To celebrate our first wedding anniversary in 2014, Kelvin and I backpacked to Minaret Lake. Minaret Lake is in the Inyo National Forest near Mammoth, CA. The hike is 16 miles out and back (8 miles one way to Minaret Lake).
The trail starts at the Devils Postpile. Many other trails start at the same location. This map was helpful to give an overview of the trail (follow the orange Minaret Lake trail).
To get to the trailhead, we took the mandatory Reds Meadow / Devils Postpile Shuttle from Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center / Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort. The road to Devils Postpile is closed to the public during the summer. To reach the trailhead, we exited the shuttle at the Devils Postpile exit. Here is more information on the Reds Meadow / Devils Postpile Shuttle.
We spent some time admiring Devils Postpile before we started our trip. It’s a really unique geological formation.
Kelvin brought his ukulele with him. At one rest stop, I was serenaded in the forest! Kelvin got the ukulele on a family vacation to Hawaii. One of the sweetest moments at our wedding was when Kelvin and my uncle from Taiwan played their ukuleles and sang Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours together.
We got to Minaret Lake pretty early, set up our tent, and explored.
The next morning, we woke up for sunrise and watched the minarets light up.
I love how I feel completely recharged after a weekend in the wilderness. It’s unlike anything else.
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