Travelog V || Mammoth Lakes

After a long hiatus from road-tripping, it was refreshing to breathe in the brisk mountain air again. The holidays are finally here and with that comes free time to explore. Prior to our Mammoth Lake trip, Cooper and I traveled down to Los Angeles for a couple of days to spend Thanksgiving with our family.

We spent the majority of Black Friday on the road to Mammoth, taking in changing landscapes while blasting Christmas jingles without judgements. For the third year in a row, we continue to partake in REI's movement Opt Outside in order to reconnect with the outdoors and Mother Nature. No regrets at all. 

Day 1

The roadtrip from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes took approximately 5 hours, with a couple of pitstops here and there. It was one of the smoothest drive to the mountains we have done to date. As soon as we arrived to Mammoth, the windows went down and Cooper stuck his head out to bask in the new smell.

First thing we did was checking into our motel. As much as we would have liked to book a cabin or a nice AirBnB, the timing (post-Thanksgiving weekend) of our Mammoth trip would have been costly if we went with either of those options. For dog owners out there that's thinking of going to Mammoth Lakes, consider booking a stay at Motel 6. It provides all the essentials you would need for a place to sleep, shower, and relax. The best part about Motel 6? Dogs get to stay for free (no fee involved)! Although the WIFI sucks, the location of Motel 6 served as a great epicenter to get to and from places in Mammoth.

For dinner, we headed over to the Village Lodge Mammoth to dined at Toomey's. They have an outdoor patio area where you'll be able to eat dinner with your pup by your side. We ordered the seafood jambalaya and the fish 'n chips. Their french fries (from the fish 'n chips) were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend ordering this entree. Following dinner, we explored the Village area just before calling it a night, right when the Christmas tree lighting ended.

Tip: Head on over to the Minaret Shopping Center and drop by the TailWagger for some tasty and healthy treats for your pup. There's also a self-service dog washing station inside. Within the same lot, there is a Veterinary Clinic. Keep this in mind in case something happens and your pup needs immediate attention.

Day 2

Time for a full day of adventure up in the mountains!

As we woke up bright and early, I filled my backpack with all the hiking essentials and geared up Cooper for the 6 mile round-trip hike to and from Sherwin Lakes. We grabbed a quick morning breakfast over at Shea Schat's Bakery, which was located right across our Motel, just before heading out to the trailhead. 

Sherwin Lake is a relatively lower-elevation (8,600 ft.) trailhead in the aspen groves that provide an excellent day hike for dogs and people. It's a 3 mile trek up to Sherwin Lakes in a series of switchbacks. As we made our ascend up, we were able to see the town of Mammoth at a vantage, along with the Long Valley Caldera. Once we made it to the top, we were greeted by a pair of small lakes sitting just beneath the high peaks of the Sherwin Range. It was a wondrous sight.

When we made it to Sherwin Lakes, Cooper immediately dipped his paws into the iced, cool lake water and began playing fetch with himself (via with a stick). While he was skinny dipping, I basked in the majestic mountain view and gulped down water as a reward for making it to our destination.

The Sherwin Lakes Trail is a great alternative to the popular Devil's Postpile and the Lakes Basin, it's much less crowded and provide a more solitary easy expedition. We were one of the first ones on the trail that morning and didn't come across anyone else while we ascend to Sherwin Lakes. However, the trail got busier as we started to descend back to the start of the trailhead. This is a dog-friendly trail but be sure to pick up after your pup!

Just after finishing our 6 mile round-trip to and from Sherwin Lakes, we stopped by Toomey's again for a late lunch. Their fries really hit the spot (yes, we ordered the fish 'n chips again), along with the crab cake vinaigrette salad, which made for a satisfying lunch.

Originally, we planned on hiking to Twin Lakes for sunset and even set our course there. However, as we arrived just a mile from the Twin Lakes campground, we decided to hike even further to Lake Mary since someone told us that we'll get a better sunset view at Lake Mary. The hike to Lake Mary was 4 mile round-trip to and from where we parked our car. The road was closed off for all vehicles due to snowy conditions. Our car was parked just a mile off Twin Lakes near a riverbank. In totality (including our morning hike up Sherwin Lakes), we hiked approximately 10 miles on this day.

At Lake Mary, we found a quaint little spot with a bench and situated ourselves here for an hour. We made sure to absorbed in all the lakeside view goodness. There was a sense of awe that made itself apparent as we sat there staring at the snow-capped mountain range. All was right with the world.

At the end of a long day of adventuring, we headed to Mogul Restaurant right as they opened and managed to squeeze our name onto the waiting list. They mainly take reservations, although expect to wait longer if there's no walk-in spots available. I ordered the surf 'n turf (Canadian salmon with filet mignon) while my boyfriend ordered the Mammoth steak (the cut was humongous). The service here was impeccable and the atmosphere was warm and cozy. Definitely a fantastic treat after a long day of hiking. This place is not dog-friendly as they only have indoor seatings. Cooper was completely knocked out in his car crate after climbing the mountains with those stubby stumps of his, so he didn't even realized we were gone for dinner.

Just before we ended the day, we made a quick stop over to Black Doubt Brewery to try out their $8 beer tasting. For $8, you can choose 5 beers (each beer is served in a 4 oz glass) to taste from their selection of 80 different kind. Feel free to bring your pup in, they're very dog-friendly!

The following day, we left Mammoth in high spirit and with hope to return soon. 

This post was in collaboration with Gaston Luga, use code “TravelWithCoops" for 15% off with free shipping. All opinions and photos are my own. 

:✘: Outfits :✘:

Bandana:: Unleash the Hound Atlas | Howl and Hound Toy Soldiers
Dog Sweater:: Long Dog Clothing Reversible Venice
Leash:: Bearytail Leather Co The Naked Collection | Custom Signature Leash
Collar:: Bearytail Leather Co The Naked Collection | Custom Dual Buckle Release
Backpack:: Gaston Luga Olive Pråper
Hiking Boots:: Vasque Breeze 2.0 Gore-Tex