TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

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Lumbergh21
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TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Lumbergh21 »

This is my entirely too long multi-part description of this year's Sierra hike starting in Mammoth (Horseshoe Lake to be precise) and ending up back at Mammoth twice. I was hiking with a new hiker for the first seven days and taking it slow.

Day 0
I wrote this over a week after I returned from spending 18 days in the Sierra hiking in the area bounded by Mammoth on the north and Granite Park on the south. I did not maintain a daily journal during this hike as I have done in past years. However, I will do my best to recount the events of those 18 days in the wilderness from my admittedly feeble memory.

I arrived in Mammoth Lakes the afternoon of Friday, August 31, and began my adventure at the Welcome Center/Ranger Station where I applied for a walk up permit for the following day. My first two options were already fully booked. Fortunately, I came prepared with several possible starting points and the third one was the charm, entering over Mammoth Pass from Horseshoe Lake. This also happened to be the trailhead that I used in 2017. After providing the ranger with my proposed camping spots (none of which were accurate after night 2), I drove to my campsite next door to check it out before heading to Black Doubt Brewery for a refreshment and to the Latin Market for some Sopas where I met my hiking partner for this trip. I have always hiked solo, but after leading several day hikes and a couple of weekend trips in the Trinity Alps, I decided to invite a few of those backpackers along and one of them took me up on my offer.

Day 1
No surprise, but the night spent “camping” in Mammoth was not that restful due to all of the traffic noise; however, I did manage about 6 hours of sleep before packing up the next morning and heading back to the Latin Market for a breakfast burrito. Then it was up, up, up to Horseshoe Lake.

This year, I chose the most direct route over Mammoth Pass and down to Reds Meadow before heading south to Rainbow Falls and then the campsite where Fish Creek Trail crosses Cold Creek. Nothing much happened on day 1 this year. The crowds were still big from Reds Meadow to Rainbow Falls, with few people before Reds Meadow and none after Rainbow Falls. Cold Creek really lived up to its name. I only rinsed off my feet and filtered some water. I wanted to get in and soak, but it was just too cold. My hiking partner was made of heartier stuff than me and did have a cold soak before dinner.
Rainbow Falls.jpg
Crater Creek Canyon.jpg
Deeper Into Fish Creek Canyon.jpg
Day 2
We got off to a later than usual start on Day 2 (this became the theme for the hike), knowing that I didn’t have far to go. I took it easy and spent some time exploring the ridge at the top of the climb up from Cold Creek. There were some nice campsites along the ridge with views for miles. If I’m ever back in the area, I will definitely dry camp up on the ridge rather than among the human refuse at the Cold Creek crossing site (do not drink from this creek without treating; it is not pretty upstream from the crossing). I did meet a British man at Cold Creek before leaving camp who had hiked in from Reds Meadow to Iva Belle Hotsprings the day before without much more than a bed roll. He had no water and no filter or other water treatment. I filtered enough to fill both of his 0.5 L canteens and for him to camel up a bit before leaving. Sometimes I wonder about people. When I arrived at the Iva Belle area, I headed up the hill looking for the upper pools that I had visited in 2017. I was unable to find them, and we ended up camping near the lowest pool at Iva Belle and taking a dip along with three others, all women. That night I “cowboy” camped for the first time and enjoyed it.
Looking North Along the San Joaquin.jpg
Looking Towards Iva Belle.jpg
Day 3
The next morning, I set off, determined to find the upper hot springs that I failed to find the previous afternoon. As it turns out, I just hadn’t gone high enough up the mountainside. I found the pool that I remembered and settled in for a very relaxing morning soak with a view, spending about 1 hour in the pool. After climbing back down to our campsite, we packed everything up and headed up along Sharktooth Creek, bound for the series of lakes that lie above. On the way up, I met two of the girls from the night before. They had left early for Reds Meadow, but had taken the wrong trail and didn’t realize it until they got all the way up to the Lost Keys Lakes trail junction. They now had 13 miles of hiking in front of them to get back to Reds Meadow after already putting in 4+ miles of hiking with 1,800 feet of climbing. Always pay attention to your maps (you do always bring maps, right?, Right?!). We ended up camping next to Jackson Meadow, a beautiful expanse of brown grasses with scrubbed granite peaks ringing it and a small creek flowing through on the side opposite where we were camped. It was slightly overcast and the occasional drop of rain threatened more, so no alpenglow, but I planned to get up early the following morning to watch the sun rise.
Iva Belle Hot Tub.jpg
View From Hot Tub.jpg
Jackson Meadow in the Evening.jpg
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Lumbergh21 »

