Not so LA anymore

I loved living in LA, but what I enjoyed most about it is all the trails and National Parks that are accessible by living there. With all that traveling to hike I found a new place that I love and I don't have to go anywhere to hike, it's all right here. So here I am 5 hours North of Los Angeles in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Mammoth Lakes is a sweet mountain town nestled in the Eastern Sierra's. This resort town of just over 7,000 people is surrounded by great recreational areas. To the west there’s Yellowstone, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks. To the east is Death Valley National Park, north to Lake Tahoe, and south to Mt Whitney. And of course right here in the Inyo National Forest is Mammoth Mountain ski resort with 3,500 skiable acres and a top elevation of over 11,000 feet. To learn more go to http://www.mammothmountain.com/.

The Hike:

Gem Lake is a moderately strenuous half day hike in the Ansel Adams Wilderness accessable from the town June Lake, 20 miles North of Mammoth Lakes. Start at the trail head across from Silver Lake ascending toward an impressive waterfall. Right about where the waterfall is you’ll start to wonder why there are power lines going up the mountain as well as a railcar system. It sounds a little strange but once you get up to Clarke and Agnew Lakes you’ll realize that there are Dam’s that create energy. The Technical term is Hydroelectric resevoir and it's owned by Southern California Edison. With that being said, once you get to Gem lake the view is worth the journey. This trip is 6.2 miles round-trip with many opportunities to continue into the Ansel Adams Wilderness making it a full day hike or a backpacking trip.