime, so we drove up to the entrance gate and were told that only a vehicle with a handicapped person could pass.
Well, I have a handicap placard, so they let us through! How can I be handicapped and still go on all of these arduous biking and hiking adventures?
I suffer from dizziness, and my body aches badly from my osteoarthritis and multiple replacements and fusions when I try to walk any distance unaided ā thus my doctor ordered a handicap placard for me. The good news is that IĀ can ride forever on my electric adult Trike. I can also walk for long distances using hiking poles which help with my balance and relieve my aching body.
It is a beautiful drive down the long, windy road to the bottom of the canyon that leads to the Devils Postpile National Monument.
On the drive down, in the distance we see the Minarets straight ahead with Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak to the right.
We drive through the canyon and park at the Ranger Station near Devils Postpile(21) trailhead where the hike to Minaret Falls(20) begins.
The hike is 1.5 miles each way along the Pacific Crest Trail. It is a moderate hike with 125 feet of elevation change.
The trail leads to a beautiful 250-foot, cascading waterfall just outside the boundaries of the Devils Postpile National Monument. Minaret Falls(20) starts from snowmelt in the Minarets mountain range, down into the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River.
Gale, Stan and I at the end of the trail with Minaret Falls(20) cascading down behind us
Stan and Gale start on a rough side trail to try to get closer to the falls. I decide not to follow them because I would be putting myself in too much danger of falling.
Following are more photos from our hike to Minaret Falls.
Top left:Ā Ā GaleĀ and IĀ by a bridge over the South ForkĀ of the San Joaquin River
Top center:Ā Ā View of Mammoth MountainĀ beyond theĀ San Joaquin River
Top right: Stan and Gale on the hike up to Minaret Falls
Bottom left:Ā Ā StanĀ and GaleĀ starting on a treacherous side hike to get closer to the falls
Bottom center: Stan looking up at Minaret Falls cascading over the rocky ridge above
Bottom right: Gale in front of Minaret Falls
It has taken us 2 Ā½ hours to hike the three-mile round trip to Minaret Falls, getting back to the trailhead to Devils Postpile(21) at 2:30pm. We decide that while we are there, we might as well hike in to see Devils Postpile(21) as well.
š„¾3.2 HikingĀ to Devils Postpile(21), 8/11/24šļø
The distance of the hike to Devils Postpile is 0.8 mile to the base of the formation with an elevation gain of only 40 feet. Even so, after just finishing a three-mile hike to Minaret Falls(20), Stan and Gale are ready to sit for awhile and enjoy the view when we arrive.
I, on the other hand, want to hike another half-mile to see every view possible of this rare geological marvel.
You have to understand that I am normally the laggard during all of our hikes. I need to stop frequently to rest and catch my breath and ease my aching body parts ā and to take lots of photos, of course. So it is very unusual that I go on ahead alone while Stan and Gale sit and rest.
Top left:Ā Ā StanĀ at the start of the trail to Devils Postpile
Top center:Ā Ā View from the bridge over the South Fork of theĀ San Joaquin River. We can spot the Devils Postpile above the river on the left.
Top right:Ā Ā StanĀ and IĀ approaching Devils Postpile
Middle:Ā Ā Beautiful panoramic view in front of Devils Postpile
Bottom left:Ā Ā StanĀ and GaleĀ resting and enjoying the view of Devils Postpile, while I continue on another quarter of a mile to see it from all directions
Bottom center:Ā Ā My view of Devils Postpile from the far side where I hiked
Bottom right: Ā StanĀ and GaleĀ in front of a pay phone back at the Ranger Station after our hike out from Devils Postpile
Devils Postpile boasts a remarkable geological formation characterized by thousands of hexagonal basalt columns, each reaching heights of 40 toĀ 60 feet
Our hike to Devils Postpile and back takes us 1 Ā½ hours. Added to the 2 Ā½ hours of our hike to Minaret Falls, we have logged four hours of hiking today, plus a couple of hours of driving. Not too shabby for our first time hiking in the mountains in a long time.
š„¾3.3 HikingĀ to McLeod Lake(13), 8/13/24šļø
Preface: After spending the first day of our August trip hiking to Minaret Falls and Devils Postpile, yesterday we rode our bikes to the Lakes District. You can read about that ride and our other biking adventures by clicking on the photo on the right.