Day 4
While we didn’t camp in the meadow, there was a lot of dew on the inside of my tent (due to the threatening skies, no cowboy camping this night) when I woke up just before dawn. I bundled up against the cold and headed out into the meadow under clear skies. The night before had been punctuated by incredible flashes of light, some of which looked like they were down in the meadow at ground level. However, upon investigating while the light show was going on last night, it appears the lightning strikes were on the other side of the ridge to the east of the meadow. No alpenglow in the morning either, but the massive granite walls curving down to the meadow were still a beautiful sight to behold. We left late again, headed to Olive Lake then Peter Pande Lake. I had camped at Wilbur May Lake in 2017, and discovered this year that it has some siblings in Peter Pande and Olive Lakes. Both are beautiful lakes with majestic granite back drops. My hiking partner passed on Olive Lake and we agreed to meet at Peter Pande Lake. I wanted her to get a little experience hiking alone anyway and thought this would be a low risk way to do so. The clouds had started moving in while I was at Olive Lake, and we dealt with a cold wind, overcast skies, and thunder at Peter Pande Lake by quickly putting up our tents. After a few hours of nothing but loud threats from the sky, I decided to pack up and continue hiking. After filling up on water just before the Wilbur May Lake Trail Junction, I began climbing towards the ridge northwest of Lake of the Lone Indian, once again playing catch-up to my partner, who I told to just go ahead. The late hour of the day, and building clouds once again drove us to set up camp just below the ridge. I enjoyed a beautiful sunset with dinner before the sky started spitting rain again.
Jackson Meadow in the Morning.jpg
Olive Lake.jpg
Meadow SE of Grassy Lake Pano.jpg
Day 4 Sunset From Camp.jpg
Day 5
I finished the hike up and over the ridge and down to Lake of the Lone Indian in under 30 minutes then spent about two hours on the shore of the lake relaxing, eating breakfast and rinsing out some clothes while waiting for my partner who never showed. I finally packed up to investigate, mildly worried and annoyed. I couldn’t understand how anyone could miss the lake; you see it the entire descent from the pass. I saw her tracks in the trail headed up towards Goodale Pass and followed. And followed and followed. Unfortunately, when I turned back towards the PCT/JMT, the number of footprints began to increase. I was getting pretty worried. What if I wasn’t following her footprints? What if I didn’t find her? I figured that I could make it the 20 miles or so out to civilization by 9:00 PM and call 911 for a missing hiker. Finally, as I descended once again towards Squaw Lake, there she was talking to a couple of JMT hikers. I was relieved and angry at the same time. Angry at her for not simply taking the trail to the visible Lake of the Lone Indian below that morning, and angry at myself for giving her too much autonomy before she was ready for it. For her part, she was very distraught as she had never been hiking by herself before.

We headed north towards Fish Creek planning to make it at least as far as Tully Hole. Now I was seeing people, lots of people, after only seeing my hiking partner between Iva Belle and Squaw Lake. Once again the skies clouded up in the afternoon as we neared Fish Creek, and we made camp early along the creek where I washed my feet and legs before enjoying a yummy Knorr pasta side for dinner. I was so hungry, I ate the whole package and followed it with some hot cocoa before bed.
Looking NE towards Tully Hole from Fish Cr Bridge.jpg
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Lumbergh21 »

