CHASING DOWN THE MUSE: Trip to the mountains a breath of fresh air

Good fortune has led me to the mountains. One of Steve’s clients requested a landscape design for his condominium complex, so we loaded the dogs and hiking boots into the H3 and headed to Mammoth.

It is good to again be with the tall trees. I am reminded of a John Muir quote, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.”

Certainly that is true. The previous weeks had some rough personal spots, and I felt raw and edgy. Summer traffic weighted my psyche.

We left Laguna at 5 a.m. A late breakfast was had at Kramer Junction — where USA 395 crosses CA 58. Memories of past journeys with good friend Walt Travers filled our conversation as hot coffee woke our tired bodies. We even phoned him to catch up.

Gasoline and several dog stops later, we rolled onto CA 203 and smack dab into the blazing pine trees of the Sherwin Lake fire. Cars lined the road, their occupants watching with rapt attention as choppers and water tankers struggled against building winds and 100-year-plus growth.

The proximity of the fire had residents on edge. As long as the wind remained from the prevailing direction, there would be no evacuations, but everyone kept a concerned eye on the blaze.

We checked into our condo, and found a great leash-less hike for the dogs right outside our door. Amazing vistas of Mammoth Mountain filled the picture frame windows and our eyes were washed by blue skies, giant rocks, and tall pines and white fir. Aspen filled the creek bed, and their signature whistle could be heard through the open windows.

There are several lakes a short drive from town. Our plan was to do as much hiking as possible while continuing to balance work commitments.

We drove the Lake Mary Road past the three Twin Lakes, Lake Mary and Lake Mamie until its terminus at Horseshoe Lake. It’s here that a strange out-gassing of carbon dioxide is killing all the pine trees on the west shore of the lake.

The dogs were anxious to get out of the car and into the forests. The regulations allow for dogs off-leash as long as they respond to voice commands.

I cannot adequately express how it warms the heart to see dogs running free — being dogs. Their noses to the ground, their tales held high, Buster and Blondie ran up the trail filled with exuberant joy.

First stop was McLeod Lake, a small body of water tucked in a basin at 9,300 feet. Dog heaven! Sticks had to be thrown and retrieved — over and over and over again. If you’ve ever seen a dog smiling, then you know what Buster looked like.

After a quick snack of celery and crackers, we left the shoreline and began — what we had thought would be an ascent, but was really a descent — toward Red Meadows. Since it was late in the day, and it was our first day at altitude, we stopped short of the meadows and enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a junction of two trails. Buster chased flies. Blondie napped. Steve and I ate and enjoyed the cool breezes and fresh air away from the smoke in the valley.

We climbed back up the trail, dogs in the lead. Chipmunks watched safely from their vertical bark perches, and blue jays laughed as they flitted from tree to tree.

Back at the lake, we treated ourselves to ginger cookies and the dogs, again, took to swimming and stick retrieval. Buster started shivering from the cold water, but nothing could dissuade him from dropping the stick in front of my feet and begging me to throw it once again.

The trip back to Horseshoe Lake was short and sweet. The car came into view all too soon. We loaded the dogs into the back seat where they promptly fell asleep.

A swim, a shower and dinner out finished the day. We had a fabulous meal at LuLu, a contemporary fusion restaurant located under the clock tower in the Mammoth Village complex.

As we left the restaurant, we walked smack dab into Donn and his friend, Ian. We hadn’t seen Donn since we stayed in his palapa in San Juanico in March. Fast memories of a wild party were shared, along with great laughter. Donn’s friend, Ian, is the proprietor of the restaurant, Skadi, the next restaurant on our list.

Back at the condo, the sky was blanketed with stars, and a bright crescent moon hung over the mountain. Earlier clouds had blown through, and blessedly, the fire was nearly out.

I inhaled deeply the mountain air and said a quiet thanks for the chance of this retreat. John Muir certainly knew what he was talking about.

CATHARINE COOPER thrives in wild places. She can be reached at cooper@catharinecooper.com