pie and chai, round 2

 

Lone Pine, CA is tiny but it has things that are hard to find elsewhere: great apple pie and a view of Mount Whitney, to name a couple.

The Warming Hut

 

A pleasant if crowded atmosphere and one of the most pleasingly original tomato soups of our lives were had at The Warming Hut in Mammoth Lakes.

Twin Lakes, round 3

 

On day three we took another nice morning walk around Twin Lakes and the shadows on the snow were worth the price of admission.

White Mountains

 

Driving from the lodge there was a nice view of the White Mountains, a neighboring range where the famous ancient bristlecone pines live.

Village Gondola

Not knowing where exactly this gondola went (or what it cost), we were reluctant to hop on, but when we learned it was a quick free ride to the base of the downhill slopes, we thought "why not?" Unfortunately the walls of the gondola were very scuffed up! Otherwise the ride was well worth the price of admission.

Vida Coffee

 

Apparently Vida Coffee in the Village at Mammoth used to be a Starbucks. It's a good thing that this well-designed space lives on as an independent coffeehouse.

Shelter Distilling

Interesting drinks and food were had a Shelter Distilling in the Village at Mammoth.

the Village at Mammoth

The Village at Mammoth is perched on the edge of Mammoth Lakes and resembles other ski villages we've seen, in particular Squaw Valley (which was recently renamed "Olympic Valley").

Twin Lakes, part 2

Twin Lakes post snow in the full sun, and the creek it feeds (Mammoth Creek).

Twin Lakes

 

Twin Lakes, where Tamarack Lodge is situated, had some thin ice (above) but was mostly covered with snow and ice. Below, how it looked while it was snowing.

snowy breakfast

 

This memorable breakfast took place in the lounge while it was snowing outside.

Bleu Kitchen

Quite possibly the best food we had in Mammoth Lakes was at Bleu Market & Kitchen, an interesting blend of gourmet market and restaurant. The asparagus in particular was some of the best we've ever had. Supposedly this uniquely designed building used to be a Chart House.

bears of Mammoth

 

While Mr. was out cross country skiing, Mrs. was wresting with bears at the Village at Mammoth.

avalanche beacon

This thing just off the trail piqued my curiosity; it turned out to be an avalanche beacon, not something you see every day. Or rather, not something I see every day.

skiing, part 2

 

After circumnavigating Lake Mary, I decided to extend my journey a little bit further to nearby Lake Mamie. En route I saw this building charmingly half buried in snow. In the warm months these trails are roads, which I imagine would have a different feeling.

skiing around Lake Mary

 

Once I got used to the skis, I decided to undertake the Lake Mary Loop, which certainly was beautiful. Above, the famous Crystal Crag. While some of the trails were more downhill than I had asked for, this one was just right - a good workout with great scenery.

Lakefront Restaurant

Fine dining right inside of Tamarack Lodge.

cross country ski center

 

It's great that places like the Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center exist - miles and miles of ski trails alongside walking trails (so that everyone gets a blast of fresh mountain air).

a picture perfect room

Our room at Tamarack Lodge was picture perfect, as these pictures make abundantly clear. (The bottom two show the hallway, also completely wood paneled).