Day 6
Another day, another lazy start, leaving camp just after 9 AM. The day started with a bang, hiking up out of Tully Hole to Virginia Lake followed by the shorter up and over to Purple Lake, then up again towards the Duck Lake trail. Duck Lake ended up being the spot for a late lunch and dip to rinse off a bit. After drying out, we made the easy gradual climb up to Duck Pass and then headed off trail along the Mammoth Crest. The use trail splits and winds its way along the crest, offering several potential camping spots with awesome views to the west (somewhat muted by the smoke from the Lion Fire near the Minarettes). I chose the wrong path and did not take the most direct route to Deer Lakes, but it was easy hiking with lots to see and enjoy. Eventually, we crossed a high bowl with views that made me absolutely giddy, and came to a steep talus slope with a use trail down to the highest of the Deer Lakes. This lake didn’t offer much in the way of good camping, but the next one did. Finally, a clear night and more cowboy camping! There were at least two planets visible with little light from a small crescent of moon. Four shooting stars punctuated the night sky as did headlamps from at least 3 people camped at the lowest Deer Lake.
Climbing Up From Tully Hole.jpg
Duck Lake.jpg
Climbing Up From Duck Lake.jpg
Duck and Pika Lakes.jpg
Mammoth Crest.jpg
Mammoth Crest Plateau East of Deer Lakes.jpg
Upper Deer Lake.jpg
Day 7
With a short hike down to Lake George and a drive into Mammoth Lakes all that was planned for the day, we spent the morning waiting for the sun to reach our sleeping bags and melt the frost that had formed during the night. Then I waited a little longer. After packing camp, we headed down the trail towards the Lakes Basin. What I didn’t know - but would have if I had looked more closely at the map - was that several hundred feet of climbing lay in front of us, as we ascended once more onto the Mammoth Crest. Eventually, we reached the crest again, this time with gorgeous views to the east. A very short distance off trail was a nearly vertical drop of several hundred feet where I was able to gaze down on Mammoth Lakes thousands of feet below me. This was followed by a wind-swept high plain with lots of dirt, rocks, and little else. Here I checked for cell service and was able to then look for a place to stay that night. The prices for hotels were very high in Mammoth, so I ended up grabbing the last available tent site at a campground with showers and a coin-op laundry. Down, down, down we went, into the forest and closer to civilization. As we got closer to Lake George, the number of day hikers grew and grew. Eventually, I made it back to my car and returned to Mammoth for a burger with my hiking partner before she returned home, a beer, and a shower, in that order. I also got 8 pieces of fried chicken at Von’s Market that I ate while waiting for my hiking clothes to wash and dry. The campground was fairly noisy, but I was clean. The next morning was the Mammoth Gran Fondo (which I hope to ride in someday soon), so there were lots of cyclists riding around Mammoth on Friday as well.
View From Duck Lake Camp.jpg
Looking West from Mammoth Crest.jpg
Looking East from Mammoth Crest.jpg
Mammoth Crest.jpg
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Lumbergh21 »

