High Sierra by Horseback

The serrated summits of the Minarets jut up on the Sierra skyline like the jagged teeth of a castoff comb. But this, of course, is a destination to treasure, not abandon. For decades it has lured hikers, climbers, backpackers and others into the wilderness west of Mammoth Lakes, rewarding them with scenery, solitude and adventure.

The region was known as the Minarets Wilderness until 1984, when it was renamed the Ansel Adams Wilderness after the photographer, who first came here in 1923 to shoot 12,957-foot Banner Peak and Thousand Island Lake.

I’ve backpacked here and even skied parts in winter. But I wondered what a family affair--on horseback--would be like. My longtime backpacking partner Bob Rosenquist and I decided to plan a family trek in June to a campsite at Thousand Island Lake. On a Monday, horses and mules would take us and our supplies about nine miles and 2,500 feet up to the lake, then carry us back south on Friday. In between, we would be on our own--camping, hiking, fishing and playing in the snow.

The easy part was assembling our group: my two children, Dylan, 11, and Courtney, 9; and family friend Heather Mulford and her 11-year-old-niece, Jalaine, from Sparks, Nev. All of us were experienced campers.

Our next task was packing. Because none of us had ever embarked on a trip like this--one in which horses and mules would do much of the work for us--we started weighing in with luxuries such as large camp stoves, chairs, a large tent, canned goods, ice chests, meats and hot dogs, marshmallows and other goodies. Each of our six mules could carry up to 150 pounds, which added up to a surprising number of extras.

The day of departure finally arrived. My kids and I climbed into our tightly packed SUV in Los Angeles on a Sunday and headed north on Interstate 395 while Bob, Heather and Jalaine drove south from Nevada.

We met in Mammoth Lakes, once primarily a ski town but now a busy, year-round resort. Because we needed room for six people with lots of gear plus groceries we picked up at a local supermarket, we rented a condominium.

After the six-hour drive, we unwound in the condo’s pool, sorted our supplies and prepared to start early the next day.

Sunrise stretched its fingers of light over the surrounding mountains in the morning as we hopped into our cars and drove about seven miles down the winding, narrow Reds Meadow Road to Agnew Meadows, on the edge of the Ansel Adams Wilderness and the jumping-off point for our trip.

Our outfitter was Red’s Meadow Pack Stations, named after the homesteader who started it in the mid-1920s. In 1960 the Tanner family bought the company, and Bobby Tanner manages much of the operation these days.

Bobby and wrangler Tani Al-Awar sorted the supplies and strapped them onto the backs of mules. They also added two key items: 20-gallon bear-proof metal containers for storing food. Black bears in the area have become so accustomed to campers that they consider the campsites an open invitation to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Once the mules were loaded, we were introduced to our horses. With Bobby in the lead and Tani accompanying us, we nudged our mounts forward and departed.

The four-hour ride to Thousand Island Lake was a photo album of vistas. We wound along a dusty trail that climbed steadily. Waterfalls raced down mountain slopes, spilling into streams that feed the mighty San Joaquin River as it chisels a canyon through the wilderness. Glacier-carved lakes abound here, and the view of the Minarets, Mt. Ritter and Mt. Banner changed every few miles.

More than 500 million years ago, this region was covered by water. Sediment on the sea floor turned to rock as the earth shifted; in the ages that followed, magma folded into the sediment layers. The resulting metamorphic rock eroded 35 million to 100 million years ago, leaving the Minarets.

The area had been considered for inclusion in what became Yosemite National Park, which borders it on the north. But mining interests blocked the plan. Since the 1870s, mining had brought horse and mule trains, which hauled supplies in and silver ore out.

These days, the land is part of Inyo and Sierra national forests; the area designated as the Ansel Adams Wilderness comprises about 228,600 acres of some of the most spectacular scenery and hiking trails in the Sierra.

For some of us, especially Heather and me, the trip into the wilderness was like a ride into the past. We grew up around horses and rode them throughout much of our youth. My daughter, Courtney, also has done some riding. But for the novices--my friend Bob, Heather’s niece Jalaine and my son Dylan--being on horseback mixed great scenery with sore leg muscles.

Still, we all were excited to be journeying into the wilderness as travelers had 100 years ago. After the mining petered out, pack-train operators made a living by bringing tourists into the area. Groups would strap supplies, including fine tablecloths, chairs and other comforts of home, on the backs of mules and then climb aboard saddled horses. Often they brought their own cooks. Some groups would number 50 or more people.

Eventually environmentalists raised concerns about these excursions’ impact on the land. The walking, riding and camping stripped vegetation, eroded grassy areas and reduced water purity. Today the U.S. Forest Service limits any horse-and-mule pack group to just 15 people.

We arrived on the north side of Thousand Island Lake on Monday afternoon with the sun dancing off the water. Our guides unpacked the mules while the rest of us stretched our saddle-stiffened legs and put together a hasty lunch of salami, cheese, crackers and fresh mountain water. Bobby and Tani headed back to Agnew Meadows, and we tackled the task of setting up camp as a thunderstorm approached.