Stan and I on our bike ride on 8/13 to the Lakes District in the distance on the left
Hiking to McLeod Lake(13): After two long days hiking and biking, we decide to do an easy hike today to McLeod Lake. McLeodĀ is pronounced āMcCloud,ā and McLeod LakeĀ is named after Malcolm McLeod, a former district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.
We drive up to Horseshoe Lake(12) wh ere we rode our bikes yesterday. A half mile uphill trek through the forest from the parking area at Horseshoe Lake, McLeod Lake is a popular summer destination for picnickers and float-tube anglers willing to haul their gear. The small lake spans just nine acres, offering long, sandy beaches and dramatic views of both the backside of Mammoth Mountain and the towering granite cliffs of Mammoth Crest.
The entire round-trip hike on the route shown on the map above to McLeod Lake is 1.8 miles. This is a high elevation hike, starting at just under 9,000 feetĀ and climbing to just over 9,300 feet at the highest point. with an elevation gain of 349 feet.
However, we take a longer loop going in which follows the shoreline of Horseshoe Lake for a ways before winding uphill and joining the blue path above, adding another half mile to the trip.
In the area around the parking lot at Horseshoe Lake, IĀ am always struck by the ghostly forest of white, barren trees.
Top left:Ā Ā Dead trees around the parking lot at Horseshoe Lake. The backside of Mammoth Mountain is in the distance.
Top right:Ā Ā The start of the main trail to McLeod Lake
Bottom:Ā Ā Ā GaleĀ and Stan at the Horseshoe Lake Loop trailhead which goes part way around Horseshoe Lake before joining the main trail.
Top left:Ā Ā IĀ am with Gale in front of a large boulder by Horseshoe Lake
Top right:Ā Ā Stan is looking over Horseshoe Lake toward where we started our hike
Middle left:Ā Ā IĀ am with Gale at a signpost on the trail to McLeod Lake
Middle right:Ā Ā I am resting on a log with StanĀ and GaleĀ on the shore of McLeod Lake
Bottom left:Ā Ā Stan and I at McLeod LakeĀ with the towering granite cliffs of Mammoth Crest on the other side of the lake
Bottom right: Ā GaleĀ and StanĀ are walking on the shore of McLeod Lake with Mammoth Mountain in the distance
McLeod Lake is on Mammoth Pass Trail which suffers from extreme weather at the tree line. The trees strive for a root hold, especially in the sandy soil around the lake. When unsuccessful, the fallen exposed tree roots are polished by the elements, creating beautiful natural designs.
Top left:Ā Ā StanĀ and GaleĀ are walking along the shore of McLeod Lake behind other hikers. Mammoth Mountain in is the distance.
Top right:Ā View of large downed tree trunks by McLeod LakeĀ with Mammoth Crest in the background.
Bottom left:Ā Ā GaleĀ and StanĀ next to a large fallen tree trunk on the shore of McLeod Lake
Bottom center:Ā Ā StanĀ andĀ IĀ are atĀ McLeod LakeĀ next to stacks of large branches and fallen tree trunks
Bottom right:Ā Ā IĀ am on the trail on the way back from McLeod LakeĀ to Horseshoe Lake.
š„¾3.4 HikingĀ at Convict Lake(24), 8/14/24šļø
On our fourth and final day at Mammoth in August, my toes are killing me. I have been wearing old walking shoes while hiking, and they aren't sturdy or roomy enough to keep my feet from jamming my toes on steep downhill hikes. I am sure that I will lose my large toenail, if not others.
Gale decides to take easy on us today. We will drive to Convict Lake and hike along a flat paved portion of the moderately easy, 3-mile path around the lake. I gladly don my open-toed sandals. (Note: Three times in the past between 2007-2011, Stan and I hiked all of the way around Convict Lake. The entire hike takes 2 Ā½ hours.)
Convict Lake is a 10-mile drive southeast of our condo on US-395 and another 2 miles south to the end of Convict Lake Road. We offer to pick Gale up in our Tesla today since there are no gravel roads and we have free charging for life.
When we start the Tesla at 10am, we are greeted by a message saying that the tire pressure in our left rear tire is low. Sure enough, we have a flat, but we are still able to drive it to be repaired.
After our experience earlier this year when we had a flat in the middle of nowhere near Mammoth and had to be towed, we know just where to drive to the Chevrolet station not far from our condo.
I describe that adventure during our trip in June 2024 in my missive titled,Ā šĀ Stranded in the Wilderness with a Flatš.Ā You can read it byĀ clicking on the photo on the right.
