Mammoth Rock Ride

Look out over Old Towm Mammoth with Mammoth Rock Towereing Above

I am calling this ride the Mammoth Rock Ride even though we started riding the paved bike path on Lake Mary Road, took the Vista Trail, rode a short piece on Old Mammoth Road, then finally got onto the Mammoth Rock Trail. I have called this Mammoth Rock Ride because that trail was (by far) the best.

My older brother (George) and I just finished the Mountain View Ride and started climbing the paved bike path parallel to Lake Mary Road. This path proved to be a physical challenge ... and also provided plenty of entertainment. First of all, the path is at least a 6% grade, maybe steeper ... and close to 2 miles long. It was a grind. Now for the entertainment ...

George Sizing-Up Steep Path

As George and I ground up the path we noticed a small group of college-age kids all grouped around one other. One guy was just getting up off the blacktop when we arrived. The kid looked kind of scraped-up. From that clue plus the black skid mark and the upside down bicycle, I deduced (Sherlock Holmes style) he must have crashed. He was laughing, and all of his friends were laughing. I also deduced they were all quite drunk or on something. I made some intelligent comment like, "Did you hit a boulder," to which he said something like, "Yeah man, and ... (hiccup) ... I fell ... man ... right there, man," as he pointed to the skid mark. All his friends chimed in with, "Yeah, right there."

Bike Path Tunnel

Ski Run is on Top of Tunnel

George Exiting Tunnel

Tunnel is Down Below

I am sure they didn't hear my quip about hitting a rock or couldn't process it in their present state. I had a feeling the rider was going to be feeling more pain the next day, or whenever he sobered up.

About halfway up the hill came the tunnel. Lake Mary Road and the corresponding bike path must pass through tunnels so a ski run can pass right over the top. I stopped and climbed up on top of the ski run while George kept on chuggin' up the path. I took a few photos of the barren ski run and ... missed the next crash!

As I continued up from the tunnel I came across another young man. I immediately noticed him pacing around like a caged animal. His 3-foot long skateboard with rubber wheels the size on a shopping cart (except treaded like a jeep) was sitting in the gravel, off the path. As I was passing he lit a cigarette and started taking deep drags, exhaling large volumes of smoke ... all the while pacing around.

Twin Lake Spillway

George was waiting for me at the Twin Lakes Bridge, where the water dumps over a spillway and heads down Mammoth Creek. As soon as I labored up he asked, "Did you see that guy with the huge skateboard?" I responded with, "Yea, he lit a cigarette and was pacing around." "He wiped out right in front of me!" George continued, "He must have been going 20 mph when he hit a small rock or something. He landed on the pavement hard, right in front of me!" "He must have been trying to walk-off the pain when I arrived," I said. I couldn't help but wonder if this happened all the time or were we bringing bad luck to the bike path?

We continued our ride up Lake Mary Road looking for the Vista Trail sign. The only sign we saw was for the Panoramic Dome Trail, which also said, "No Bikes." We eventually pulled into the small parking lot for the Artisan Studio, knowing we had gone too far. As soon as we got off our bikes and started getting out the map a lady came bouncing out of the studio and headed right toward us asking, "Are you two looking for the Vista Trail?" We said, "Yeah, we must have missed the sign." She said, "there isn't a sign ... the Vista Trail starts right next to the Panoramic Dome Trail but has no sign. I have to tell people this all the time. The Vista trail goes around the hill and the other one starts out climbing right away."

We thanked her and set off down Lake Mary Road ... back the way we came. While coasting down George and I discussed a few things ... like how many times a day she left her studio to tell people about that trail ... and ... how many hours a day does she spend looking out that window if no one stops in to see the art ... and ... maybe she only comes out when she gets the chnce to meet two good looking 55+ year old men ... Anyway, we followed her advice and easily found the second part of the Mammoth Rock Ride ... the Vista Trail.

Vista Trail Log Jam

No "Vista" Here

Vista Trail Iceberg

Here is the Vista!

As we rode around the mountain I began to wonder why this trail was named Vista (view in Spanish). We were riding in a forested area with absolutely no view (except trees). The trail was pretty much level as it undulated in and out of the ravines worn into the side of the hill. It was a fun ride except for having to clamber over several trees lying across the trail and a patch of snow. We had traveled a little more than a mile from the missing Vista Trail sign when we came to a clearing and saw our trail end at a paved road, with the west side of Mammoth Rock looming high overhead.

A panoramic view unfolded toward Old (town) Mammoth below, and the 395 highway far to the east. The "Vista" Trail ... now we understood! This was where all the views were. I placed my camera on top of the trail sign, set the self timer, and ran back to George's side, to capture a "Vista."

Mammoth Rock Loomed Overhead

We sped down the quarter-mile stretch of Old Mammoth Road and easily found the sign for the Mammoth Rock Trail, which turned off just before we reached the short trail to the Old Mammoth Mill site.

I found the sign to be quite interesting. It looked like it used to say "Motor Vehicles and Bicycles Prohibited" but someone painted over the bicycle part with brown paint. All I can figure is the sign was made in earlier years and maybe mountain biking was not allowed on this trail at that time. After they changed the trail's status, the rangers just took some paint out to the old sign and "edited" it.

Bicycles Prohibited?

I was pretty sure this trail a legal bicycle trail as it was on the mountain biking map that peppy young ranger have given me earlier in the week.

Trail passed below Mammoth Rock

The Mammoth Rock Trail continued to wind through the mountains that skirt the Old Mammoth Valley, 500-feet below. The trail passed right under the base of Mammoth Rock, which towers several hundred feet above. Cindy told me Mammoth Rock is made of limestone and marble, and contains fossils 250 million years old.

Most of the trail was relatively level and smooth, with a few intermittent rough sections for a good challenge. Most stretches required strict concentration or the rider would find him/herself headin' down, headin' down real fast ... and stopping altogether too fast ... too! When I stopped to wait for George two young bucks came up from behind. I asked, "Hey, did you see another old guy back there somewhere?" They stopped for a second to say, "Yeah, he's back there ... he's moving right along. "Just wanted to make sure he hadn't made a wrong left turn!" I responded, as they mounted up and continued their ride.

George ... Skirting Mammoth Valley

When the Mammoth Rock Trail had fully skirted the southern edge of the valley it finally began to drop, slowly at first. As we lost elevation we gradually rode from conifer forest to chapparal. About 2 miles from Old Mammoth Road we came to an unsigned trail junction (I am going to have to call out the "sign" police here in Mammoth)! To the right and below we spotted two horseback riders on the trail.

Conifers to Chapparal

On the left we could see ... nothing! We were looking right at a small hill covered with brush. We decided to take ... nothing ... as opposed to meeting up with horseback riders.

The trail to the left was fine until we got to the top of that little hill. From there the Mammoth Rock "trail" dropped 250 feet, and went all to heck! The trail started some serious switchbacking and the tread consisted of deep holes filled with torn up dirt and loose, football sized rocks. The tread then switched to large, pointed, stationary rocks that jutted up from below. Then back to loose dirt ... football size rocks ... I spent most of my time with the back wheel locked-up ... yet still moving down the hill at a fast pace.

At the bottom of this hill we came to a well traveled dirt road ... which took us to Sherwin Creek Road, which returned us to town and our Old Shady campsites. Since nothing happened on this last part of the Mammoth Rock Ride (no crash and burns) I will not elaborate.

Would I recommend the Mammoth Rock Ride? You bet! All trails were on narrow singletrack, and most had a Mammoth View ... Vista I mean.

Click Mammoth Mountain Biking for a review of all rides in this area.

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