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Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
#53306 06/02/18 05:58 PM
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Flying into Lax. Wanted to get thoughts from others about driving over to Mammoth Lake for two nights to acclimate and then driving to the portal on the day of our two day hike up Whitney.

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
Samanthia #53307 06/02/18 08:36 PM
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I stayed at the lodge up the mountain last year for the same purpose. Took the gondola to the top and hiked down one day. Next day took the bus to some of the scenic hikes in the area. Enjoyed the town and restaurants.
I strongly recommend dinner at Skadi. It is one of the best restaurants I have visited and the food rivals any top restaurant in any city. It is truly worth visiting and will make your stay even more memorable.

Enjoy!

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
Samanthia #53308 06/02/18 09:44 PM
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Excellent plan. Lots of places to stay - hotels, condos, etc... - Homeaway.com (VRBO) offers many options (beware the add ons - maid/fees/etc). Short drive to Lake Mary and Lake George (all paved). Trail heads to Crystal Lake, Mammoth Crest, Duck Lake, etc..... Mammoth Crest trail head is ~9K', with climb of ~1,500' up to the crest. Approx. 4 miles round trip. Nice warm up for Whitney. Two nights there, plus one night on the trail should put you in good shape for acclimatization.

You might want to consider flying into Las Vegas. Could be cheaper, and certainly closer/shorter drive.

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
Pistachio #53310 06/03/18 03:50 AM
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Thanks for suggestions!

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
John Sims #53311 06/03/18 03:51 AM
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Thanks John. I’ll check out Las Vegas flights.

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
Samanthia #53312 06/03/18 08:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: Samanthia
Thanks John. I’ll check out Las Vegas flights.


Or flying into Reno is an option as well.

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
WanderingJim #53313 06/03/18 11:00 AM
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Reno and Las Vegas are both good ideas compared to LAX.
Reno is 3 hours from Mammoth, LAX and LV are both 5-6 hours. Driving through Death Valley is a great experience for scenery. Driving from Reno is also a really pretty drive.
The drive from LAX is always a hassle with all the traffic congestion.

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
Steve C #53316 06/03/18 06:00 PM
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Mammoth is ~8,000 ft, good elevation for sleeping, but you really should spend as much time as you can at higher elevation to acclimate during the day. I suggest day hiking up at the end of Rock Creek Rd above the little "town" called Tom's Place - just a few exits south of Mammoth off 395. At the end of the road is the trailhead to Little Lakes Valley, a perfect acclimation hike at around 10,000ft with very little climbing. You go by lake after lake surrounded by 13er's, then turn around whenever you want. We do this all the time, usually going back the next day. We found the second day becomes much much easier than the first day.

Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
SierraNevada #53318 06/03/18 09:08 PM
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Yes, Rock Creek, Little Lakes Valley would be very appropriate.
The trailhead, at Mosquito Flat, is at about 10,235 and some up and down until after Long Lake. Then the trail climbs until Morgan Pass at about 11,300+. It would give you a good impression of how you will respond at higher elevation.

Get to the trailhead parking at Mosquito Flat before 9 AM in order to get a parking spot; it's a beautiful but popular area.

Have fun in our beautiful Eastern Sierra Nevada.

Last edited by Bob West; 06/03/18 09:12 PM.
Re: Acclimating at Mammoth Lake
Samanthia #53320 06/03/18 11:07 PM
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I find Mammoth works well for acclimatisation - specifically, as others have said, the Mammoth Mountain Lodge which is c. 9k ft vs the town at c. 8k ft. The extra 1k makes a significant difference; the blood oxygen saturation curve doesn't move much until 7-8k ft and then becomes increasingly steep, thus small changes in altitude have a significant effect on a) propensity for AMS, and b) acclimatisation.

I've driven from Reno, Vegas and LAX, and LAX is definitely the worst! However, from LAX you can fly to Mammoth Lakes airport and save 4-5 hrs drive.


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