Left:Ā Ā The interior of the Chevron station is decorated with stuffed animals, birds and fish.
Right:Ā Stan is beside our Tesla with the flat tire removed for repair.
We get off to a late start this morning, but it is a short day so it doesn't matter. After we pick Gale up, we head south to Convict Lake.
I am always interested in how places get their names, and Convict Lake has one of the most intriguing names of all.
The map below shows Mt. Morrison (12,241') annd Mono Jim Peak (10,893') towering above Convict Lake (7,850').
Convict Lake is one of the deepest lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, surrounded in places by rock more than half a billion years old. We park at the end of the road and hike around to the end of the lake where Convict Creek flows out of it to the east.
Top left:Ā Ā I am with StanĀ and GaleĀ on the shore of Convict Lake with Mt. Morrison and Mono Jim Peak towering above the far side of the lake
Top right:Ā View of Mt. MorrisonĀ and Mono Jim PeakĀ across Convict Lake from the boat launching facilities
Bottom left:Ā Ā Another view of Mt. MorrisonĀ and Mono Jim PeakĀ across Convict Lake
Bottom right:Ā Ā StanĀ andĀ IĀ resting in a park on the shore of Convict Lake
Postscript:Ā Ā My toes are still very sore at the end of this fourth and last day of our August trip to Mammoth. When we get back to Mammoth Lakes, Gale has us stop at the Mammoth Mountaineering Supply so I can purchase some proper hiking shoes for our trip next month.
š„¾3.5 HikingĀ to Inyo Crater Lakes(22), 9/22/24šļø
I had never heard of Inyo Crater Lakes until a ranger at the Mammoth Welcome Center told me about hiking there earlier this summer. Gale knows all about them and we decide to hike there today. Since the road to the trailhead from the Mammoth Scenic Loop (aka Dry Creek Road) is gravel, Gale drives.
Only the two lower of the three craters have water in them. The trail to the highest crater on Deer Mountain is a more difficult climb up another 343' in elevation, and we are happy with the shorter hike today.
Top left:Ā Ā IĀ am resting on a sawn off tree stump on the hike up to the craters
Top center:Ā View of southern Inyo Crater Lake from the rim
Top right:Ā I am standing with Gale on the rim of southern Inyo Crater Lake
Center:Ā IĀ am standing between Stan and GaleĀ on the rim of southern Inyo Crater Lake
Bottom left:Ā Ā Looking down from the rim of southern Inyo Crater Lake
Bottom center:Ā Ā Best view of southern Inyo Crater Lake
Bottom right:Ā Ā GaleĀ and StanĀ on the rim of southern Inyo Crater Lake
Postscript: The best photos are all of southern Inyo Crater Lake. The hike was fairly easy and we finish in early afternoon. So we decide to drive over to Horseshoe Lake and hike around it.
š„¾3.6 HikingĀ Around Horseshoe Lake(12), 9/22/24šļø
Horseshoe Lake is southwest of Mammoth Lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin (aka the Lakes District) at the end of Lake Mary Road. The Horseshoe Lake Loop is an easy 1.8 mile trail around the lake with an elevation gain of 93'.
Top right:Ā Ā View of Horseshoe Lake from where the Horseshoe Lake Loop Trail begins and ends
Top left:Ā View along Horseshoe Lake
Bottom left:Ā Stan and IĀ on the trail
Right center:Ā StanĀ by a bridge over a creek running into the far side of Horseshoe Lake
Bottom right:Ā Ā View of Mammoth Mountain across Horseshoe Lake
I am always lagging behind Stan and Gale, needing to pause frequently to catch my breath (and snap some photos, naturally). During the hike around Horseshoe Lake, there was a moment when they went down to the lake for a better view, and I unknowingly walked past them.
After I walked another quarter of a mile without spotting them, I didn't know what to do ā they have always waited for me to catch up in the past. Before long, some hikers came by and asked me if I was Barbara. They said my partners were searching for me back down the trail.
I backtracked and found them, and we continued with the hike. So I figure that I hiked a half-mile more than they did this afternoon.
Top left:Ā Ā Gale and Stan waiting for me to catch up
Top left:Ā Stan beside a stone fireplace ā all that remains from a house that was vacated due to the CO2 poisoning in the ground around Horseshoe Lake
Bottom left:Ā View of Crystal Crag on the left in the background
Right center:Ā IĀ am by the signpost at the end of the trail around Horseshoe Lake
It has been a great day, especially doing two hikes ā first in the morning to Inyo Crater Lakes and this afternoon around Horseshoe Lake.
