TR: Mammoth Meanderings and Beyond (9/1/18-9/18/18)
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:48 pm
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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.