Day 8
I awoke the next morning at 7 AM to the sounds of cheers. No not for me because I got up before 8, but for the riders as they started their 100 mile rides with a descent from Mammoth down to Highway 395. I spent the morning buying salami, cheese, tortillas, and granola bars to get me through the next several days. I then bought a chorizo breakfast burrito at the Latin Market before driving to the Duck Lake Trailhead near Mary Lake. I hit the trail at 10:30 AM, hoping to make it to Squaw Lake, 15 miles distance. The climb to Duck Lake Pass was wonderful, or at least could have been, except for the string of horses that got onto the trail just seconds in front of me. I spent the next hour walking at a slow pace with the aroma of horses wafting back to me. Eventually, they pulled over for a break, and I was able to get by and begin climbing in earnest. Reaching Duck Pass I was back on familiar ground, as I descended to Duck Lake. The day was beautiful and clear, but no dip in Duck Lake today; I had miles to make and had just showered less than 24 hours before. I followed the PCT as far as Purple Lake where I headed down a side trail to Fish Creek. From there, I began climbing back out of the canyon, headed back to the PCT between Lake Virginia and Squaw Lake. This little detour to avoid a few miles of PCT added a couple of miles and over 1,000 feet of climbing to my day. I ended up cowboy camping in a little spot hidden from the PCT about ¾ of a mile north of Squaw Lake.
Barney Lake.jpg
Fish Creek Watering Hole.jpg
Day 9
Next stop, VVR. I had about 14 miles to cover by 2:00 PM if I wanted a burger at VVR, and I meant to make it. Leaving camp at 7:30 AM – yes, AM – I began the climb to Squaw Lake where I turned west towards Papoose Lake and then Goodale Pass, once again leaving the PCT behind. Goodale Pass had been a bit of an adventure the year before, still covered in snow in mid-August. This year it was snow free, and it was beautiful, just in a different way from the previous year. I was making fairly good time and began thinking I would actually cover the 14.1 miles as I began descending from Goodale towards Graveyard Meadows. When I got to the last creek crossing before the descent further down to Edison Lake, I even took the time to rinse off while filtering some water. It was here that I saw the first two other hikers out on the trail. As it turned out, I would only see 2 more before I got to VVR Campground; quite a difference from the hordes of day hikers that I saw in the last few miles the previous year. Then, I was there, VVR. Even though the café officially closed for lunch at 2:30, they were turning the sign from open to close as I stepped into the store at 1:45. The guy asked if I had just walked in from the trail and invited me in for lunch after I answered yes. The burger was good, the fries were plentiful, and the free beer was cold. Oh yes, and the TV was playing NFL football. VVR now had TV! That settled it, I was camping at VVR tonight. I scrounged through the hiker buckets, bought a few things from the store (including a spork to replace the spoon that I had left behind in my car the previous morning), and settled in with a second beer to enjoy the rest of the afternoon football game and the Sunday night game as well.
Goodale Pass.jpg
Day 10
I awoke the next morning around 6:30 as the other backpackers began to stir. I was debating breakfast at the café and ended up losing the debate to skip a hot breakfast. Breakfast at VVR does not compare to lunch. I cannot recommend it. At least I was full as I began the road walk to VVR Dam and the Bear Ridge Trail. Taking advantage of the last bit of cell reception that I would have for a while, I downloaded a few podcasts at the dam then began the climb up to the PCT and Bear Ridge. I took it easy, only planning on reaching the Hillebrand Fork where I would leave the PCT again and ascend towards Lake Italy and beyond the following day. About a mile before the Lake Italy Trail junction, I caught up to a couple that I recognized from VVR. They had taken the ferry across the lake and climbed from that side of the lake up and over Bear Ridge. As I passed them, I said “On your left” like any good cyclist would. Evidently, the lady had no idea that I was back there and let out a little scream. Later, while stopped for a quick snack break, they caught back up to me, and I continued along at a more leisurely pace, talking to the man and young lady who were from Belgium. Like most Europeans, they spoke English very well. The lady wanted to slow down, as she was having a hard time keeping up with her hiking partner, and I took her side, suggesting they stop at MTR and relax a bit while picking up their resupply. We reached the Lake Italy trail junction and parted ways. I began ascending along the creek, mountains soaring above me on either side. It was 6 PM when I reached a large meadow and I departed the trail to my left for a bench above the meadow. Finding a flat sandy spot, I set up for cowboy camping once again as the sun dropped below the granite peaks around me. What a glorious view!

Day 11
Hillegard Branch.jpg
I awoke to frost on my quilt once again and ice in my water bottle. I made my way down to the Hillebrand Fork to get some water but decided against rinsing my feet in the ice fringed creek. I took my time, with breakfast and packing, figuring on a short day over Italy Pass and down into Granite Park. I should have known better. I began the second ascent of the Lake Italy Trail as it re-entered the forest, headed up to a higher meadow and another climb beyond that. It was here that I met a couple of men headed the other way. They had started at Merriam Lake and were hiking a section of the Sierra High Route. They told me about how beautiful the Bear Lakes were and how difficult and slow going the route to them had been. After a few minutes, we all continued our hikes, me towards Italy Pass, and they towards VVR, land of burgers and beer. Did I mention that the one who did most of the talking was 80 years old with titanium knees, and his younger hiking partner was 78? I stopped for a lunch break and dip at Lake Italy. My God! It was beautiful, and the lake wasn’t that cold. I can now say that I have been skinny dipping in South America (2016) and Italy without leaving California. I made my way over and around the boulder fields along the south shore of the lake (mistake 1) aiming for a ridge that marked the outlet of Jumble Lake. I aimed poorly, ascending to fast and ending up on the wrong side of another boulder field around Jumble Lake (mistake 2). It wasn’t all bad though, as I came across a flock (?) of ptarmigan near Jumble Lake. Eventually, I found the well-used use trail and began climbing towards Italy Pass, except it wasn’t Italy Pass, just a small high meadow that I crossed and began ascending again towards Italy Pass. Uh, no, strike 2. As I headed towards yet another higher ridge line, I hoped that I was finally getting to Italy Pass as it was getting near 4 PM. This time it was the pass, and the views were pretty awesome. I didn’t stay long though as the wind was howling, so much so that I found it difficult to stand still while taking a few photos before descending into Granite Park. I took a small detour towards the Lake 11,834 just below the pass for some more photos then continued further down to a bench above the braided outlet stream. Here I set up camp in the shelter of a large rock face. The wind had eased off a bit, and I was hoping it would die down more during the night. I enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa as the sun set, and I snuggled under my warm down quilt.
Lake Italy.jpg
Lake Italy Foot.jpg
Jumble Lake.jpg
Count the Ptarmagin.jpg
Onward to Italy Pass.jpg
Is That Italy Pass.jpg
Granite Park Spread Out Below Me.jpg
Grassy Slopes My Ass.jpg
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

