From PCT mile 904.5 to 907.9 Total: 7.2 miles 8/3
On the 27th day of my PCT Sierra Section hike I re-started hiking in Mammoth Lakes, by hiking over Mammoth Pass to the spot where I left the Pacific Crest Trail two weeks earlier, and continued north to Reds Meadow Resort, where I spent the night in one of their hiker cabins.
Vicki and I woke up early in our motel room in downtown Mammoth Lakes. It was too early even for the complimentary breakfast, so we walked across the main drag and visited Schatt’s Bakkery. Vicki bought a few choice baked goods to bring home, and also some coffee and a danish for right now. Then we went back to the motel, packed our stuff into the car, and ate a proper breakfast.
I was in no rush, as I had an easy, seven mile hiking day planned. Eventually, we drove up the hill to the Horseshoe Lake trailhead for the Mammoth Pass Trail. This is where I exited, before heading home for our 40th wedding anniversary. But now that the celebrations were over, it was time to complete my PCT Sierra Section Trek. I got out my backpack and we posed for some photos. Then we hugged each other goodbye. It would be three weeks until I got back home after hiking 250 miles to Donner Pass.
I started up the half mile trail to McCloud Lake. It was early enough that the shuttle buses hadn’t started, so there were very few dayhikers on the trail. This suited me fine. It was also Saturday, so I was expecting to see more of them at Reds Meadow Resort, but that was later. Right now, it was good hiking on a fine Summer day. There were already clouds in the sky, which in the Sierra often meant that afternoon thundershowers were likely, and the forecast bore that out. That’s why I rented the cabin. The stormy weather was supposed to end by tomorrow, and I saw no need to begin my journey with a soggy tent. In other words, I was totally prepared!
It was a three mile hike to the PCT from the trailhead, and most of it was downhill. Soon after the lake, I entered the Ansel Adams Wilderness. I would be hiking within it for three days, all the way to Yosemite’s southern border at Donohue Pass. After the sign, the trail crossed the nondescript flat zone that didn’t really mark Mammoth Pass. But it still counted as a pass. And then it meandered through a pleasant pine forest, heading generally downhill, until arriving at the PCT junction.
It felt good to be on the PCT again. I was only hiking four more miles today, and almost all of it was downhill, so I took my time and enjoyed the views whenever they presented themselves. I also took a ton of photos, as always. I only show a few of them here to prevent brain-glaze in my readers.
The first part was the Crater Meadow and Crater Creek zone. Most important were the two craters, also called the Red Cones. They weren’t really volcanoes; they were volcanic vents. I imagined what it must have been like when stinky sulfurous gases were blasting out of the ground, carrying chunks of porous pumice along with them. When you see the size of the two cones and the rocks next to the trail, you gain a better appreciation of the power of the hot magma pool that was underlying nearby Mammoth Mountain, which is a “dormant composite volcano and lava dome complex” (according to the internet). It is also on the edge of the Long Valley Caldera, a supervolcano. After all the gray granite of the High Sierra I’d hiked through recently, it was fun to see some colorful rock for a change.
After that, the trail broke out of the forest and began descending on two very long switchbacks. There were fine views from up there, looking west and north across the Middle Fork San Joaquin River valley. This is the valley that contains the Devils Postpile itself, although you couldn’t see it from up there. What you could see were the mountains across the way. There were big puffy cumulus clouds rising above them, and it looked like stormy weather over there. Banner Peak, Mount Ritter, and the Minarets were all on display. Just south of them, in the Ritter Range, was the King Creek Drainage where I backpacked late last Summer, when the big snows of 2023 were still melting up at 10,000 feet elevation. There was still so much snow that Iceberg Lake, just below the Minarets, remained frozen all Summer, and I bailed out early for safety reasons.
I met a number of southbound JMT hikers toiling up those switchbacks. They were roasting in the sun. I lied to them and said that they were almost at the top, just to make them feel better. I was hoping that someone would do me the same favor tomorrow, when I was climbing several thousand feet, up and out of the Postpile to Garnet Lake. I also told them that I was lying, and laughed, but not until afterward when they were already walking away behind me. No need to take chances with hot, grumpy hikers!
