[pct-l] Access to Mammoth from the PCT - one experience

[Len Glassner]

I reached the junction in Upper Crater Meadow signed to 'Mammoth Pass'
yesterday (6/8) afternoon. Headed that way.  A few yards later,
another junction, also signed 'Mammoth Pass'  for the same trail I was
walking.  There was also a much fainter trail heading off to the left,
with no signed indication of its destination. (This is the one that
goes to lower Crater Meadow (or just 'Crater Meadow').)  I kept going
on the signed trail. (This is is the one marked 'Red Cones' on the FS
map - there are TWO marked! - and their memo to PCT hikers said take
the Red Cones trail.) Shortly thereafter I ran into blowdowns much
more difficult than any encountered to date.  After 30 minutes up
trying to sort it out, I gave up and turned around.  This is
apparently what the FS regards as a ' few trees' left to clear.

Next I headed down the fainter trail to lower crater meadow.  Running
into a few trees across the trail, I gave up a lot more quickly than
the other trail, thinking it was the same situation.

I headed down the Red's pack station, and planned to walk the road
out.  I got extremely lucky, shortly after starting down the road a
trail crew member looking for cell signal came along and eventually I
worked out a ride to Mammoth.  There is NOBODY down at the pack
station.

Sooo...I am in the library now and there is another hiker sitting next
to me (30+ years younger?) who said he took my first attempted trail
out, vaulting over tree after tree, relying on a compass bearing, it
took him thirty minutes extra time, but he made it, however he said he
would not recommend that route (with a laugh).

The second trail I tried is apparently the one that is considered
clear, according to the FS, and also Sugar Momma, who is working here
at the campground and said she has been posting about on Facebook
(which I am not on). I guess I gave up too easily on that one.

In sum, if you are looking at the trails highlighted on Halfmiles
PCTnews map, try the trail to the left down to crater meadow, not the
right.

By the way, the halfmile GPS track is significantly off here, with the
above junction a few tenths from where it should be.

Hopefully all of this will be rendered irrelevant on 6/16.