# Devils Postpile TR



## rcordray (Jul 30, 2006)

I was up in Mammoth this weekend and looking for a challenge.

I found one. 

I rode from town (7800') up 203 past the ski area to Minaret Vista (9236'), then down to Red's Meadow (7600') and back. The cute rangerette at the entrance kiosk let me pass through for free. I expected to have to pay a use fee, but she said bikes go free. If you can't make it back out, you can opt out and put your bike on the shuttle bus and that costs a fee. This time of the year, passenger vehicles have restricted hours. The deisel-spewing buses are annoying, but relatively infrequent. Traffic overall is pretty light. I dropped in and immediately started enjoying the speed descent down past small side streams and beautiful wildflowers. Weather was perfect, about 67 degrees. The road surface has the ubiquitous fork-jarring cracks that pavement around Mammoth (Scenic Loop for one) seems to be famous for, but they're not nearly as prevalent as on some of the other roads.

I went down past Agnew Meadows and a couple of small lakes to the Devils Postpile road, but it ended too soon in a little turnaround. I continued on to road's end at Red's Meadow. There's a cafe, store, and water spigots in the campgrounds. I saw one small bear working the area by the stables. It was in some brush and wasn't very interested in me.

Looking up eastward, I could plainly see the profile of Hemlock's ridge, which is a sub-summit of Mammoth Mountain. In good snow years, this is a great out-of-bounds hike that accesses a very steep face run leading back to Chairlift #14. It seems every couple of years, some unfortunate skier goes the wrong way off of Hemlock's and ends up at Red's Meadow often with tragic outcome as there is no access in winter and you're 2000' below any help. 

I refilled the bottles and headed back up the road. The slow climb out gave me plenty of time to enjoy the views and the little rushing strams in the side gullies marked my progress. As I got near the summit, I picked up a welcome tailwind. I was able to drop two cogs as I sat up, making my back into a sail.

I crested the summit and headed back to town. The speed run past the ski area is fantastic. Clean, well-swept, crackless pavement. I hit the mid-40's on the way back.

The stinger was the last road back up to the place I was staying, up near Canyon Lodge. The access road has a 16% grade. Happily, It's only a few hundred yards long. Total, including the drop and return from where I was staying was 32 miles, 3600' of climbing.


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## MTBMaven (Dec 17, 2005)

Nice report thanks for sharing. I would like to get in some road riding around Mammoth in the future. I will be doing the High Sierra Fall Century on September 8th which is in the area and should be fun.


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