Eventually, I also ended up hot and sweaty as the trail entered the burned zone south of Reds Meadow. This burned back in 1999, and it was still in a recovery phase. Small pine trees, about 25 years old at a guess, were growing all around, but they didn’t make much shade. Still, the views were good, and I was hiking downhill, so I never reached the Grumpy stage. I rarely do. At least not until the end of the day when I’m both dehydrated and hungry. Don’t lie to me then!
When the PCT intersected the Rainbow Falls Trail I headed to the right. This was the way to Reds Meadow Resort. It turned out that it was now the official PCT Detour, according to the trail emblems on the trees. The footbridge near the Upper Soda Springs Campground was destroyed in the Spring Floods of 2023, and now PCT hikers had to do a road walk to bypass it. A road walk that conveniently went right to the resort, where burgers and beer were plentiful. Perfection!
I arrived at Reds Meadow right about noon. It took me four hours to mosey seven miles downhill. Slow but steady. I went into the store and inquired about my cabin rental. Sadly, they told me to come back at 3pm, which would give the cleaning crew time to wash the sheets. I was a bit saddened by this, but I drowned my sorrows in fizzy sodas and a grilled cheese sandwich. No beer for me. I’m not a big drinker, and definitely not when hiking. The mountains give me all the buzz I need. So I sat around for three hours talking to fellow hikers, reading a book on my Kindle, and people-watching. It was Saturday, and the tourists were starting to arrive along with the shuttle buses. Many were amazed when I told them about hiking 500 miles this Summer, and I could tell that many of them dreamed the dream of going on a long trek, too.
Three o’clock rolled around. I went and showed my ID to the staff and they gave me my key, plus a towel and shower tokens, an added bonus. It was $90 for the night, which was cheaper than a motel. Of course, the bathroom was fifty yards away, so that alone was worth the discount. But the cabin itself was very clean, and had electric lighting. It had bunk beds with thick foam mattresses and a futon for a third guest, if needed. There were two of these small cabins. One was called the JMT Hiker Cabin and the other was the PCT Hiker Cabin. I was in the PCT Cabin, of course. I set down my backpack, got out a few pieces of gear like my headlamp and Kindle, and took a short nap.
The nap wasn’t long, and I was bored. That’s what I get for only hiking seven miles in one day. So I decided to take a short dayhike. Supposedly there was a Hot Spring at this resort, and I had never seen it, even though I’ve been here before. So off I went after asking one of the workers, who pointed me to the back of the resort. There was a pleasant trail through the woods, complete with aspens, pines, and grassy meadows. Soon I arrived at the hot tub, and it was full of people! I wasn’t planning on getting in, but this really threw me off. I obviously wasn’t going to get a picture of it empty, either. So I took one of everybody. They may have had a few beers, because there was plenty of cheering going on. Good times. There was even a cold cascading creek right next to the tub, for cooling off afterward.
Then I continued onward, down the hillside to the main Reds Meadow Campground. Two large campsites had been reserved for PCT/JMT hikers at five bucks each per night. That’s a good deal, although it isn’t free like everywhere else in the forest. The benefits of civilization have their costs. Just the same, I was glad to be in the cabin, even though the threat of rain never materialized that afternoon.
It was still early, so I decided to take a quick shower with my free tokens. Vicki and I used these showers when we hiked the JMT to PCT loop just north of here, back in 2021. That was a fun trip, and just thinking about it reminded me that I was now a solo hiker, without my Vicki. So I washed away my sadness and became a clean solo hiker. I guess that was an improvement.
After that, I headed back to the grill and ordered a burger for dinner. I was happy to get some potato salad as they didn’t do fries here. Getting the gallons of fryer grease in and out on the steep winding road wasn’t worth the effort. Potato salad would have to do. I waited for the food to get ready, then picked it up and took it to my private cabin to eat. I sat on my bear canister next to the night table and dined in relative comfort. Much better than the picnic tables outside.
After that, I wandered around the resort, talked to hikers, and eventually prepared myself for bed. It was odd, not getting out my sleeping bag while backpacking, but the bed had sheets and a warm blanket, so I decided to use them. I lay down and read my book with my headlamp, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
<< Back to Day 26 Onward to Day 28 >> 
hikingtales.com 