Wednesday May 28, 5.1mi/8.2km

Mammoth Lakes (582.4/8020ft) to Laurel Creek (587.5/7430ft) (CA)

My body is used to the habit of waking up at 6am, so I had a leisurely morning in the campground before leaving by 7:30. One of the people I had met around the campfire at lake Isabella RV Park had agreed to meet me at a coffee shop here in Mammoth, where they live. I ordered my usual flat white coffee and we had a fun chat before he had to go off to work, and I had some errands to do around town at the post office, library, and gear shop. It was so scenic walking around town seeing the snowy mountains.

I got my warranty replacement battery bank at the post office, updated my journal at the library, and then went to Mammoth mountaineering gear shop to pick up my warranty replacement backpack.

So much new gear! And I get a warranty replacement Thermarest mattress in the next town. I ran into some PCT hikers at the gear shop and we walked over to the Vons grocery to resupply. My route splits from the PCT here in Mammoth, and I’m going to miss having other hikers around. I took the free trolley to the West end of town where this section officially starts, and stopped into the brewery for some rehydration.

I walked through the town of Mammoth Lakes, stopping by Schats Bakery to get a cinnamon roll.

They also had these ridiculously tiny jars of Nutella, they make my hands look huge, ha!

It was an easy hike out of town and then I followed a paved road for a couple of miles.

I stopped by the Sherwin Creek campground and filled my water, and now my backpack felt a little heavy, since I’m also carrying 7 days of food to get me to Tonopah, NV.

I debated stopping to camp at the campground, but it was only 5pm and they also wanted $16 and they only took cash. So I hiked another half hour and camped in the nice pine forest.

I’m guessing this will be the last forest I see for a long time, so I’m soaking it in tonight.