Checking Number 1 Out: Hiking around Horseshoe Lake of Mammoth Lakes

Horseshoe Lake

Date: July 12, 2022 

Place: Mammoth Lakes, California

Coordinates: 37.613062, -119.021264

Length: 1.5 miles

Level: easy

 

Lately I've been doing a lot of catching up with my writing of hikes I did in the last couple of years but this one is very recent. Last month my family came over to visit from overseas, and we went on a 2.5 weeks long road trip to Colorado and back. We did a lot of sightseeing and visitations of our relatives on Boulder, but we also did some hiking. Our first hike of that trip was in California still, before crossing over to Nevada. We planned to stay the night in Mammoth Lakes and wanted to spend the time until evening enjoying the Mammoth Lakes, specifically, Horseshoe Lake. 

Beach at Horseshoe Lake

Horseshoe Lake is the highest of the Mammoth Lakes lakes that can be reached by car. I chose that lake because I thought it would be nice to dip in the water. A local woman had warned us that the water is very cold but we went there anyway. The lake was pretty low, exposing a large coarse sand beach to which we went. The north lobe of the lake was very shallow and the water not so cold at all so we took off our shoes and dipped a bit. We settled on a large platform like granite slab and watched the youth playing in and near the water. After some time I felt antsy and decided to take a walk around the lake. My sister jumped up and said she'd join me, and so we left my brother in law in charge of the happy youth and started on the trail surrounding the lake. Where it looks in the image that we walked in the water, it was indeed within the lake's boundaries, but those areas were dry

Our hike as captured by my GPS

The trailhead of the lake-surrounding trail is shared also with a wilderness trail that extends up to the High Sierra and into Yosemite National Park. It starts as a wide, well packed and very comfortable trail.

Horseshoe Lake Trail

A short distance into the forest the trail narrows considerable and starts winding between the trees. Little creeks, running still, flow down from the mountain and the trail crosses them over short wooden plank bridges.

Although my sister and her family were in California for over a week already, this was the first time that we were alone together for any significant time. We took the opportunity to catch up about matters that were too personal to talk about in others' presence or that we wanted to go in more depth than what's is possible when having the children around. All that time we didn't forget where we were and the serene beauty we were walking through.

The trail doesn't go too close to the water, and the low level too makes the shoreline look far. Every now and then the trail wood curve a bit closer and we would get a partial view of the lake through the trees.

There was some bloom along the trail, especially near the little creaks. There wasn't much of it though. I don't know if that was because the year was so dry or because that is usual for the place. I was happy to see flowers though.

Broad-leaf Lupine, Lupinus latifolius

Horseshoe Lake is a small lake, even when it is full to the brim. It didn't take long for us to reach the south side of the lake. As we started rounding the south shore we had a nice view of the northeastern side with the ring of conifer trees, the bare mountains behind , and the looming clouds above. The clouds looked thick but they were far away. We didn't expect to be rained on that evening.

Horseshoe Lake

The south side of the lake was bordering the mountain slope and the trail to the wilderness split off. My sister and I continued around Horseshoe Lake, now going beside some impressive rocky outcrops.

We were walking slowly, chatting, breathing deeply the mountains dry, clear air. An intense heat wave was going on all over the southwest, but in Mammoth Lakes it was quite beautiful, and in the shade if the trees near the lake, the weather was perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better place to be that day.

The familiar mountain heather was blooming near the creeks of the south shore, but the bloom was very limited, not the large pink clouds I'm used to see in the mountains. I guess the second year in a row of a very severe drought had a strong effect on even the hardiest plants of the Sierra.

Brewer's Mountain Heather, Polydoce breweri

We rounded the south shore of the lake and between the trees we could see now almost the entire length of the eastern shore. On the left of the photo - the south eastern slope of Mammoth Mountain coming into view.

Almost every little creek we crossed had some columbine blooming along its banks. We've seen these all along the west and south parts of the trail. They too seemed smaller and fewer than I'd expect for this location on this time of year. The Crimson Columbine is very common throughout California but I'm always happy so see it blooming.

Crimson Columbine, Aquilegia formosa

On the southeastern side of the lake we came upon what looked like an old and no longer used group campground. There was an old oven/grill structure, raised platforms, and old nails and pullies stuck in the trees.

From the old campground the trail veered more to the east and according to my navigator, it would remain distant from the lake until its junction with the lake's access road. We didn't want to get too far from the lake so we left the trail and maintained close proximity to the water.

It was obvious that many others did the very same thing because even off the trail there was a trail, even if unofficial. It meandered between the trees and pulled closer to the lake and we followed it.

 

Eventually we came out of the trees and slowly descended the scree and gravel slope towards the water. Just ahead of us, looming above the lake was the majestic Mammoth Mountain. I'm used to seeing it covered with snow but now it was completely naked. Across the lake I detected a patch of dead trees and I trained my camera on that patch.

