When the snow
finally melts, the ski
and snowboard resort
does a quick costume
change and becomes
the massive Mammoth
Mountain Bike Park, and
with a slew of mountain-
bikers decked out in
body armor, it could be
mistaken for a movie set
of an apocalyptic Mad
Max sequel. With more
than 100 miles of well-
tended single-track trails
and a crazy terrain park,
it draws those who know
their knobby tires.
Year-round, a
vertiginous gondola (adult
$24, child 7-12 $8, child 13-18
$19) whisks sightseers to
the apex for breathless
views of snow-speckled
mountaintops.4 p225
The Drive » Keep the car
parked at Mammoth Mountain
and catch the mandatory RedsMeadow shuttle bus from the
Gondola Building. However, you
may want to drive up 1.5 miles
west and back on Hwy 203 as far
as Minaret Vista to contemplate
eye-popping views of the Ritter
Range, the serrated Minarets
and the remote reaches of
Yosemite National Park.7 Reds Meadow
One of the most beautiful
and varied landscapes
near Mammoth is the
Reds Meadow Valley,
west of Mammoth
Mountain. The most
fascinating attraction
in Reds Meadow is the
surreal 10,000-year-old
volcanic formation of
Devils Postpile National
Monument. The 60ft
curtains of near-vertical,
six-sided basalt columns
formed when rivers of
molten lava slowed,
cooled and cracked withperplexing symmetry.
This honeycomb design
is best appreciated
from atop the columns,
reached by a short trail.
The columns are an easy,
half-mile hike from the
Devils Postpile Ranger
Station (%760-934-2289;
http://www.nps.gov/depo; h9am-
5pm summer).
From the monument,
a 2.5-mile hike passing
through fire-scarred
forest leads to the
spectacular Rainbow
Falls, where the San
Joaquin River gushes
over a 101ft basalt cliff.
Chances of actually
seeing a rainbow forming
in the billowing mist are
greatest at midday. The
falls can also be reached
via an easy 1.5-mile walk
from the Reds Meadow
shuttle stop.The Drive » Back on Hwy
395, continue north to Hwy 158TRIP HIGHLIGHTStart: 4 Independence
For encounters with some of the earth’s oldest living things, plan at least a half-day
trip to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. These gnarled, otherworldly looking trees
thrive above 10,000ft on the slopes of the seemingly inhospitable White Mountains,
a parched and stark range that once stood even higher than the Sierra. The oldest
tree – called Methuselah – is estimated to be over 4700 years old, beating even the
Great Sphinx of Giza by about two centuries.
To reach the groves, take Hwy 168 east 12 miles from Big Pine to White Mountain
Rd, then turn left (north) and climb the curvy road 10 miles to Schulman Grove,
named for the scientist who first discovered the trees’ biblical age in the 1950s. The
entire trip takes about one hour one-way from Independence. There’s access to
self-guided trails, and a new solar-powered visitors center (%760-873-2500; http://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo; per vehicle $5; (^) hlate May-Oct). White Mountain Rd is usually closed
from November to April.
ANCIENT BRISTLECONE PINE FOREST
DETOUR:
CENTRAL.CALIFORNIA
20
(^) EASTERN SIERRA SCENIC BYWAY