Our campsite was on semi-dry ground above Thousand Island Lake. Camping right next to the lake isn’t allowed; campsites too close to it often pollute the water, and the sites are colder, anyway.

There are no outhouses, faucets or other facilities of any kind in this wilderness area. For water, we siphoned clean runoff from the snowmelt at little streams a short stroll away. (We drank the water unfiltered, with no ill effects.)

We saw several backpackers, but none camped nearby. This place was all ours.

After a few showers rolled by on our first afternoon, the kids popped out of their tents and began exploring. Banner Peak rises to almost 13,000 feet and dominates the landscape around the lake, partially obscuring the even higher Mt. Ritter, 13,157 feet. Ansel Adams sat beside this same lake 77 years ago to take one of his photos.

We settled into a daily routine. Bob and I would struggle out of our sleeping bags before dawn and head off in Adams’ footsteps to capture the area’s beauty on film. Then, well after sunrise, we would join the others for a breakfast of hot chocolate, juice, bacon, cereal, bagels and other goodies.

Heather and Dylan often took time out to go fishing for rainbow trout, with mixed results. Meanwhile, the two girls, Courtney and Jalaine, chatted about boys and bands and school.

Hiking and exploring were high on everyone’s list. Because this was early in the season, a number of large patches of snow remained scattered at our 10,000-foot elevation. The three youngsters climbed to the top of the nearby snowfields, stepped into a plastic bag fashioned into a crude snowsuit, and, with whoops of glee, slid down to the bottom in a spray of snow and flying feet.

We got an extra treat with the arrival one afternoon of Marty Hornick, trail program coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service and an old friend whom I had alerted about our trip. Marty is an excellent climber who has scaled the mountaineer’s route on Mt. Whitney, at 14,495 feet the tallest peak in the Lower 48. He volunteered to give the kids rock-climbing lessons, and they took to the sport like trout to lake water.

The days ended with dinners of pasta and pesto or Tuna Helper, soft drinks and wine, followed by a roaring campfire built with wood hauled in by the mules. Toasting marshmallows became a nightly event, followed by the kids singing songs around the flames. At bedtime we were lulled to sleep by a chorus of tree frogs.

When Bobby Tanner showed up at noon on Friday, Courtney burst out, “I can’t believe it’s time to leave already!”

Soon the last pack was strapped on the last mule, and we all climbed back into the saddles for the ride out. On the way in, we had looked ahead eagerly past the Minarets to where we were going. Now we looked back, carrying photographs and memories.

Oh, yes. On the way out, Courtney’s saddle slipped and she tumbled off her horse. No harm done. She said it wasn’t nearly as bad as the day I tipped over a snowmobile with her on board.

While we had been at camp, flowers had bloomed and what would become a multihued carpet in the meadows was beginning to take shape. Lupine, Indian paintbrush, penstemon, wild buckwheat, blazing star and dozens more were appearing in an annual rite of renewal. For us, this trip had been a form of renewal too--one we’d like to do again.

Dan Blackburn is a freelance writer and television correspondent in Los Angeles.

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GUIDEBOOK

Packing It In to the Minarets

Getting there: From Southern California, take Interstate 15 north past San Bernardino, then Interstate 395 north to Mammoth Lakes. The drive takes about six hours.

Getting around: For the horse-and-mule trip to Thousand Island Lake, we chose Red’s Meadow Pack Stations, P.O. Box 395, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546; telephone (800) 292-7758 or (760) 934-2345, fax (760) 934-7835, Internet https://www.mammothweb.com/redsmeadow. The company issues the necessary trail permit and reserves the campsite for you. We departed from the company’s Agnew Meadows station, about seven miles northwest of Mammoth Lakes. The round-trip cost is $345 to $420 per person (varies with number of people, not length of the trip).

Where to stay: Before and after your ride to the lake and back, stay in Mammoth Lakes. The Mammoth Reservation Bureau lists a range of condos. We rented one with a bedroom, loft and living room with sleeper sofa for $168 a night; 94 Old Mammoth Road, P.O. Box 1608, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546; tel. (800) 462-5571 or (760) 934-2528, fax (760) 934-2317, Internet https://www.mammothvacations.com.

Mammoth Mountain Inn has one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as suites for $85 to $420; 1 Minaret Road, P.O. Box 353, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546; tel. (760) 934-2581, Internet https://www.mammothmountain.com/lodging/index.html.

Where to eat: Once at camp, we cooked our meals. But for a hearty breakfast in Mammoth Lakes before, try the Stove, 644 Old Mammoth Road; local tel. 934-2821. Dishes are $3.50 to $8 and are worth the wait.

A good dinner stop is Grumpy’s Sports Restaurant, 361 Old Mammoth Road, Mammoth Lakes; tel. 934-8587. Soups, sandwiches, burgers and steaks run $4.50 to $14.50.

For more information: Mammoth Lakes Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 48, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546; tel. (888) 466-2666 or (760) 934-2712, Internet https://www.visitmammoth.com.

U.S. Forest Service’s Mammoth Lakes Visitor Center and Ranger Station, P.O. Box 148, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546; tel. (760) 924-5500, Internet https://www.r5.fs.fed.us/inyo/vvc/mammoth/index.htm.