Day 64: We're Coming from the Mountains

Above Lake Virginia - Red's Meadow
Mile 892 - 907
Total 15 miles on PCT (plus 13 miles bus from Red's Meadow to the city of Mammoth Lakes)

The seven high elevation Sierra mountain passes: Forrester, Glen, Pinchot, Mather, Muir, Selden and Silver are behind me. Ahead is an easy day of mostly downhill hiking towards Red's Meadow near the Mammoth Mountain ski resort and the Mammoth Lakes town. I'd like to get there before the post office closes, because it's Friday and on Monday is 4th July holiday and at the post office I've got one envelope with maps (and maybe one more surprise package?)

So I get up with first light and follow the trail mostly on contour with views of Purple Lake and high elevation mountain peaks. I'm still above 10,000 feet.

Then the trail enters a forest with numerous little stream and passes the nine hundred mile marker.

The geology changes: I am suddenly walking on lightweight volcanic tuff rocks coming from relatively recent volcanic activity.

Then the PCT begins a steep descent down to Red's Meadow, through old growth conifer forest growing on the nutrient rich soil.

After two miles of beautiful shady forest there is an old burned area. Tree snags are still standing and there are millions of still green currants and wild gooseberries. They are not ripe at all yet, but it is a fine promise of what's ahead as hikers enter July and descend to lower elevations. The trail will provide!

Red's Meadow is a busy place with a little store full of tourists, backpackers, JMT hikers, PCT hikers and people from all over the world who came here to enjoy the natural beauty. Plus, there's a hiker box too :-) Every 20 minutes a bus arrives here from the town of Mammoth, bringing in hikers, and many hikers couldn't fit all their food into their bear canisters and they donate their leftovers to the hiker barrel. The PCT hiker crew that has just come down from the mountains feasts on the donated trail bars, nuts and dried fruits. Thank you tourists for your generosity!

From Red's meadow I board the bus to Mammoth. The return ticket costs $7. Then at the bike park and ski resort I board another free bus down to the town. It's been 13 days since I had last seen a motor vehicle :-)

My first stop in Mammoth is the post office. I've made it there one hour before closing! And at the post office are waiting not one, but two packages: The first one with maps, and the second one full of trail bars! The Nature Valley oat and honey bars are my favorites.

Kiitos Robert!

Then I go to check the campground in town. However it's 4th July weekend and all three official campgrounds in Mammoth are full a their staff doesn't appear very friendly. So I try the next option: stay in a hostel; and I'm lucky, the Davidson street guest house hostel has a top bunk bed available for tonight and the $30 hiker rate is not too bad. The hostel manager Eric is super friendly, he hiked the PCT himself. And although checkout time tomorrow is 11 am, he's OK if I hang out at the guest house longer. There's a spacious community kitchen with plenty of food. If you don't label your food, then it's considered as "shared" and free for anyone to use. One hiker makes a delicious salad for everyone. And I meet Mountain Goat again! Life feels good with fresh veggies and, after three weeks outside, in a shower, cozy room and bed. A good place for at least one or two zero days!