Mammoth continued

The 12 miles on the Fish Creek Trail from Rainbow Falls to Iva Bell Hot Springs features terrain that is as varied as the trail is long. As we hiked through the Inyo National Forest, the Ansel Adams Wilderness, and the John Muir WIlderness, we were surrounded by forest groves with thick fern undergrowth, granite slabs overlooking canyons, soggy meadows, and desert-like switchbacks - all the while the trail was lined with all colors of wild flowers. The hike wasn't listed in any guide books we found, we had to seek it out. The descriptions we did find led us to believe the terrain was fairly easy, and while it may have been better described as moderate, 12 miles is a long day no matter what you're walking on. 

I knew we would be pushing our limits, but we realized half way through the hike that 25 miles over two days would just be too much. By the time we got to the hot springs it was just before sun down and each one of us was exhausted. We decided then that we had better break up the hike back over two days instead of trying to make it back in one. It turned out to be the best decision we've made thus far this trip. It gave us an extra day in the wilderness and boosted everyone's morale knowing we didn't have to hike another 12 miles on day two. Luckily, Ben had made sure we had enough food to get through the extra night. The hot springs were a nice treat after such a long day but we were asleep as soon as we finished our dinner. We awoke to the best view from any place I had ever camped. Everything is so big out here compared to back East. 

After a soak in the springs and some breakfast we hit the trail looking to make it at least half way back to the trailhead. On one of our water breaks we heard a rattle nearby and all three of us quickly jumped to our feet. Sure enough there was a nearly 4-foot rattlesnake right next to us. We watched him for a minute while we collectively caught our breath before getting back to the trail. We arrived at a  campsite we had seen on the way out and spent a couple hours around the campfire before the sounds of the nearby creek lulled us to sleep. We had covered a lot of ground and only had 2.5 hours of hiking left on day three. A shower, a burger, a beer, and a nap had everyone feeling that much closer to normal. Did I mention how much I love Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding area?

Snowball fights in August. 

Cliff jumping at Arrowhead Lake. 

Blues Traveler at the Beer & Brewsapalooza.  

Not a bad place to stop for lunch on our way to the hot springs.

Amanda made a new friend at the hot springs.