Mammoth Lakes

We spent the last three full days of the trip at Mammoth Lakes. If you ever get the chance to go there, do it! There is a reason so many elite athletes live and train there. It is a mecca for running, biking, and skiing. The area also got plastered with some gigantic snowstorms this year, so coverage was superb, even in July!

July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sort of blurred together into a multi-sport extravaganza! We rode bikes at the upper lakes below the crest (which are gorgeous), and did a great mountain bike ride at Inyo Craters. We skied everyday, including a handful of fun, steep chutes. And as the pictures below show - the running was spectacular as well (in addition to lung-burning, since we were staying at the Mammoth Mountain Inn, which is located at 8900 feet of elevation! The views into the Ansel Adams Wilderness (one of our favorite stretches of the JMT that we hiked last year) were mind-blowing.

On July 4th, I ran the local road race (Freedom Mile) before the parade, and then we drove back to Salt Lake City.

I think I can speak for both of us when I say... MAMMOTH LAKES IS THE BEST!!!

June Lake, just north of Mammoth. Running the rolling hills around this lake was a good reminder that 7500 feet feels a lot different than 6000 feet!


Horseshoe Lake

The upper lakes and Mammoth Crest


The town of Mammoth Lakes down below








Inyo Crater Lake


Andrea biking with Mammoth Mountain behind her





Now for some running shots... this place is heaven for runners (at least in the summer!)...
















The Minarets and the Ritter Range


Skiing a chute called "Avalanche Chute"




Big jump turns






We love national forests!




Not a bad view from the pool. Tons of snow on Mammoth Mountain, as you can tell.


Refueling

A lot more photos on Picasa - Mammoth Lakes

All of the 2011 Summer Vacation Links:

South Lake Tahoe

North Lake Tahoe

Tioga Pass

Mammoth Lakes

Time for a vacation

Preparations are under way for our summer vacation. We're headed back to California this Friday, but with no intentions of doing an 11 day hike like last year. Instead of the backpacking gear, we're loading up the jeep with all our ski gear, mountain bikes, and lots more food than we were able to take on the JMT! The plan is to hang out in Tahoe (we've never been there) for the first half of the trip (running, skiing, biking, and even maybe some relaxing!), the head down the Eastside of the Sierra Nevadas (one of the coolest places on earth!) for the second half of the trip.

The total drive will be about 1300 miles. A lot less than the original trip we had in mind, which would have taken us all the way to Mt Rainier in Washington state.

We're spending the first 5-6 days in the Lake Tahoe basin, then heading south to Mono Lake / Tioga Pass, then down to Mammoth Lakes.


There will still be plenty of snow in Tahoe for skiing...

We'll get to hang out at the beach... and the water will be super cold, so that will be good for post-run therapy...

And ride our mountain bikes...

Tioga Pass (the gateway to Yosemite) got plenty of snow this year as well... this photo was taken a few weeks ago as they were plowing the road... I think there will be some left for us!

We'll cap off the trip playing in the mountains in Mammoth Lakes, CA... we only briefly came through here last summer on our way to start the JMT, and have been itching to go back ever since...


Blood Mountain and the ultra-classic "Bloody Couloir" (the one split by the 2 giant rock outcrops) is one of the lines we are hoping to climb and ski while in Mammoth

Rumor has it that there is a one mile road race in Mammoth on July 4th... hmmmmmmmm... my friend Luke told me after the Utah Valley Marathon to "learn from Ryan Hall and don't jump in any one mile races right after the marathon"... but rumor also has it that my racing flats are already packed :-)

... oh, and the long term forecast isn't looking too shabby, either...