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Day 12
My first night in Granite Park was without a doubt my worst night of camping ever. The wind not only did not die down, it picked up. All night long, I lay under my quilt, my hands wrapped around my trekking poles supporting my tent. I would hear a howl building as the wind would shriek down, tearing at my tent like a wild beast. My hands turned to ice, as I held onto my trekking poles hoping to keep my tent in one piece. The wind gusts were easily in excess of 50 mph, much stronger than the ones that had knocked me off balance several times while crossing over Italy Pass. As soon as the sky had lit up enough to see, I quickly packed camp and headed down further into Granite Park. Between the temperature (below freezing once again), the harsh wind, and the lack of sleep, I was not doing well. Maybe it was my sleep deprived stupor, but I lost the use trail and made a tricky descent at one point before arriving at the very obvious trail where I had originally planned to head off trail towards Royce Lakes. Now, all I wanted to do was get the heck out of Granite Park and down to lower elevations where hopefully I would find better conditions. I stopped at Honeymoon Lake to eat a Snickers in preparation for the ascent to Pine Creek Pass. The climb was longer than I expected, but at least it was on trail. The views from Pine Creek Pass were once again, pretty special with the top of Mt Humphrey dominating the view to the south. I met a couple of guys headed the other way who let me know how bad the wind had been in Hutchinson Meadow the night before. I seriously doubt that it compared to the wind above tree line in Granite Park. I stopped below the Royce Falls for lunch and some rest before continuing down, down, down. As the sun dropped low in the sky, I reached the PCT once again at Piute Creek. I continued north on the PCT then took the Florence Lake Trail, camping along the San Joaquin River. I availed myself of the running water to rinse out some clothes and rinse some dirt off me. Given that there were several others camped there, including some females, I decided against a full rinsing. It was a nice restful night, though the “bear pinatas” a couple of my camp mates had set up were worrisome. I really should have asked them if they would like to learn how to do a PCT hang. Most people do, and it would have made me feel better if the food were safely stored. The way these people had hung the food they couldn’t fit in their bear canisters is why we are all required to carry heavy, cumbersome bear canisters.
Granite Park Camp View.jpg
Granite Park.jpg
Honeymoon Lake.jpg
Pine Creek Pass.jpg
Royce Lake Falls.jpg
Day 13
I got up at 6:30 but was in no hurry to get to MTR, as I didn’t think they opened for resupply until 9:00 and it was no more than a 30-minute hike. As it turned out, they open at 8:00, and all the buckets were set out, a hiker smorgasbord. Except it wasn’t. The stories of Mt House meals were actually Backpacker Pantry meals that required rehydration followed by frying. Who carries a 10-inch or larger skillet while backpacking? There were no Snickers, only Mt House freeze dried cheesecake bites, which were not good at all. There weren’t even any unopened nut butters or tuna packets. There were 2 soy ginger chicken packets, a Tom Yum flavored ramen noodle packet, five Starbucks double chocolate cocoa packets, and five unopened 8-oz salamis. I supplemented the food in my cannister with a salami (should have got 2 or more) along with the other items and four unopened individual peanut butter packets. Next it was a visit to Blayney Hotsprings on the other side of the river. Arriving at the big pool I had luxuriated in the previous year, I was disappointed once again. The water was cloudy and not at all inviting. I took a pass then waded back across the cold waters of the San Joaquin River. I took the climb up to Senger Creek slow and steady then stopped for a relaxing lunch at the Creek itself. Rested, I set off for Seldon Pass and maybe Sandpiper Lake beyond. I made good time, arriving at Marie Lake before 4:00 PM and could have pushed on to Sandpiper Lake, but I was in the wind again and decided that moving on to a higher and less protected campsite was a bad idea. Granite Park had scarred me. I set up camp in the most protected spot I could find at the north end of the lake then had dinner at the biggest tent pad, which I had designated the kitchen in my 3 bedroom, zero bathroom home with a lake view. The wind made cooking a bit difficult, but I was able to enjoy a delicious Tom Yum Ramen with soy ginger chicken. Much to my disappointment, the hot cocoa required hot milk (explains what it was doing in the hiker buckets), and all I had was water. :crybaby:
