Yesterday we got our trail legs, today we used them! It was chilly first thing in the morning so no mosquitoes, thank god. Izzie had been corresponding with a potential employer in the UK and we had a pocket of signal and found out she had an online interview scheduled on Tuesday at 1:30pm. We originally did not plan on arriving in Mammoth until Tuesday evening around 6 so this drastically accelerated our plans! We only had a day and a half to make the 27 miles and get into town with enough time to find a hotel to clean up and get ready for the interview. So needless to say, the nitro was on!
The morning light was on the peaks as we broke camp. Rabbit ears and aspens lined the switchbacks as we ascended from camp steeply to reach the top of a long hillock called Bear Ridge. It was covered in lodgepole pine and good shade. Our hoodies were still on to fight off the morning chill and soon we were descending the other side of the steep Bear Ridge. We could see Silver Pass across the valley and it loomed large in the distance with sun on its peaks interspersed with patches of shade up its climb. It was a long descent, and we fretted every step knowing each was another step we would just have to climb to ascend Silver.
We spotted a few small red parasitic snow plants while bombing down the switchbacks. They grow by attaching themselves to the roots of conifers, stealing nutrients while the red flowering part of the plant bursts through the leaf litter to spread its offspring. We dove further down into a beautiful fern gully, there were aspens overhead and everything seemed to glow in a light green. Columbine flowers stared showing up trailside and soon alders, letting us know that water was close.
We bumped into Goldie and Workout again at the bottom of the descent filtering water with all their rain gear on. It was their best attempt to thwart off the mosquitoes that loved this lush wet paradise. We waved goodbye after a short chat and grabbed some water at the large bridge that crossed Mono Creek. We figured its fast moving waters might attract fewer flying vampires. Soon after we began the climb. Juniper, manzanita, aspen, ferns, Indian paintbrush, and sage appeared on the south face of the ascent. Luckily we found refuge in shade from time to time. We kept steadily climbing and soon huge granite walls emerged, forming the sides of a shallow canyon.
The climb continued still, and we found a few crystal clear creek crossings to navigate just before a beautiful tall cascading waterfall. Granite rocks had lain siege to the path, and the sun began to beat down hard. We sought 3 things: the shade, the breeze, and of course the top. The climb continued and for a short time we were accompanied by a small creek where brook trout played. There was wind in the pines, and soon we lost the cover and pushed further into the alpine. Step after step we finally made it up Silver Pass and stood upon its summit!
It was undeniably lunch time and only a few minutes later Goldie and Workout joined us for some much needed snackage. After stuffing our faces and chatting on about the future, we waved goodbye and pressed on with miles in mind to make the interview!
We dropped down into meadows where lakes lay and the creeks that fed them gurgled down canyon. We saw a grey jay calling from a tall pine, and after mocking him for some time we pressed on. There were quite a few downed trees in this section and the sun went to work on us again. Finally we skirted the granite wall to find the canyon bottom. A small creek followed the trail, yet in spite of its size, it still roared mightily. Green marshy grasslands started popping up as we dropped down the canyon.
Finally back under the canopy of lodgepole pines, we found the confluence of the canyon formed by Fish Creek and the ascent was on again. As we climbed the canyon the creek cascaded in brilliant falls, roaring proudly and sometimes creating emerald swimming holes for one to rest one’s body. But there was no time, and the climb diverged from the canyon bottom and headed straight up a side wall. This climb wasn’t long and gentle like Silver, it was fast and steep and almost solely in the sun. If you were only looking down you would have sworn you were in the desert, dusty trail, metamorphic rock, and sage clung to its edges. After a long battle with the beast, we found its top. Man, what a haul!
After a short climb over a hillock the massive Lake Virginia came into view. It was big, deep, and blue. The wind was whipping through so hard that it was making white crested waves on its surface! When the trail finally met the lake, we had no choice but to jump in. I would not rate this dip amongst the best swims in the Sierras, quite the opposite with the frigid temperatures and hurricane whipping winds. But never the less, it had to be done, and we felt all the better for it!
We dried out, packed up and slowly trudged up the hillock that separated Lake Virginia and Purple Lake. It was a short climb, but a long descent down into the next valley. The lake was stunning from the saddle and we quickly descended until finding a nice secluded camp nestled beneath a tall pine overlooking the lake, and a harbor from the wind. It was a long but satisfying day, and tomorrow, perfectly staged for Mammoth!
- Hike Stats – Total Miles: 20
- JMT Miles: 20 (Mile 129 – 149)