š„¾3.7 HikingĀ to Minaret Vista(19), 9/23/24šļø
Today, we are hiking to Minaret Vista which is at the end of the road that goes past the Main Lodge at Mammoth Mountain. We have driven there to see the view many times, but Stan and I have never hiked there on the trail that starts at the Main Lodge. We did not even know there was a hiking trail there until Gale told us about it.
The Minaret Vista Trail is shown in blue on the map above. Minaret Vista (9,246') is the bright green circle at the upper end. It is a 2.5 mile hike from the Main LodgeĀ (9,000') with an elevation gain of 246'.
Minaret Vista has a view of the Minarets (the sharp jagged peaks on the left in the background) as well as Mount Ritter and Banner Peak to their right. Mammoth Mountain rises on the left.
Top left:Ā Ā View of Mammoth Mountain from the parking lot at the Minaret Vista trailhead above the Main Lodge
Top right:Ā StanĀ and I hiking on the trail
Middle left:Ā StanĀ and GaleĀ hiking on the trail
Middle right:Ā Stan on the trail above several sawn tree trunks
Bottom left:Ā StanĀ and GaleĀ almost to the end where the trail intersects the road
Bottom right:Ā StanĀ and IĀ resting at Minaret Vista with views of the Minarets and Mount Ritter on the right behind us
It takes us an hour and a half to hike the 2.5 miles at elevations over 9,000'. There is no view except for the beautiful forest until we reach the top, where the panoramic vista is spectacular.
š„¾3.8 HikingĀ Around Rock Creek Lake(25), 9/24/24šļø
Today we are joined by Annette who arrived the night before to spend a few days with Gale. Annette, Stan and Gale are members of the On the Hill Gang Los Angeles (OHGLA), and the group skis together at Mammoth each month in the winter.
We are hiking around Rock Creek Lake, a beautiful lake at an elevation of 9,600 feet, which offers stunning mountain views. The lake itself is approximately 55 acres in size and is known for great trout fishing.
Rock Creek Lake (lower right on the map below) is located at the end of Rock Creek Road, the highest paved road in California, reaching an elevation of 10,239 feet. Rock Creek Road is a 10.4-mile drive that starts at Tom's Place on the south side of Highway 395, 19 miles from our condo in Mammoth Lakes (on the upper left of the map).
Stan and I backpacked out of Rock Creek Lake nearly 50 years ago with our three kids in 1977. It was my second backpacking trip with him after we started dating in late 1975.
HikingĀ Around Rock Creek Lake: This easy 1.6 mile trail with a 100' elevation gain alternates between access roads to the dock and the campground and an unofficial trail used by fishermen that hugs the shoreline.
Ā At 9,600 feet, Rock Creek Lake is higher in elevation than most fall color hot spots so the foliage turns earlier here and disappears earlier. The peak is often at the beginning of October, but it can occur earlier in late September, as it does for us!!
Top left:Ā Ā On the drive to Rock Creek Lake, we wonder what plant is causing the bright orange splash on the mountainside. We have seen no fall colors wherever we have in Mammoth been this month of September.
Top center:Ā Stan, GaleĀ and AnnetteĀ hiking around Rock Creek Lake
Top right:Ā Stan, Gale and AnnetteĀ hiking on the narrow fishermen's trail along Rock Creek Lake
Center:Ā View across Rock Creek Lake
Bottom left:Ā StanĀ and I hiking through the fall colors on the final stretch of our hike
Bottom center:Ā Annette, StanĀ and I resting along the trail by the fall colorsĀ
Bottom right:Ā View of an aspen tree in full fall colorsĀ and a snow covered peak across the lake
We discover that the bright orange splash on the mountainside that we saw on our drive to Rock Creek Lake was a grove of Aspen trees in full fall colors. The aspen only grow at certain elevations and have changed color early this year.
We spent an hour and a half hiking 1.6 miles around Rock Creek Lake, including a lunch stop, finishing at 1:30 pm. On our return trip, we stopped to explore Toms Place and then drove on to visit June Lake. Both of those destinations are covered in the next section of my missives. You can read it by clicking on its title, š Exploring at Mammoth in 2024š¶š¼āāļø.
š„¾3.9 HikingĀ to Crystal Lake(15), 10/24/24šļø
On the last of our fourĀ biking, hiking and exploring trips to MammothĀ during the summer and fall of 2024, StanĀ and IĀ experience our most memorable athletic adventure of the year or perhaps ever (at least in our golden years) when we hike to Crystal Lake.
