A Summer Day in Mammoth: Athlete Edition

Mammoth Lakes, California, is a town in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Located at an elevation of just above 8,000 feet, it offers excellent skiing and snowboarding in the winter, as well as amazing trail running, hiking, and mountain biking in the summer. For an athlete, the summer months provide a perfect high-altitude setting to train and develop the ultimate endurance engine. 

Over the past weekend, I trained and explored the Mammoth Lakes area for four days. The following blog will highlight one of my favorite days of the trip. Hopefully, sharing this will give you some ideas for fun things to do in a day while staying in Mammoth Lakes.  

Trail Running to Sherwin Lake in Mammoth

Nothing is more humbling than your first mountain run after driving up from your home at sea level. 

For Californians accustomed to visiting other mountains, such as Lake Tahoe or Big Bear Lake, Mammoth may require more time to acclimate. Most lodging in Big Bear and Lake Tahoe is at altitudes of 6,200 feet or higher. However, in Mammoth, the main area where people stay starts at 8,000 feet. Therefore, easing into activity is important so altitude-related sicknesses don’t slow your trip down. I’m saying this because I got minor altitude sickness for going a little too hard out of the gates. 

The trail to Sherwin Lake is a great way to start your trip and get used to the altitude. The trail is about 5 miles round-trip and climbs just over 1,000 feet (according to my Garmin). Although the elevation gain seems small, most of the climb happens within the first 1.5 to 2 miles. Overall, it’s a fantastic spot for a morning trail run or hike, and the lake at the top is beautiful. 

Training at the TEDD High Altitude Longevity Training Center

The TEDD Performance Training Center is fantastic for fitness enthusiasts or anyone seeking high-altitude training. The owners, Ted and Tammy, are very friendly and great people.

After the Sherwin Lakes loop, my girlfriend and I stopped by the TEDD Performance Training Center to workout. The gym is fully equipped with brand-new equipment and offers areas for all types of workouts (strength, endurance, and functional fitness). During our session, we did our own Hyrox and upper body strength workout. Since we live at sea level, the high altitude of 8,000 feet really added a unique and humbling element to the training experience. 

Hiking Duck Pass in Mammoth

After a long day of trail running and working out, we finished the day by hiking to Duck Pass. Duck Pass is a stunning out-and-back trail that passes by several lakes, including Emerald Lake, Arrowhead Lake, and Skeleton Lake. In addition to the beautiful lakes, the trail weaves through some of the highest peaks in Mammoth.

We didn’t complete the entire hike because we got distracted and took an off-piece scramble up to one of the highest peaks adjacent to Duck Lake. The scramble was almost the same distance from Duck Lake to the Pass. Even with the scramble, Duck Pass is an incredible trail and definitely worth exploring.