Stopping to Smell Alpine Wildflowers

Emerald Lake and its environs offer a fine sampling of the mellow side of Mammoth Mountain: a lovely little lake, a creek and two wildflower-splashed meadows. The Blue Crags part of Mammoth Crest creates an impressive backdrop for the lake, an attractive destination for a family hike or picnic.

Emerald Lake Trail offers an inviting jaunt throughout the Mammoth hiking season but especially in the latter part of summer, when wildflowers color the meadows and creek banks. (Peak of the bloom depends on the year’s snowfall and snowmelt.)

Some creek-side or moist meadow blossoms you might spot include tiger lilies, corn lilies, wild swamp onion, elephant heads and larkspur. The trail also brings you up close to ranger buttons, arnica, fireweed and much more.

This is a walk on which it’s not uncommon to find hikers studying wildflower handbooks.

Be forewarned that mosquitoes thrive in the boggy meadows.

Directions to trail head: Follow California Highway 203 through the town of Mammoth Lakes to a junction with Lake Mary Road. Continue straight (as California 203 swings right) and drive 3.8 miles to the signed junction for Coldwater Campground. Turn left and proceed through the campground to the day-use area and the Emerald Lake Trail sign.

The hike: The trail begins with a steep ascent among stands of lodgepole pine. (The main trail travels through the forest, but an equally scenic unmaintained path follows Coldwater Creek nearly to Emerald Lake.) After 0.5 mile, the climb becomes gentler and the path delivers you to the shore of little Emerald Lake, a short mile from the trail head. The path then climbs to the left above Emerald Lake, where a sign directs you toward Gentian Meadow and Sky Meadows.

Soon the trail follows the lake’s inlet creek and, after a 0.25-mile climb, reaches tiny Gentian Meadow, festooned with alpine shooting stars early in the wildflower season and namesake blue gentian near summer’s end. Stay to the right on the main trail and march over a low, hemlock-cloaked ridge. The path drops briefly to cross a minor fork of Coldwater Creek, then follows another fork upward.

Pause to admire a waterfall cascading close to the trail, then make a short but steep final ascent to Sky Meadows. You could linger here a long time to count flower species--provided the mosquitoes don’t attack.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Emerald Lake Trail

* WHERE: Near Mammoth Lakes, Inyo National Forest.

* DISTANCE: From Coldwater Camp-ground day-use area to Emerald Lake is 2 miles round trip with 400-foot elevation gain; to Sky Meadows is 4 miles round trip with 1,000-foot gain.

* TERRAIN: Lush meadows, dramatic rocky spires of Mammoth Crest.

* DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate.

* FOR MORE INFORMATION: Mammoth Ranger District, Inyo National Forest, P.O. Box 148, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546; tel. (760) 924-5500.