Camping and Hiking at Devils Postpile (Mammoth, CA)

LOCATION: Devils Postpile Campground just past Mammoth, CA. It's approximately 350 miles North of LA.

DATE AND TIME: Thursday June 20th to Monday June 24. THIS MAY CHANGE: Every year the campground opening depending on snow melt. You will need to be flexible as the opening date has not been set yet. This date may change

DESCRIPTION: My main purpose for going is hiking. There are miles of trails from the valley. I would like to do several hikes ranging from 6 miles to 14 miles. I plan on leaving the campground before 7AM for hikes. This is bear country. Any scented items must go in bear boxes: toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen... The mosquitoes are usually pretty bad in June, so remember to bring lots of repellant. The bathrooms have flush toilets and electricity. There are hot showers at Reds Meadow Campground which is about 2 miles down the road. Last year they were closed due to storm damage. Hopefully they will be open this year. The storm from the previous winter season also downed thousand of trees in the valley.

Hikes: I would not call any of the hikes beginner hikes, although anyone in good shape should be able to do the Shadow Lake hike. There are some steep sections and it can get warm. There are many nice hikes: Rainbow Falls, Lower Falls, Shadow Lake, Minaret Falls. We could make a field trip to Bodie. The old ghost town about one hour drive North. It has a very interesting history.

What to Bring: This is tent camping. Tent, sleeping bag (a warm one. It can get into the 30s at night), pillow, warm jacket, light jacket, wind breaker, snacks, lunch meat, dinners, mosquito repellant, toiletries, sunscreen. My tent trailer has a gas BBQ and I may bring charcoal as well for the fire pit. It is a good idea to bring 3 gallons of drinking water. I may bring my tent trailer which can accommodate a couple people.

Cost: The most expensive item will likely be sharing gas for the drive. The campsites were $14/night. They may go up. There is also a shuttle fee which is paid everyone. It was $7.50/per. Plan on $30 or more for food depending on what you buy. You should budget at least $100 for the trip. I will likely ask for a $20 deposit. There is a bit of planning and we need to know who REALLY intends to go. The money will cover campground fees. Any excess will be returned.

Please Read!

You don't need to RSVP "NO" if you can't make it, unless you have RSVP'd yes.

Bring at least 1 liter of water per 3 miles, snacks, lunch (if posted), hiking poles (if you use them), camera and the Ten Essentials--see here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials).

No guests or "plus ones" please. For liability reasons everyone must join the group, and agree to the standard Meetup "Terms of Service" (https://www.meetup.com/terms/) Especially 6.2.

Any outdoors activity can be challenging, fun, or a painful experience, (often depending who you are with), even deadly and more painful depending on you, your abilities, circumstances and sometimes just bad luck. Accidents happen. Please do not sign up if you are not comfortable with what you are doing, or if you think you don’t have the needed skills for the event. You will be agreeing to take responsibility for yourself, your actions and not to hold organizer/group leader, participants, or anyone liable but yourself by signing up for this event.

Most importantly: Have Fun!