Mammoth Lakes, California – Pick-up and a Pop-up

Mammoth Lakes is in the eastern Sierra Mountains. Matt and I grew up vacationing in Mammoth, as it is a fan favorite for both of our families. We were excited to meet Matt’s parents, my parents, Matt’s sister Amber and her family, and my sister Kristin and her husband Logan at this stop.

When we returned to California from San Jose del Cabo, we learned that our truck was still not repaired and that our following two campgrounds were closed due to record-breaking snow. We scrambled to find another campground with my parents and headed there in Matt’s dad’s truck. After arriving, Eli started to feel sick. Not exactly the family reunion we were hoping for, but we did the best we could.

We headed to Convict Lake for fishing and hiking on the first full day. The next day, Dad Oliver rented a pontoon boat and took people out on Lake Mary while Kristin, Logan, and I went to the Hot Springs. The following day, Kristin, Logan, Mom Masselink, and I took the gondola to the top of Mammoth Mountain while the Olivers went to June Lake. We spent a whole day at Rock Creek Lake with the Olivers to beat the heat. Our nights were spent playing cards and Catan!

After a few days, we changed campsites with my parents and stayed in Upper Pine Grove Campground while the rest of the crew headed home. We spent time fishing in Rock Creek Lake, playing Catan, and having campfires. At this point, Eli was finally starting to feel better. Soon, my parents headed to Big Bear, and it was just the three of us again. We completed a beautiful hike in the Little Lakes Valley to Long Lake, and the following day Matt and Eli did some downhill mountain biking while I caught up on UD school work.

We stopped and hiked through the Ancient Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains on our way out of the Mammoth area. Matt had always wanted to stop here and finally got the chance! The trees are the oldest in the world and are more than 4,000 years old! The deadwood record goes back more than 10,000 years. We had great views of the Sierras as we completed the Discovery Trail hike through the trees.