"A Great Place in Winter and Summer " a Mammoth Lakes Travel Page by Hopkid

Mammoth is a prime destination for skiers during the winter as it offers some of the highest altitude skiing. This means that it is not uncommon to be able to ski in shorts as late as early July when there has been an exceptionally large snow fall the previous winter. During the summer the mountain has become a popular location for mountain biking with many miles of challenging trails and singletrack suitable for the beginner and expert cyclist. Many outdoor activities are also popular in the summer months including hiking, fishing, and camping. Because of this year-round popularity, the city has many lodging options, restaurants, and shops. Plus the scenic alpine environment is really something to see.

In order an effort to help ready ourselves for our attempt to hike to the summit of Mount Whitney, we decided to leave southern California a couple of days early and spend some time at a higher altitude. Mammoth was a perfect spot for this as the center of town is at about 8,000 feet. The plan was to arrive in the early afternoon, explore Devil's Postpile National Monument, and spend the night here. The next day we would check out the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains which are at 10,000 feet before heading down to Lone Pine which was to be our base lodging before and after our hike up to the Whitney summit. We were lucky to have our friends allow us to use their magnificent 4-bedroom condo in the Snowcreek development for the night. What a great place!

We arrived around 2pm and headed straight for Devil's Postpile which meant going up to the Mammoth Lakes Lodge at around 9,000 feet and the shuttle bus that takes you into the valley where the national monument is. We did a 4-mile hike from the ranger station to the Postpile and then to Rainbow Falls and back to the shuttle bus stop. After that we returned to our car and hit the condo and then had dinner at The Stove. The next morning we took our time, having breakfast at The Stove once again and then visiting Schat's Bakery for some cookies and other provisions and then doing some Christmas shopping at the Coach Store at the Mammoth Lakes Outlet Mall. We also stumbled on an arts and crafts show before heading out to Big Pine and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.