Mammoth Mountain

The local woman who told us about the lake also told us about the dead trees near it. These trees didn't die of the drought or of any pest or disease. These trees were killed by carbon dioxide emissions from the mountain itself. Mammoth Mountain is an active (although dormant) volcano and emits gasses from its depths. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and concentrates low by the ground, where it can accumulate to deadly levels, suffocating aerobic organisms. The locations of the gas emissions can change, and when carbon dioxide was emitted in this spot near Horseshoe Lake, it killed the trees in that area.

We came down closer to the water, walking slowly on the rocky ground, careful not to slip and also careful not to trample the few wildflowers we did  see on the scree slope.

Phacelia sp.

Although not an official trail, we did find an established path right by the water along the east side of the lake. We continued north on that path, heading toward the mountain. We tried The sun was getting low, soon it will be time to go for dinner. 

The makeshift path was clearly in the zone that would have been covered by water had the lake been full. There wasn't much vegetation growing there, and the plants that I did see were all quick-growing species, many of them annuals. Of these I liked best the little sedges and grasses that bloomed beneatrh the larger rocks.  

From the east we had a nice view of the flat top mountain southwest of the lake, and of the rocky outcrops that we had walked past, some that were down all the way to the water. The low sun made it hard to see details on that slope. 

A rocky ledge and some large scree protruded from the forest all the way down to the water. We followed the makeshift path back up toward the trees where the walking was easier. We didn't enter the forest again, we simply walked along the tree line. It was interesting to see that the trees that had the low branches, had these branches growing downward. I assume that's the effect of heavy winter snow weighing these branches down. 

Past the rocks and scree we went back down to the lake shore and resumed our walk by the water. We could see our youth gathered by the same large rock we stopped at in the beginning. My sister spotted her spouse lying down on the flat part of the rock. He seemed to be asleep. I noticed the pretty grasses that grew by the rocks near my feet. I also noticed the water lines painted on those rocks, an indication of how high the water was not so long ago. 

As we were closing our hike I went up a bit to look closer at the suffocated dead trees. That entire patch looked like a sad boneyard. This death however, humans had nothing to do with. It was Mammoth Mountain's reminder of its role as the dominant force shaping the region. 

We completed the round around Horseshoe Lake and rejoined the rest of the family. The kids were ready to go for dinner. My brother in law said he could have slept longer on that comfy rock bed. It looked like everyone had a very nice time that afternoon. I know I did, for sure. 

 

Hugging the Coastline: A Discovery Hike at Wilder Ranch State Park

 

 

Date: October 16, 2020 and November 1, 2020

Place: Wilder Ranch State Park

Coordinates: 36.960410, -122.085699

Length: 3.2 miles

Level: easy

 

In the fall of 2020 it looked like things were slowly opening up again after long months of closures and social distancing, and I thought it would be a good time to restart my family hiking groups again. Half sized groups, masks, and the great outdoors. Wilder Ranch State Park near Santa Cruz has been on my list for a while now and I thought it would be a good place to resume the group hikes at. First of course, I needed to go and scout the trail on my own, and I did that on a nice and sunny October day.

My hike as captured by my GPS

 

I started by going east on the ranch road that leads to an underpass under hwy 1. I wanted to see how the uphill trail looked like, and it didn't look good at all - the CZU fire of that summer had reached the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the entire hillside looked very sad in the fire's aftermath. My little stroll there however, brought me near the historic ranch complex. The museum was closed because of COVID but the complex looked really nice. I marked the shaded lawn in my mind as a possible picnic spot for after the hike.

Wilder Ranch

 

 From the ranch complex I turned south toward the coastline. I didn't expect to see any wildflowers so late in the fall, and I was happily surprised to see a few poppies blooming by the trail.

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

 

 The trail crossed a railroad. It was clear that this railroad has not been in use for quite a long time.

 

I crossed the railroad and continued south on the dusty trail. The day was bright and warm, and a light breeze blew at my face.

 

 Little sparrows flew here and there in small groups, chirping all around me. A small covey of quails crossed the path and disappeared into the bushes on the side before I had the chance to raise my camera. One of them, a female, lingered long enough in the bush near the trail.

California Quail, female

 

I reached the coastline and I was high above the water. Below to my left was the eastern beach and signs were posted forbidding going down to that beach. It was a protected area for wildlife only. A large brown thing on the sand turned out to be a dead seal. its remains were still there two weeks after when I came there with the family hiking group. On that visit we also got to see nature's sanitation squad in actin - four turkey vultures working hard on that huge carcass. 

 

After reaching the ocean the trail followed the contour of the coastal cliffs, staying well above the sea. The coastal cliffs at Wilder Ranch are not as high as in other places along hwy 1 but they are no less beautiful. There was something very captivating about the gentle walk right above some very rough water. I loved seeing the waves crash into the cliffs, carving them with depressions, coves and caves.

