Who led an Out of Area Hike with no pre-hikes, no gpx tracks and no cell phone coverage?
Gary Huffine | Published on 12/15/2024
Mammoth Lakes, CA Out of Area Hike September 2010
Grand Hikers, led by Nancy and Bob Eckart, enjoyed an amazing "Out of Area" hike anchored in Mammoth Lakes, CA on September 21-23, 2010. Mammoth Lakes, a town in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, is near many attractions and activities, including Devil’s Post Pile National Monument and Yosemite National Park. Fifty nine hikers and seven non-hiking companions braved the 575 mile trip from Surprise, AZ to the Quality Inn at Mammoth Lakes. The objective of the trip was to safely introduce the group to the joy of a world of hiking much different than Arizona Desert hiking.
Six hikes (two easy, two moderate and two difficult) were completed in the three days of hiking with no pre-hiking, no gpx tracks and virtually no cell phone coverage. Larry Timmons, Corrine Wilson and Patti Wilhelm led the easy hikes while Nancy led the difficult hikers and simultaneously directed the moderate hikers by radio. Nancy grew up in the area and had hiked all these places many times. Nancy, Bob and their riders arrived a day early so they could drive to the trailheads and obtain driving directions for the group. Further, they delivered notes to the rooms of the other hikers a day ahead with instructions to call Nancy and Bob when they arrived. This way she knew the others had arrived and she would give them their first morning instructions.
These hikes were in Yosemite NP, Rock Creek, Mammoth Lakes, and Little Lakes areas and are described in the Trail Descriptions very succinctly. Nancy uses terms like “lung busters” and a “view that will knock your hiking socks off” that creates instant interest. Also, in her description of the Mammoth Crest hike she comments: “across open barren fields of red volcanic cinders, gaining nearly 1000’ in two miles” and “Whitebark pines, pruned to shrub size by the wind and snow, huddle in tight clusters.” These hikes all began at 8,000 feet or more so the effects of high altitude were ever present. If you want to learn more about these trails, you may access the descriptions by going to the Grand Hikers home page, click on Documents/Library then Trails/California/Mammoth Lakes.
The photos in this article will attest to the wild beauty of the hikes with aspens, Douglas Firs, Lodgepole Pines, mountain hemlock, pristine lakes, glacier polished granite slabs and of course the back of Half Dome in Yosemite NP. Thanks to the Eatherly’s, Phil Santens, Joan Oristian, Barb Sanders, Lyn Daniels and John Nuerenberg for photos and thanks to Nancy and Larry Timmons for their recollections of the trip. Attendees who are still active with the club are: Lyn Daniel, Claude and Sherry Eatherly, Nancy Eckart, Herb and Sue Norton, Carol Ohls, Joan Oristian, Larry Timmons, Sue and Charlie Petry and Bob and Barb Sanders.
Please go to the Home page of this website, click on Media, then Photos and then Show All/Historical Hikes to see a complete array of photos of the 2010 Mammoth Lakes hiking trip enjoyed by this group. Current active attendees and those who were on the trip all want to say thanks to Nancy for leading this group of “peak-baggers!”