Mammoth Lakes Area Trails Report

 

August 6, 2013

 

 This past Saturday featured another successful Summer of Stewardship project hosted by Friends of the Inyo, MLTPA and the Town of Mammoth Lakes and co-sponsored by the great folks of the Southern Mono Historical Society. Huge thanks to the thirty-seven volunteers who came out to provide some TLC to the unique historic district and structures of the Mammoth Consolidated Mine. In addition to the afterglow of good work, all volunteers were rewarded with free passes to a night of tunes in the pines at Bluesapalooza courtesy of Mammoth Lakes Brewing Company. Volunteers repainted signs, restored eroding trails and delineated an improved, easy to follow loop through these cool old buildings. If you haven’t been up to the Consolidated Mine area lately, head on up and take a gentle stroll through Mammoth’s past.

 

 

Interested in learning more about Mammoth’s colorful history? Visit the Southern Mono Historical Society’s great little museum at the Hayden Cabin downstream from Mammoth Creek Park.

 

 SOS volunteers and Friends of the Inyo Stewards also cut fallen trees out of the trail to Arrowhead Lake and cleaned up the trail around the lake. On their way down the hill, folks removed lose rock from the popular Duck Pass Trail.

 

 Emerald Lake is reportedly where the flowers are going off these days. White-flowered Grass of Parnassas and shockingly orange tiger lilies grace creek edges and meadows, while climbing a little further to Gentian and Sky meadows yields even more subalpine summer color.

 

 

While ogling flowers, take a moment to notice the other fleeting bits of color darting over meadows and through sunny glades. If you see something that looks like a Dorito flying one to 2 feet off the ground, you’ve spied a Fritillary. Seriously though, the deep orange and spotted black wings of this later season butterfly present an uncanny resemblance to the original flavored chip.

 

 August is a big month in the Lakes Basin and on all the trails around Mammoth. Whether walking, running or riding, please be respectful of the other folks out on the trails. Be mindful of dogs, move to the downhill side of the trail and say hello to the rider if you meet equestrians and always pack in what you pack out. One steeper trails, such as Duck Pass, please resist the temptation to charge straight downhill and cut the switchbacks. Switchback cutting causes erosion that is difficult repair and can blow the trail out.

 

 This trail report is provided by Friends of the Inyo with support from the Town of Mammoth Lakes – Mammoth Lakes Trails System funding. The next opportunity to get out and give back to your public lands is August 17th at the Hot Creek Geologic Interpretive Site. Join the Inyo National Forest, MLTPA and Friends of the Inyo for the fifth 2013 Summer of Stewardship project working to improve and maintain these popular trails. For more info contact Drew Foster at Drew@friendsoftheinyo.org.