 

To my right was the flat plateau that stretched all the way to the highway. Outside of the park's boundaries there were vegetable fields on that plateau. Inside the park where the land wasn't irrigated, most plants were dry except for a few perennial or biennial species that either remained green from last season or has sprouted new growth in expectation of winter rains.

Yellow Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum

 

I was pleased to see some more bloom along the coastline. These plants benefit from the cooler temperatures and the frequent fog. They are also more tolerant of the salty breeze that batter them regularly.

Pacific Aster, Symphyotrichum chilense

I finally managed to photograph one of those hyperactive sparrows. Perhaps it was less evasive because it was a young bird. 

White-crowned Sparrow, Juvenile

 

About half a mile down the coastal trail I reached a large flat cliff area with an excellent view of the coves to west of where I was. It was an excellent spot to sit for a snack break and some peaceful musing about life.

 

Two weeks later I stopped with my family hiking group at that very spot for a picnic lunch. That day was very windy and the time was high tide time. What impressed me most though, was the large number of birds, mostly gulls and pelicans, that floated on the water inside the cove. They didn't seem to be feeding, I suppose they too liked this place as a resting spot. 

 

I resumed my walk along the coastal cliffs, still paying attention to the wildflowers that bloomed beside the trail. 

Seaside Daisy, Erigeron glaucus

 

There were more flowers than I had expected to see but nearly all of them were of the aster family. When seeing wildflowers bloom outside the peak season, it is a sure thing that the aster family will be represented , and is well represented among them.

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium

 

 I did find one blooming plant species that was not an aster however. It was the coast buckwheat, of the Polygon family, which is also a very large family with many hardy species.

Coast Buckwheat, Eriogonum latifolium

  

Small groups of brown pelicans scouted the coastline, gliding low above the water. Some times I see them dive for a fish but not on the day of my hike.

Pacific Brown Pelican

 

I came to a cove that was much deeper than the others, which meant I that I would have to turn back inland in order to bypass it and get to the other side. 

 

As I started my bypass of this 'fjord' and as I was making my way around the cliff I looked down and saw rocky shelves and islands well below the cliffs but above the water. Many cormorants were roosting on their rocky shelves.

 

Two weeks later there were even more cormorants there, covering the low rock islands, perfectly located just outside the pecking range of its neighbors.  

 

The other side of that cove also had low rock platform extensions. These were occupied by sleeping seals.

 

I had a better view of the seals after I reached the spot right above their sleep shelf. I stood there for some time, watching them sleep peacefully, mostly motionless except for an occasional stir.

Harbor Seals

 

 I moved on from there and continued west along the path. That area of the park had much fewer people in it, and for the most part I was alone. I did have to watch out for bikers though. I saw a few of them on this hike, and some were coming down the trail pretty fast.  

 

I came upon another cove, narrower and deeper. The strand line looked thick and muddy but this brown stuff wasn't mud - it was rotting kelp. I'm glad that the photo doesn't convey the thick aroma of this fall time rot.

 

There was a way to get down there but I decided not to.  On the family group hike two weeks later we did go down that cove - we were hoping to have some respite from the gale winds we had that day. the narrow cove did provide some protection but the smell was too intense to truly enjoy the setting.

 

Eventually I reached a point of decision - should I continue west along the coastal trail or should I take the trail leading back to the ranch complex? I decided to walk west a bit more, and then I turned and looked at the beautiful coastline that stretched behind me, to the east. It was so beautiful, I wanted to stay there much longer. I did need to go back however, and so I turned around and when I reached the trail junction again I took the turn to the park's headquarters. 

 

The return trail had some interesting surprises too. It stretched along the park's boundary and on the other side were vegetable fields. Some of the fields had Brussels sprouts, which are very interesting plants to see. The most interesting though, were the fields of artichoke. This cultivated thistle grows to an enormous size and has a really beautiful bloom. Since the edible part of the artichoke is the inflorescence bud, they are harvested before they have the chance to open. The field I was walking along was already harvested but a few artichoke buds were missed and they were now blooming. I trespassed into the field to take a close up photo of one of these gorgeous blooms.

Artichoke

 

The weather was nice on my solo prep hike but on the group hike the wind was really brutal. Still we enjoyed the hike in this beautiful setting. It seemed as if things were getting back to normal again. Shortly after however, everything closed up again. Many parks in California were closed once more and I had to suspend the group hikes once more. I slipped into a very sour state, a condition I got out of after isolating myself in the desert for a few days, just me alone at the Coso Range. I haven't been back to Wilder Ranch since this hike, and I nearly forgotten that it happened. When a friend who'd been in the family hike had reminded me of that place I dug up the photos and wrote this post. Now I'm looking forward to go there again and continue exploring this pretty park.