Marie Lake.jpg
Day 14
No other hikers chose to join me at my site. In fact, I only saw one other tent at the lake, across the trail from me at a more exposed lake side site. They hit the trail early like true hikers while I slowly had breakfast and packed. I had not been feeling the same joy and wonder, the same renewing of spirit, that I had the past three years of hiking in the Sierra. Eventually, I headed north on the PCT towards the Sandpiper Lake trail junction. Shortly after turning up towards Sandpiper Lake, I twisted my ankle. Not exactly something unusual (I twisted either my right ankle or left ankle a total of 11 times during the hike), but this time I wasn’t able to simply walk it off. This settled it for me; I wasn’t going to be attempting Seven Gables Lakes again. I didn’t relish the thought of all that boulder hopping and talus with a sore ankle. Arriving at Sandpiper Lake around 10:30, it was windy and overcast. Not exactly relaxing weather. I rinsed out a pair of socks, filtered some water (evidence of horses and people around the lake convinced me), and had a quick second breakfast before heading back down. The views were awesome, and I normally would have spent a couple of hours exploring the area or even camped there. But, between the wind and the dark clouds overhead, I thought it best to head back down into the forest. Just as I was wrapping up lunch at Hilbrand Creek, a young Asian lady stopped to say hi. I found out that she had been hiking with someone else, but he had headed off trail. Now she was worried about camping alone (bears and all, you know) and wanted to know where I would be camping that night. I had planned to camp up on Bear Ridge, but agreed to possibly stop earlier. We hiked and talked for some time. The pack she was carrying was not the lightest, and I could totally understand why she didn’t think she could do the climb up Bear Ridge that afternoon. Over the next few miles along Bear Creek I pointed out some potential camp sites along Bear Creek, which didn’t quite meet her requirements (I wasn’t all that happy with them either). Then we arrived at what I thought was a decent site, but she wanted to continue to the last site shown on the map at the bottom of the climb. When we got there, the one decent tent site was already taken; however, she didn’t want to either go back 0.2 miles to the previous site nor continue on to one of the many sites as you climb up the ridge. We ended up parting ways, and I hiked on to the Bear Ridge Trail junction with the PCT. I found a nice spot well off the trail and settled in for dinner and a good night’s sleep. VVR tomorrow.
Sandpiper Lake.jpg
Day 15
I had no interest in breakfast at VVR, so I was in no hurry to get there. I made it down to the dam and used the cell service available there to text my wife, download a few podcasts, and make some adjustments to my fantasy football teams. Given the circumstances, I was going to be happy with a .500 start in fantasy football this year. I rolled into VVR at 11:00, literally rolled, since one of the employees picked me up in a truck about ¼ mile from there. No lunch until 11:30, so I started with a beer and a look through the hiker’s box. At noon, I got my burger, fries and a coke, and just after, a hiker quickly walked up. I let her know she made it in plenty of time for lunch, which made her smile. She was hiking the PCT southbound and getting near the end of her hike, or at least well past the halfway point. Another ½ hour later a 2nd PCTer walked in and got his free beer to go with his burger and fries. I also got to talking with Tess, who had started off doing the JMT, but was struggling under the weight of her pack. Her and the guy she was hiking with, Mark (or was it Matt?) were a blast. Lots of laughter ensued during the course of the afternoon, and since my ankle was still bothering me, I decided to take a zero the next day and hang out with Tess and Mark. It was BBQ night at VVR, and I splurged by getting half a BBQ chicken with beans and potato salad. It was better than their breakfasts, but still not on a par with their burgers.


