TR: Mammoth - Edison - LLV (long w/Lots of pics)

[rileySB]

Loved the photos! Crazy to think that even after a "dry" winter, there can be so much water in the high alpine lakes. The goldens are absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the TR!

[kpeter]

What a nice report, will great pictures to illustrate. I was in the Duck Lake/Purple Lake area probably one week before you got there and have an almost identical picture of the blowdown at Purple Lake.

I love the way you put this hike together, with the resort halfway through. It might inspire me to follow in your footsteps in a future year.

[gary c.]

BuckSnort, there were hardly any mosquitos to speek of, very much a surprise. Knowing how they normally are eveyone deeted up at the trailhead to start out. After that there was only a couple times that we had enough skeeters to be a problem. That was lakeside while fishing at Lake Virginia and again when we tried to stop for a break at Tulley Hole. Durring the afternoon we encountered LOT of flys hiking up Mono Canyon.

rileySB, the lakes seemed to be about as full as normal but the creeks looked to be dropping low for as early in the season as our trip was. That kind of brings up something else that I should mention for anyone like kpeter thinking of dropping by VVR durring a hike. Because of this being such a dry year Edison Lake level has been drawn down a lot and early. We got there on July 24 and that was the last official day for the ferry because the lake had dropped so low. The manager did me a favor and took our group back the next day. After that there was no ferry and everyone has to hike the extra 5mls on the trail to VVR. So always make it a point to check about the ferry right before you start your trip so you know what to expect.

[BuckSnort]

Thanks Gary... I noticed this year that the flies are bad this year, more so than I can remember...Must have something to do with the mild winter we had...