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2005 Mammoth Lakes Trip

Day 2 of 4

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Saturday, October 22nd
TJ Lake hike, June Lake Loop

After breakfast, we made the short drive up Lake Mary Road and did a short hike to TJ Lake.

After the hike, we returned to the cabin for lunch, then made the 30 minute drive to the June Lake Loop. The loop is about a 15 mile section of road north of Mammoth, off of Highway 395. It loops around June Lake, Gull lake, Silver Lake, and Grant Lake (the largest of the four). I'd driven the loop the year before, and noticed the many aspen trees. So I was hoping for some good fall foliage. Unfortunately we were probably a couple weeks too late for the best displays. There were still pockets of yellow aspens along the shores of June Lake. Most of the trees at Gull lake were already bare. Silver Lake had some very nice stands, but the majority were either brown or completely bare. It was still a nice place to stop and throw rocks into the lake, watch the ducks go by, and enjoy the scenery.

Aspens near Silver Lake

June Lake Loop road near Silver Lake

The fading afternoon light meant that I suspected a return in the morning would be better for photography. But I wanted to find out if there was any reason to return, so we drove a little further along the road to check things out. There wasn't much to see at Grant Lake, but I there was a beautiful grove on the hillside between Grant Lake and Silver Lake. I vowed to return in the morning.

Aspens near Silver Lake

Aspens near Silver Lake

Mountains over Silver Lake

Ducks on Silver Lake

At night, we decided to go to Roberto's Cafe, where we'd eaten on the previous trip. Even in this off-season before the ski season started, there was a 30 minute wait. We heard from someone at the lodge that during the winter, the wait can be up to 3 hours!!! Of course the food is good, but it's definitely not worth waiting 3 hours for.


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