Devil’s Post Pile NM

We followed the exhilaration of alpine back country with an easy day of fooling around under 8,000 feet. We played “Beat the Ranger” to pass by Minaret Vista Ranger Kiosk before 7 am. After that time until 7 pm, only shuttle buses and campers or backpackers with reservations may pass through.  We went sightseeing: stopping at every shuttle stop to look and walk around. My earlier trips to this area were marked by illness. I remember sitting in the parking lot at Devil’s Postpile NM, in about 1997 waiting for Mom and a few siblings to hike .4 miles and back to view the basalt columns. It was a very nice, scenic parking lot, but I was having trouble walking. Then in 2017, while back at Mammoth, I was flattened by fatigue and pain, later diagnosed as idiopathic angioedema, and I was struggling. Yoga teaches me to have a dialog, not an argument, with my body. Admit and allow. So I recognize and honor my limitations. In 2022 I could be especially joyful when revisiting Mammoth Lakes. Back to Agnew Meadows, PCT Trailhead and Pack Mule Stables. We saw lovely Sierra meadows crisscrossed by creeks and dotted with glacier erratics.  The wildflowers were just past their peak in late July.  The people-watching in the National Monument Parking Lot was very interesting. We heard many foreign languages and saw a flock of schoolchildren as well as families and grouplets of college-age young people. About 8:30 am we were treated to the sight of a herd of adolescents, about 13-14 years old, hiking out of the backcountry, where they had been outdoor-educated. We interviewed a counselor and a few of her ducklings.   All were enthusiastic, despite sunburns, scratches and blisters. “I am sorry it’s over!” said one girl who had obviously packed her wobbly, uneven backpack herself. “I can’t wait to come back!” exclaimed another girl, who had strapped a stuffed unicorn to her backpack. “That was amazing!” agreed a boy with a fishing pole for a walking stick. They were waiting for their bus to come and planning a stop for ice cream before returning to the Fresno area. I enjoyed their enthusiasm for the natural world.   

We had beautiful Sotcher Lake about all to ourselves as we hiked around it. We went looking for an informative Nature Trail, but after a single sign saying “Red Fir” we saw no more markers. Instead, we made up our own trail, after the trail washed out, and added Nature Trail commentary along the way. Wildlife sightings: a duck, a jay, and a Roseville retired beer distributor with a brown Lab, unsuccessfully fishing. I am happy to report our Permethrin-treated garments performed wonderfully as we walked through clouds of mosquitos on the swampy northeast side of the lake. The mosquitos persuaded us to keep moving as we admired several stream gardens at the base of a glacial moraine. 

Then we happily returned to Joulie for the drive up 2000+ vertical feet to Minaret Vista Viewpoint. After gloating about how easy we had gained altitude, we peered through the sighting scopes to pick out the mountains named for white male surveyors in the 19th century. 

The day was clear and sunny until a late afternoon T-storm blew in. By that time we were lolling in our hotel room, snacking on the free trail mix provided in the lobby, while Joulie slurped Amps in the parking garage. Nothing like watching a Sierra storm from out the window.