I took my first trip of the year…finally. Working from home and hiding from coronavirus was driving me crazy and I had to get away. I took a long weekend and jetted out of town for some fresh mountain air and wilderness hiking in the beautiful Eastern Sierras of California. Rented a cheap condo in Mammoth Lakes and used that as my base for exploration. Flew in and out of Reno, NV and rented a car for the scenic 160 mile drive down Hwy 395 to Mammoth.

Mammoth Lakes is a cool little ski resort town. It caters to the L.A. escapees so lots of nice condos, lodges, shops, restaurants, bars, etc. It’s not as crowded during the summer, but there is plenty to do and the town was still buzzing. Just about everything was open in some capacity, but I think California has gone back into lockdown now.

My main focus was getting out and enjoying nature, so I was out the door early every day. I did several hikes, a little mountain biking and also explored other nearby features. Weather was perfect the whole time I was there. All in all, I packed a lot in…and came home exhausted…but refreshed :). If you haven’t been to this region, I can highly recommend.

The Saddlebag Lake Loop, aka the Twenty Lakes Basin hike – Amazing day hike located off Hwy 120 near the east entrance to Yosemite NP, about a 40 mile drive north of Mammoth Lakes. Take the water taxi across Saddlebag Lake to save time and shave 4 miles off the hike as that part isn’t very scenic. Once you reach the opposite shore, the trail is a 7 mile loop trail with minimal elevation gains. Good hiking boots are required as the trail can be rocky and a bit tricky in some places. I did the trail counter-clockwise for the best views. Afterwards I wanted to go next-door into Yosemite and explore Tuolumne Meadows but unfortunately the park is on a strict reservation system this year due to Covid.

Mountain Biking: I drove up Mammoth Mountain to where the ski resort is located and rented a bike and gear. The Scenic Gondola ride will take you and your bike up to the top of the mountain and there are multiple trails you can ride all the way back to town, where a bus will return you to the start. I’m not a big mountain biker, but the trails seemed manageable and fun. Not cheap, but this is a very popular thing here. Sorry, no photos.

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Posted by AUFANATL

Member since Dec 2007

3901 posts

Posted on 7/19/20 at 3:46 pm to AUFANATL

Mammoth Trip (continued)

Exploring by car: Lots of scenic drives and other stuff to visit outside of Mammoth. Pictured below, June Lake and Convict Lake. Not pictured, Mono Lake, which is famous for it’s unique alkaline tufa columns as seen on the back of a Pink Floyd album.

Hot Creek Geological Site: – Behind the small, local airport there is a stream with a few bubbling hot springs and geothermal pools. It’s not Yellowstone, but it was a pretty neat place to go for the sunrise on a chilly morning.

Mammoth Lakes Basin: – This collection of lakes right next to the town is where most tourists play. Lots of people rent bikes, boats, kayaks, etc. Some brave the cold water to swim. Saw a lot of people fishing too. There are some good hiking trails off of Lake George, but get there early if you want to find a place to park.

Rainbow Falls Hike: Normally you are required to take a shuttle from town to prevent congestion on the windy little mountain road. But the shuttle wasn’t running due to Covid, so I white-knuckled it in my rental car and drove down to the trailhead late in the afternoon. That’s also a good time to visit as the setting sun directly hitting the falls creates a rainbow, hence the name. (There was a rainbow when I was there but it’s not in my photos). The most popular method of doing this hike is to have the shuttle drop you off at the Devil’s Postpile National Monument and hike down to Rainbow Falls so you get to see both, but since the shuttle wasn’t running I didn’t feel like walking 3 miles back uphill to get back to my car.

Little Lakes Valley Trail – I did this on my 4th and last day. This is a great day hike located about 30 miles south of Mammoth Lakes. The hike is 8 miles roundtrip on an out-and-back trail with moderate but gradual elevation gain. Trail is easy to navigate (I did it in tennis shoes). Stunning views throughout as you make your way through a valley with numerous alpine lakes, meadows and streams until you eventually get to the Gem Lakes at the top. Get to the trailhead early as this hike is very popular and the small parking lot fills up by 9:00 or 9:30.