Weekend of Hikes in Mammoth Lakes/Mono Lake area on Columbus Day weekend

TRIP TO MAMMOTH LAKES

300 MILES NORTH OF L.A. ON HIGHWAY 395

5 TO 6 HOUR DRIVE ON STRAIGHT ROAD

WHEN: COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND THURSDAY OCT 6 TO MONDAY OCTOBER 10

This trip involves either staying in hotel rooms in Mammoth Lakes and/or camping out. I'll leave that up to those who are coming.

THE CHEAPEST HOTEL ROOMS IN TOWN ARE AT MOTEL 6--$66 a night on Thursday and Sunday, and $76 a night on Friday and Saturday.

(There are lots of campsites in town, too, but you'll have to arrange that yourself.)

http://www.motel6.com/ms/check-availability.do?property=276&VID=&numberOfAdults=2&arrivalDate=2011-10-06&departureDate=2011-10-07&corporatePlusNumber=&travelAgentNumber=&BTR=/AccorMaps/M6ProximityResults.aspx?searchtype=C

YOU CAN STAY FOR THE ENTIRE WEEKEND OR ONLY JOIN US FOR ONE DAY; WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU.

THERE ARE NO MEGA-DIFFICULT HIKES ON THIS TRIP. ALL ARE MODERATELY PACED, LOW TO MID LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY.

HOW TO GET THERE:

MAP WILL BE POSTED SOON

HERE IS A ZOOMABLE STREET MAP AND TOPO MAP OF THE ROUTE TO MAMMOTH LAKES:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.04641,-119.33350&z=6&t=M&marker0=34.00258%2C-118.28430%2C6.0%20km%20WxNW%20of%20Huntington%20Park%20CA&marker1=35.15585%2C-118.16345%2C11.5%20km%20N%20of%20Mojave%20CA&marker2=35.46962%2C-117.99316%2C15.6%20km%20NW%20of%20Saltdale%20CA&marker3=37.77506%2C-118.98193%2C8.2%20km%20E%20of%20June%20Lake%20CA

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Here is the tentative list of hikes and other fun stuff to do, which I will finalize a few days before October 6th:

ITINERARY, SO FAR:

LEAVE THURSDAY MORNING:

Several 1/2 hour to 1 hour stops:

--MEET FOR LUNCH IN THE TOWN OF MOJAVE--100 MILES NORTH OF L.A.

--Red Rock Canyon State park—Check out the rock formations

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=631

http://www.desertusa.com/rrsp/rrsp.html

--Fossil Falls (ancient glacier-carved dry waterfall)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_Falls

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/3/e/4/event_57925572.jpeg

--Winnedumah Winn's / Fort Independence Indian casino (Drop a little dough...)

135 Highway 395 North

--Soak in the Keough free hot pools (3/4 mile west of Highway 395 on Keough Hot Springs Road—just east of the resort)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keough_Hot_Springs

PHOTOS: https://picasaweb.google.com/Rare.Earth.fotos/MammothLakesOwensValley# (https://picasaweb.google.com/Rare.Earth.fotos/MammothLakesOwensValley)

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/4/f/c/event_57925852.jpeg

--Bishop, Indian Casino

http://www.paiutepalace.com/

--Check into hotel rooms in Mammoth Lakes

--Dinner at Robertos, Mexican food, margaritas, stagger/walk back to our hotels

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FRIDAY:

--Breakfast

--Valentine Reserve (marsh in the middle of town)

http://www.recreationparks.net/CA/mono/valentine-reserve-ecological-study-area-mammoth-lakes

--Mammoth Rock trail—Short Photo-op

http://www.google.com/search?pq=mammoth+rocks&hl=en&cp=19&gs_id=21&xhr=t&q=mammoth+rock+trail+in+mammoth&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=693&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

--Hike from Lake Mary basin (9000’) over Duck Pass (11,000’) to Duck Lake past several glacial lakes

http://www.summitpost.org/duck-lake-peak/632162

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/7/f/4/event_57926612.jpeg

--Dinner

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SATURDAY:

Several Options:

--Kayaking at June Lake

and drive to Mono Lake tufa reserve

AND/OR

--Hike at McGee Creek to waterfall

http://www.google.com/search?pq=mcgee+creek+mammoth+lakes&hl=en&cp=22&gs_id=1v&xhr=t&q=mcgee+creek+waterfall+mammoth+lakes&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=693&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

AND/OR

--Hot Creek hot springs--Geologic Site

http://www.visitmammoth.com/docs/USGS/Hot%20Creek%20Update.pdf

http//www.google.com/search?pq=mcgee+creek+mammoth+lakes&hl=en&cp=22&gs_id=1v&xhr=t&q=mcgee+creek+waterfall+mammoth+lakes&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=693&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=hot+creek+mammoth+lakes&pbx=1&oq=hot+creek+mammoth+lakes&aq=0&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=31248l33701l0l36332l9l9l0l1l0l3l308l1522l0.5.2.1l8l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=65d66105382881ad&biw=1280&bih=693 (http://www.google.com/search?pq=mcgee+creek+mammoth+lakes&hl=en&cp=22&gs_id=1v&xhr=t&q=mcgee+creek+waterfall+mammoth+lakes&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=693&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=hot+creek+mammoth+lakes&pbx=1&oq=hot+creek+mammoth+lakes&aq=0&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=31248l33701l0l36332l9l9l0l1l0l3l308l1522l0.5.2.1l8l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=65d66105382881ad&biw=1280&bih=693)

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SUNDAY:

--Check out the Earthquake Fault (lava fissure)

--Drive to Reds Meadow

--Hike to Rainbow Falls and Devil’s Postpile

http://www.visitmammoth.com/static/index.cfm?contentID=337

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/6/0/0/event_57926112.jpeg

--Cookout and campfire (location to be determined)

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MONDAY:

--Breakfast

--Do an event not done on Saturday

and drive home

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ONE LAST THING---I'M NOT A TRAVEL AGENT. I'M JUST POSTING A SCHEDULE OF FUN THINGS TO DO HERE. YOU MUST BE IN SHAPE AND PREPARED FOR HIKING AT HIGH ALTITUDES AND BRING EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

AS USUAL: BRING PLENTY OF WATER, WARM AND COLD WEATHER GEAR, COMFORTABLE SHOES, HAT, SUNSCREEN, SNACKS, GERN BLANSTON REPELLENT

LEGAL STUFF: yes, by going on this hike, you agree to assume all risks of this hike, and that no one at Meetup including the organizer is responsible for your safety. See the Meetup terms of service especially paragraph 6.2:

https://www.meetup.com/terms/

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