Day 16
Sunday was a lazy day of football, beer, and laughing. VVR was fairly empty, but the afternoon ferry injected a group of JMTers, and later that evening some guys from the horsepacking operation showed up as well. I went to my tent at the end of the Sunday Night football game, but I could hear the horsepackers and JMTers having a blast well into the night. I found out Tess lived with her husband and daughter in Boise, Idaho. I suggested we should all get together sometime when I was up there visiting my mom.

Day 17
It was cold last night, 20F according to a JMT hiker with a thermometer! I had spent enough time – too much probably – at VVR and headed out after breakfast. A different cook meant that it was actually pretty good this time. Tess and Mark decided to continue on down the JMT. I got her contact info but failed to get Mark’s. Maybe she’ll have it, and I can pass along my contact info to Mark through Tess. I took the ferry across Lake Edison and stopped again on the other side where there was a clear line of sight to the dam and cell service again. I got a few more hours of podcasts downloaded before heading towards Silver Pass around 10:30. I stopped along Silver Pass Creek for a lunch break. The creek was very low with no water flowing above ground, trapping fish in isolated pools. I sure hope we get more snow this winter. Lunch was a yummy ramen and dehydrated mushroom concoction that I found in the VVR hiker box along with some Miso soup and a ½ L coke that I packed out, keeping it cold in the middle of my pack. Super good lunch! I was stopped about 5 minutes after I started heading back up the trail to Silver Pass by a ranger who wanted to see my permit, first one of the trip. My papers were in order, and I was allowed to continue. From Silver Pass, I descended down to Squaw Lake, then Fish Creek, and finally Tully Hole, not stopping until I reached the top of the ridge south of Lake Virginia. I saw a doe with a radio collar and two fawns right near the trail at Tully Hole, then saw a large buck. After about a minute the buck raised its head and snorted, whereupon all of the deer took off. I also saw some hikers that looked like PCTers descending towards Tully Hole as I was climbing. That was all of the wildlife for that day. It was a bit breezy, so decided against cowboy camping and set up my tent once again. It was otherwise a beautiful night, my last on the trail for this year.
Climb out of Tully Hole in the Evening.jpg
Day 18
This time I got going early, well early relative to most mornings on this trip, leaving camp a little before 7 AM. I descended down to Lake Virginia where it was very cold. Not only was there ice over the puddles and along the lake shore, there were even some small sheets of ice floating around in the lake. By the time I made it to Purple Lake it had warmed up some and there was only a small amount of ice near the lake outlet. I continued back towards my car at Lake Mary, climbing up to Duck Lake where I took a short break. Duck lake Pass was beautiful, and I so wanted to spend some time on Mammoth Crest, but I also wanted clean clothes, a shower, and some food. Descending to Mary Lake, I twisted my ankle once again right as I passed a couple out on a day hike. I knew I looked pretty funny stumbling down the trail and didn’t mind the laughter. I laughed at myself. I made it back to the trailhead and the trailhead bathrooms just in time (I was down to my last three squares of TP).
Virginia Lake.jpg
Post Script
The rest of the day was spent eating, driving, showering (at a hotel in Reno), and eating some more. The next afternoon, I went by the Reno Whole Foods and got some Beef Bourguigon for lunch, some Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (aka, nectar of the gods), and a blueberry tart to take home for my wife. Then it happened. I wasn’t aware of it immediately, but by the end of my first full day home, it was obvious that I had lost my sense of taste. My wife’s lasagne was bland. The bag of salted peanuts I was snacking on tasted faintly of peanut and not at all of salt. I could barely taste anything of a barrel aged stout! This was worrisome. Eventually over the course of the next four days, my sense of taste returned, and at least I had it for the binge eating in Mammoth and Reno the day that I got off trail.
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wildhiker
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by wildhiker »

Thanks for the great trip report! I've been to a lot of the same places, but at a slower pace than you managed, and it brought back some good memories to read your report and see your photos.
-Phil
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Scouter9
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Scouter9 »

Great TR, bud!
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Stanley Otter
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Stanley Otter »

Thanks for the trip report. Glad your sense of taste returned -- not being able to savor those tasty beers you seem to favor would be bad news indeed. :eek:
Dennis
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by OzSwaggie »

Loved reading this, thanks! We met those two men (one 80, one 79) at VVR after you met then on your way to Lake Italy and we camped with them on our way out over Mono Pass - and we had that wind on Mono Pass that you got in Granite Park, I think. Your detailed report is helping with our planning for September 2019! Just a quick question - what/where is the Latin Market in Mammoth? Thanks!!!
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Re: TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)

Post by Lumbergh21 »

Latin Market is on Tavern Road about a block north of Old Mammoth Rd. It's easy to drive by if your in a car as it shares a very small parking lot with an apartment building. I had the high winds the night of the same day I met those two. Easily the worst wind I have ever had while hiking. I've had nights where the tent was rattling, and I could hear the wind coming down the mountainside like a locomotive. But, nothing where I thought my tent was going to get ripped to shreds and/or I was about to be carried off to Oz to meet the Wizard.
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