Daily Pilot
September 18, 2003
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Lake George, Mammoth, CA
To visit Mammoth in the late summer is to fall in love. The days are warm and sun dappled. The nights are crisp and cool with the promise of fall.
My husband and I arrived in town on an August afternoon just in time to join the fun at the Art A La Carte Festival. Once a year, local artisans, restaurants and wineries set up colorful booths in Mammoth Park. We spent the afternoon sipping wine, sampling local fare and viewing the artwork and crafts displayed along the shaded forest path and sparkling creek.
Late summer is also a great time to play Mammoth’s two golf courses. Snowcreek, a par-35, nine-hole course, meanders back through meadows toward Mammoth Mountain.
Sierra Star, Mammoth’s second course, is a real beauty. This Cal Olson-designed par-71, 18-hole course includes lakes, brooks and alpine glades guaranteed to snag your golf balls. The course also boasts wooden bears sculpted by a local artist. These kitschy fellows serve as tee markers and colorful accents. With a staff that is gracious and friendly, Sierra Star is the ultimate treat for the alpine golfer.
Nineteenth-century naturalist and poet John Muir called the Sierra Nevada mountain range “a country of wonderful contrasts — frost and fire working together in the making of beauties.”
Devil’s Postpile
It’s not a question of whether to hike Mammoth but rather where to start. We caught the morning Meadow Shuttle from the Mammoth Mountain Lodge to Devil’s Postpile. More than 100,000 years ago, these basalt columns were formed from a cooling lava flow. A remarkable sight, Devil’s Postpile is an eerie prehistoric sculpture of nature. From the Postpile, we hiked two miles downstream to Rainbow Falls. Here, the Middle Fork San Joaquin River drops a sheer 101 feet throwing up clouds of mist in which rainbows form. We also hiked Rock Creek, a favorite of the locals. The trail takes you up to a string of lakes each more beautiful than the last. Roaring waterfalls and babbling creeks cut through the mountainous terrain as you are treated to a collage of nature’s colors, scents and sounds.
Summer is also perfect time for a drive across the Tioga Pass. It takes less than an hour to reach the east gate of Yosemite, California’s Crown Jewel of a National Park. We stopped midway to hike through majestic forests of redwood and dogwood. Once down in the valley, we visited Bridal Veil and Yosemite Falls. A short walk to both takes you to a stunning view of the falls plunging from miles above. We capped our visit with a picnic in the Meadows just beyond Yosemite Falls.
Speaking of food, Mammoth’s more than 50 restaurants offer a wide range of dining choices after a long hike or 18 holes of golf. We had a great prime rib dinner at Mammoth’s Chart House. We enjoyed ice cold martinis while enjoying a spectacular view of the mountains and then had delicious steak and salmon dinners at Whiskey Creek. Based on local recommendations, we opted for tasty Mexican food at Roberto’s. Note: Roberto’s is the perfect place to pick up hiking or fishing tips. We satisfied our caffeine craving at the Looney Bean. This quaint coffee house whips up yummy mochas, lattes and blended drinks.
Every year, skiers and snowboarders from all over the world flock to Mammoth Lakes to enjoy miles of fresh powdered snow and breathtaking alpine scenery. The mountain in the winter is truly magnificent. But, as my husband and I discovered, Mammoth is just as beautiful and worth visiting in the summer.