Day 61 – Silver Pass & Reds Meadow
6/2/14
26 miles
907 total miles

I slept in my tent last night because there were mosquitos. Seemed strange because I almost always cowboy camp.  

Again we timed the snow pretty well. There was lots of snow on the north side. It was fun to see the route from the top of Silver Pass and then from ground level. Several times we hunted for the trail a bit but never for long.

A couple days ago some southbounders told us that the Bear Creek ford was up to their waists. So we were a bit apprehensive. But we crossed it around noon and it was just to our knees. Still swift but not bad.

We had lunch at Virginia Lake. Beautiful but windy and cold.

We were about 3 miles from Red’s Meadow where there is a store, diner, campground and shuttles into the town of Mammoth Lakes. I checked my phone for service and was surprised to get it. The best message was that PocoLoco was in Mammoth. We were looking for a campsite but suddenly plans changed. We started running hoping to be able to get a ride to town. After 8 days the possibility of a shower, town food, beer and seeing Poco was a great motivator. We knew the last shuttle was at 7…. we were too late. Reds was almost empty when we got there. The shuttles don’t even start running til the middle of the month. No one was driving the 16 miles to town. Everything was closed but the store owner was around and said we could buy what we wanted. So we each got a Mammoth Brewing Company 395 IPA. … my favorite beer right now. And a bag of doritos. We are camping in the campground.

Town will have to wait a day.