A Peaceful Summer Destination
Story & photos by Lynne Eodice

For many years, We have visited Mammoth Lakes during the summer, and have fond memories of hiking trails in the Inyo National Forest, dining at Tamarack Lodge’s restaurant overlooking Lake Mary, and the scent of fresh pine needles in the air. Sometimes we’d take a side trip to the grandeur of nearby (and more crowded) Yosemite or to the otherworldly beautiful Mono Lake. Our primary summer activities at Mammoth have involved hiking and photography, but there are other popular activities, such as fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and golfing.

Of course, Mammoth is most famous as a four-season vacation destination. For over half a century, many visitors have flocked to Mammoth Lakes and the challenging 11,053-foot Mammoth Mountain for downhill and cross-country skiing. The area is growing and more development is taking place, bringing the ambience of Mammoth a little closer to Aspen these days than that of the small mountain town of yesteryear. Recently, the ski area has undergone an expensive makeover. Included in these amenities is a new high-speed gondola stretching from the edge of town to the base of Mammoth Mountain, the day lodge and The Village at Mammoth, a large complex of shops, restaurants and condominiums.

Speaking for myself, I love the natural aspects of the area. A few of my favorite spots in and around Mammoth Lakes are:

Duck Pass Trail
I would classify this trail as moderately difficult, primarily because of a portion that climbs up to Duck Pass. For those who enjoy hiking and spectacular mountain scenery, this 10-mile roundtrip excursion is well worth the trek. The trailhead begins at the southwest edge of the Coldwater Creek parking lot, in the campground at the far end of Lake Mary. Along this beautiful trail, we’ve passed several lakes—Arrowhead,
Skelton, Barney, and eventually, Duck Lake. At the higher elevations, we’ve stopped to enjoy the view of these lakes down below. At the top of the pass, we usually head south on the trail for another mile to get
great views of the lake.

Devil’s Postpile and Upper Rainbow Falls
These are some of Mammoth’s scenic highlights, and can be easily reached with no strenuous hiking involved. Devil’s Postpile is accessed via Highway 203, west of the Mammoth Visitor Center in the ski area parking lot or from Minaret Vista. From there, visitors must take a shuttle bus to the Postpile ranger station. A half-mile trail leads to Devil’s Postpile National Monument, which is a sheer wall of basaltic columns that rise over 60 feet high. It stands in stark contrast to the woodsy terrain that surrounds it. We’ve also continued downstream from the Postpile for two more miles to Upper Rainbow Falls, where the San Joaquin River plunges 100 feet into a gorge. The spray takes on rainbow colors during the middle of the day, hence the name. The trail continues downward to a smaller lower fall.

Mono Lake
This majestic lake is like no other, with a body of water that covers about 65 square miles. It’s estimated to be at least a million years old. But the lake’s greatest defining features are the “tufas,” which are spires and knobs made of salts and minerals that have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams throughout time. These tufas have become more exposed as the water level dropped (which inspired movements to “save Mono Lake”), but in recent years the water level has fortunately been rising. I’ve gone out of my way to photograph the unique beauty of Mono lake at daybreak or at sunset.

Pristine Beauty, Fewer Crowds
I’ve only mentioned a handful of summer activities at Mammoth Lakes, but there is, literally, something for everyone. I’m hoping to return soon to this place of spectacular beauty, which still attracts fewer visitors than the surrounding national parks.

Once A Popular Stage Coach Stop
by Sandy Sims

Late on a weekday afternoon, some stores are already closed. Even the ubiquitous chickens that run free in San Juan Bautista have flown into the lower branches of pepper trees to sleep for the night. It’s a peaceful place.

Georgana Gularte, a member of the town’s historical society, says she’s heard people say, “I love to come here, and I don’t know why.” She thinks tranquility draws people to her little town. Writers have come here to work in the quiet atmosphere. In fact, the tiny town has spawned art of all kinds, including the Luis Valdez’ plays La Bamba and Zoot Suit, which became Hollywood films. Alfred Hitchcock picked the mission at San Juan for scenes in his classic thriller Vertigo.

The lazy afternoon and simple Western storefronts, however, belie a community teeming with life and proud of its roots. The town’s official name is San Juan Bautista, City of History. On weekdays, during the school year, until around 2:00 in the afternoon the town’s historical sites host some 400 fourth graders, who come to study California’s past.

Indeed, people have been coming to San Juan Bautista for a long, long time. The tiny town, set in the San Juan Valley, was the hub, “the hot spot” during the mid-1800s for the stagecoach run from Los Angeles to San Francisco. With seven stage lines running through town, coaches arrived and departed from the old Plaza Hotel every day. The town also served as a passageway between quicksilver mines in the region and was the trade and supply center for cattle and sheep ranches.

In 1876, the railroad bypassed San Juan for Hollister, and everything changed. Still, people continued to come and so does the light breeze that keeps the valley here from getting too hot. Restaurants gear up most days for a robust dinner crowd that arrives from Carmel, Monterey, Salinas, San Jose and as far as San Francisco.

Eateries offer up Mexican, Basque, German, Italian, and organic food. One can even enjoy an excellent steak or an old-fashioned burger and milkshake. And there’s Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor and the San Juan Bakery with sourdough bread to die for. Even on weeknights, the streets are packed with cars.

Tourists from around the country meander through the mission and its beautiful gardens. It’s one of few missions in California still run by the Catholic Church and has never stopped offering mass. Across the mission’s enormous grassy plaza, a five-block state park offers exhibits, including the old Plaza Hotel—where one can order sassperella on the first Saturday of the month—and the Castro/Breen house—home of the Breen family that came across the Sierras with the ill-fated Donner party. The Breens’ harrowing story is told inside the house. And the Zanetta house, once a dorm for unmarried women, sits next to an enormous stable that holds a collection of antique carriages.

Visitors come to San Juan, too, for the art galleries, festivals, antique stores, the gardens, nearby golf courses and wineries; and for hiking the trails in Fremont Peak State Park. And, there are plays at El Teatro Compesino.

Luis Valdez, once a migrant worker, created this playhouse to share the Chicano experience. Valdez and his teatro have received national awards, including the Peabody Award. The actors, many of them local, will perform his famed Zoot Suit July through September of this year.

In October, the mission is hosting a 50th anniversary celebration of the filming of Vertigo. They hope the film’s star, Kim Novak, will come to their red carpet dinner. Less than an hour from Monterey, Carmel and Santa Cruz and a short ride to Salinas, San Juan Bautista is a perfect staging place. In fact, various antique-car touring groups return often to stay in town and drive the back roads. Of course, the cars must stop a time or two for a group of hens strutting noisily across the road, and a chorus of roosters may wake them a little early.