Stan and I beside Crystal Lake with Crystal Crag towering above us.
On our last non-skiing trip to MammothĀ this year in October, GaleĀ has left for her home in the Los AngelesĀ area. Thus IĀ become the tour guide for the two of us for adventures.
I wrote a separateĀ missiveĀ about this adventure. It is titled, š„¾Ā Hiking to Crystal Lake Beneath Crystal Crag, Oct. 2024Ā ā°ļø. Click on the photo belowĀ of us hiking that day to read all about it.
š„¾3.10 Ill-Fated HikeĀ to Mammoth Rock(7), 10/25/24šļø
Mammoth RockĀ and Crystal CragĀ stick out from the surrounding terrain and call to me as places IĀ would like to explore close-up. In spite of our strenuous hike to Crystal Lake beneath Crystal Crag the previous day, Stan and I are still up for another hike. We have hiked with Gale to most of our desired destinations, but not to Mammoth Rock.
There is a 2.7-mile hiking trail that passes beneath Mammoth Rock. The length and the elevation changes are a bit daunting for us to try on our own. Also, we do not have a way to leave transportation on each end so we can do the hike only one way.
However, when I examine the map of the trail to Mammoth Rock, I realize that we can drive to the end of the trailhead on Old Mammoth Road. hike in a half-mile to Mammoth Rock and out again. Even better yet, I decide that we can ride our bikes to that trailhead instead of driving our car.
Planned Bike Ride to the Trailhead: Previously this summer, we biked up to the Lakes Basin to the southwest of our condo in Mammoth Lakes. The bike ride to the junction of Lake Mary Road and Old Mammoth Road above Twin Lakes is a bit shorter.
We will then ride 0.7 mileĀ down Old Mammoth RoadĀ from the junction to the trailhead for Mammoth Rock (starting at the red dot on the map below to the end of the blue line). Our round-trip hike to beneath the RockĀ will be a half mile.
The ride down Old Mammoth Road will be a bit risky as there is no bike path nor are there any shoulders.
BikingĀ to the Junction:Ā Ā The weather is partially sunny when we leave the condo around 10:30 am. The fall colors have finally reached the lower elevations in October.
Top left:Ā Ā Stan on the bike path along Old Mammoth Road on the Western Loop(6) with Mammoth Rock(7) looming in the distance to his left
Top right:Ā View of Mammoth Mountain above the fall colorsĀ of the aspen trees
Bottom left:Ā Mammoth Creek is on the left and Crystal Crag is poking up in the distance on the right as we approach Twin Lakes on Lake Mary Road
Bottom right:Ā StanĀ and I are on the bike path above Mammoth Creek
Where the bike path passes Twin Lakes, it is taped off due to tree cutting ahead. We don't want to ride along Lake Mary Road because there is no shoulder and traffic is very fast. I am undaunted, and not hearing any sawing noises, I lift up the tape and we ride on through.
Aborted BikingĀ to the Trailhead:Ā Ā It takes us 1 Ā½ hoursĀ to reach the junctionĀ of Lake Mary RoadĀ and Old Mammoth Road. By this time, the weather has taken a turn for the worse. The wind has picked up and dark clouds are rapidly moving in. We don't want to get caught hiking on Mammoth Rock Trail in a rainstorm or worse, so we make the decision to abort the hike and return to our Condo.
Our Bike Route in GreenĀ to the Junction Where We Aborted
It is nearly all downhill riding back to the Condo, and we take the shorter route. Today we biked for nearly 12 miles in just over two hours with an elevation gain of over a thousand feet. The storm never arrived, at least not at our Condo, but the weather wasn't pleasant. We are not sorry that we canceled the hike.
Postscript:Ā Ā I didn't remember ever hiking to Mammoth Rock before, but when I search my photo database, I find that we did do the hike in September 2010 with the Over the Hill Gang (OHGLA) as it was called then. Stan skis with the group and we do other activities with them like hiking, biking and sea kayaking. We also did the hike from the other end with OHGLA in September 2011.
š„¾ 4.0 Epiloguešļø
Ten of our 28 destinations during our 14 days in the MammothĀ area in the summer and fall of 2024 were hiking adventures. The other 18 destinations were biking or exploring activities ā you can read about each those adventure categories by clicking on the respective photo below.
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