On our first day we decided to hike down to Rainbow Falls. It has been 20 years since we've seen the falls, and you can see our young faces, and all the scanned 4x6 prints I posted by clicking here: Mammoth Lakes 2003. Our first decision was made the day before when we decided exactly how we would reach the falls. The shortest trailhead requires we take a bus ride down to Reds Meadow. The bus costs $15 per person and requires I put a muzzle on Dawg. That last requirement was a show stopper. The only time Dawg has worn a muzzle was last year when the idiot vet insisted he wear one while she stapled a 1.5" opening in his shoulder back together. He could barely breath with his tongue forced through the tiny slit in his mouth. Never again.

So to prevent traumatizing my little buddy for no reason whatsoever, we decided rather than taking the short 1.5 mile route to the falls from the main trailhead, that we'd hike over Mammoth Pass and down. This gave us more exercise which we need to prepare for this year's backpacking trip and turned the 3 mile hike into 12 miles. As an added bonus, you get some stellar pictures from up high where the views are amazing. The main trail is down at the bottom of that valley. No mountain views down there.

The route takes us through the fire scar created some years back. In the distance is Mammoth Mountain.

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