Tales of a Traveling Wiseguy

Mammoth Lakes Travelog #12
John Muir Wilderness · Tue, 7 Jul 2026. 12:30pm.

As relaxing as it was to pull up a rock and sit at Box Lake we knew after a light trail snack it was time to keep going. It was plenty early in the day so we weren't worried about time, but there was no limit to the amount of hiking we hoped we could do!



After crossing over a cliff above Box Lake (pic above) the trail drops back down to the creek level for half a mile for a slow ascent to Long Lake. A creek crossing portends that we're close....



Unfortunately it was around here that Hawk's feet and back started bothering her. She's still recovering from surgery on each of her feet in October and January. Getting back into shape is an ongoing process. She committed to getting to Long Lake— we were almost there at this point— but said she'd go no further.



As we reached Long Lake I wondered myself, how much further could I go? I'm working on getting back into shape, too! I'm not recovering from a surgery, but I am dealing with weight. Even with losing weight in the past 3 months I'm still 10-15 pounds heavier than last time I hiked this trail. And my cardio condition is weaker because I haven't done much hiking in the past 10 months. Given that the next lake up, Gem Lake, involves a few hundred feet of elevation gain, I decided Long Lake is where I should turn around, too.

Mammoth Lakes Travelog #13
Tom's Place · Tue, 7 Jul 2026. 3pm.

There's a saying, "Getting there is only 2/3rds the battle." ...Okay, I made that up. But it's a saying I keep in mind a lot. Getting to a destination on a hike is not the end of the story. There's still the way back. Fortunately sometimes it's easier than the way in, especially if it was mostly up on the way in. 🤣



We turned around from Long Lake at about 12:30pm. I had mized feelings about turning around here rather than pushing on. I mean, Hawk needed to turn around because her feet were killing her. (She's still only a few months out from surgery on her feet.) I would've turned around here for her even if I felt strong enough to continue on. But I didn't feel strong enough. I felt like I could push myself forward a bit longer... but at what cost on the way back? Turning around here seemed the right decision for me, too.

"We should be back to the car by 2," I figured. Ha ha, was that wrong. We walked slower on the way out than I expected. That demonstrated we were wise to turn around at Long Lake.



The hike back too often felt like a disciplined exercise of putting one foot in front of the other. With stops to rest every time there was a rise in the trail. But fortunately we were surrounded by such beauty it didn't feel like a waste of time to stop and remind ourselves where we were!

But still... the walking. Ugh. Today it wasn't my lungs burning at 10,500' elevation like it was yesterday at 9,000' on the Twin Falls trail. I mean, my lungs weren't throwing a party. But today it was my calves and ankles that were crying for relief. On the downhill stretches, going down uneven rock stair steps, they were going rubbery. If I'd pushed it a mile further beyond Long Lake I'd be at risk of falling or twisting an ankle.



For all the gasping and wincing, though, it was totally worth it. And I'd gladly hike the trail again. Especially if I can work myself into better shape so I can get farther next time!


Right now we're more than just back down the trail. We're back down the road from Mosquito Flat. We're at a historic roadside spot on US-395 called Tom's Place. It's a combination general store / diner / motor lodge / locals hangout that's been around for over 100 years.

Despite the car parked in front with "TOMS PL" vanity plates and the old codger holding court on the front porch, there's no Tom here anymore. According to a historical marker, the place wasn't even built by Tom originally; he bought it from the founder after 5 years. He did expand it. It even served as a post office for about 20 years. But since then it's changed owners at least a handful of times. And as you might expect from a general store with no competition around for 20 miles, the prices here suck. So we'll be heading out without buying anything in a moment.