Summer vacation: Day Two: Camping Mammoth Lakes

Day in Mammoth Lakes:  This town, at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada is a town to fall in love with.  At least Tony did, declaring he intends to raise his family here, where there is a park, skate park, rivers and lakes and other adventures.  There was also a gift store where he wants to bring his kids to purchase something every week.  With the Post Piles closed we found a couple other adventures.  We visited the Mammoth Lakes area visitor center and got information on the area.  A fist with Post Piles painted on it is the closest we could get to the Post Piles.  But we first drove as far as we could towards Post Piles.  We were stopped at Mammoth Lodge where the snow went across the road will people skiing on it. 

We then explored a fault line with the earth separated by about a yard or more, but you could see how it would fit together. 

We then went on a longer hike, to find the Inyo Craters We visited the southernmost, and youngest of the four craters.  These craters are left from volcanic action about 600 years ago.  This included a really rough drive through the wilderness, but the crater was very interesting.  The water was an incredible green color due to minerals. 

We also went on a ride a half hour away to Convict Lake.  This lake gets its name from some escaped Nevada State prisoners, who happened to murder a couple people in the area.  One a lawman and the other just someone who happened to be in the area, but mistaken for a lawman.  There was also a plaque at the lake about some children who died falling through the ice, and some adults who also died trying to save them.  The lake was very pretty set at the base of the mountains.  Tony and I went on a short hike to the lake, and we drove around as far as we could.  Most people at the lake were fishing.
We discovered a swimming pool, Whitmore Pool which looked like a place to try someday.

We drove around Mammoth Lakes considerably.  They have a very fancy skate park.  We also discovered that behind the campground where we were staying was another park with a skate park, softball diamonds, basketball hoop, volley ball and picnic area.  Sheri especially liked looking at places where you can camp boondocking style.  There seemed to be many.  They next day I woke before everyone else and was able to get pictures of a couple of deer going through camp.
Mammoth Lakes was cool.  The nights were cold.  We camped at New Shady Rest Campground.  The campground was mostly Jeffery Pines with a few Ponderosa Pines mixed in.

Visitor's Center

Ski resort

Fault line

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Into Crater, mushrooms on the hike, and throwing rocks.

Convict Lake