I did a lot of ski runs this past week while in Mammoth for spring break, but my most favorite “run” was a 10-mile loop of running from the ski resort up around Lake Mary and back down to town. I started at Juniper Springs Resort next to Eagle Lodge:
The elevation at Juniper Springs is above 8,000 feet so I took it easy with a warmup walk up to Lake Mary Road to hook up with the Lakes Basin Path, a 5.3-mile bike and running path with over 1,000 feet in elevation gain/loss:
I took breaks to stop and read every interpretive nature sign along the way. I learned that this area stands at the western edge of the largest contiguous Jeffrey Pine forest in the world, and that the resin of the Jeffrey Pine smells like vanilla and butterscotch! I stood at the edge of a volcano and admired the view:
I’d planned my 10-mile route carefully using MapMyRun and Google Maps, but I hadn’t planned for this:
In the winter the city plows Lake Mary Road up to the edge of Twin Lakes. The snow on the rest of the road is then groomed for cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and walking. Undaunted, I jogged through the snow on the designated walking section of the path to the left of the groomed ski trails:
I like to think I was only one of a handful of people who made it out to see frozen Lake Mary that day:
After the loop around Lake Mary on the aptly-named “Around Lake Mary Road,” I ran down the mountain on Old Mammoth Road, a snowmobile and hiking path to the historical site of old Mammoth City. At the base of Red Mountain, formerly known as Mineral Hill, sat an 1878-79 mining camp.
A sign explained that for the 1,000 miners in the area there were no less than 22 saloons, with each “saloon” being not much more than a 10-foot square shack with a barrel of whiskey inside!
With all the historical and nature interpretive signs and the gorgeous views, I simply felt joyful for the entire run. Right up until the point that I realized I’d lost my driver’s license when it fell out of my running pack as I removed my cell phone to take a picture somewhere along those 10 miles! Doh! So, on the day we were scheduled to leave Mammoth, I drove back out to the trail and retraced my steps on the snow. Fifteen minutes later I spied my license, sunken in the melted snow at the foot of the historical sign in the mining camp!
Gorgeous pictures! It is amazing that you were able to find your driver’s license the next day. What a beautiful place to run.
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Wow!! So pretty! I prefer to enjoy the beauty of it through your pictures – looks way too cold for me!!
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You know, it wasn’t too bad out there — in the low 40s. I wore Under Armour Cold Gear and two more layers on top (silk shirt and Costco running jacket) and a hat and I ended up having to unzip the jacket!
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What a memorable run! I’m glad you found your license do you can focus on the joy.
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Exactly! My heart soared when I saw the license and knew I wouldn’t have to brave the DMV and pay $27 for a new one! Thank goodness the joy of the run wasn’t tainted with a lost license.
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Wow – what a great run! I just went to Mammoth for skiing for the first time this February and loved the experience. Maybe I’ll bring my running shoes next time.
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Definitely do it! I did another run earlier in the week on the hotel treadmill, and then when I did that outdoor run I was kicking myself for staying inside for that 1st run. It was just so awesome to be outside, seeing new sights, taking in the fresh air. It didn’t even feel that cold (although February might be a different story!)
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