Coldwater Creek Campground in Mammoth Lakes was our next destination on our 2018 Summer Tour. We met our daughter Laura and her family at the campground on Monday, July 23. Laura had procured reservations for two sites across the street from each other, which made it convenient for visiting and sharing meals.

There are plenty of things to do in Mammoth Lakes: ride the gondola, hike, horseback ride, bicycle around the lakes, visit Devil’s Postpile National Monument, wander around town, shop, and much more, all of which we have done at one time or another during our many vacations at Mammoth. This trip turned out to be all about fishing.

It was time for the grandkids to catch their first fish so off to Lake George with poles, tackle boxes, and a stringer to secure all of the caught fish.

Our grandson Jackson caught the first fish of the day, which was his first fish ever caught. Way to go Jackson!

Papa Jon demonstrates the perfect cast while Maya considers his technique.

The hatchery truck showed up, not too far from where the gang was fishing, and dumped out a load of fish to add to the lake.

All in all the day was successful. Well, at least for the grandkids. Jackson caught three fish, Maya caught one, and they skunked Jon. That’s okay, though. He had fun showing the kids how to put on the bait, cast the line out, and reel the fish in. Even our daughter Laura and son-in-law Chris helped with the tasks.

My job was taking photos to document the event and when the action slowed, I sought out other things to photograph.

Squirrels and chipmunks can usually be counted on to pose for a photo.

The surroundings and the view are also good subjects.

The next day, my daughter Laura, Jackson, and I took a hike up to Lake Barret while we waited for our son Kevin, his girlfriend Bailey, and Bailey’s nephew Patrick to arrive. No fishing included on this day, just a walk through nature. When we returned from our hike, Kevin, Bailey, and Patrick had their tents set up.

The next morning, we all chipped in on a pontoon boat for a half-day of fishing. It was well worth the investment. Everyone fishing caught at least one fish and Jackson and Kevin competed for the most caught.

A Croman helicopter flew overhead at one point. It must have been on its way to or from one of the fires on the other side of the Sierras.

One of Kevin’s many fish caught for the day.

Brother and sister work together for our dinner.

Maya and Bailey work together.

The gang waits patiently for a bite.

On our last day together as a family, we chose an activity other than fishing, or so we thought. Devils Postpile National Monument won out over a drive to Bodie Ghost Town, no one wanted to sit in a car for an hour drive. We loaded into two vehicles and took off only to find out that we had to ride a shuttle to the monument and no one wanted to wait for the shuttle. Instead, we stopped off at the Earthquake Fault before going to back to our campsites.

The Earthquake Fault, which is not a fault at all. It is actually a fissure that opened around 550 to 650 years ago when magma pushed its way to the surface.  Although the sides are 6′ to 10′ apart, in places you can see that the sides would fit together like a puzzle. Other areas have experienced erosion and the sides don’t quite match up anymore.

When we got back to camp, everyone agreed that a hike up to Arrowhead Lake for more fishing would be a great way to spend the rest of the day. Jon left his fishing gear back at the trailer and helped out the others when needed.

While the gang fished, I wandered around the lake catching the cliff jumpers in action and finding remnants of wildflowers.

Camping with our kids again brought back so many memories of the vacations we spent in the Eastern Sierras and we had plenty of fun camping with them again. Seeing the smiles of the grandkid’s faces when they caught a fish was priceless and watching Maya cast a line as if she’s been doing it for years made me so proud of her. I’m hoping we can all find the time to have more camping adventures in our future.

On Saturday, July 28, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. While our kids headed to their respective homes, Jon and I turned north to Carson City, Nevada, for a few days to clean the trailer, wash clothes, and relaxation, then a stop in Ely, Nevada, as we worked our way to Colorado.

Safe Travels