- Distance: 8 miles (RT)
- Elevation range: 7600′ to 8500′
Convict Lake, sitting at 7550′, is another popular fishing spot in the Eastern Sierra about 13 miles south of Mammoth Lakes. The name of the lake stems from an incident which occurred here in 1871. A shootout took place between a group of escaped prisoners from Carson City and the sheriff who was pursuing them.
Convict Lake, Laurel Mountain
For today’s hike, we planned on hiking 6 miles up Convict Lake Trail to Lake Dorothy. We took off from the southeast parking lot on the Convict Lake Loop. At the southwest end of the lake, Convict Creek splits up into a few distributaries before reaching the lake. On this weekend, this area was flooded with myriad streams.
We bushwhacked upriver through shrubs and trees to explore the raging creek. It was a rushing mass of whitewater flowing over rocks and downed trees. The sound was sufficient to warn any wise person from attempting to cross. We turned around to find the maintained trail and continue to our destination.
At the shore of the lake, we found a group of butterflies. Some were mating, and others were slurping mud. Generally, they sip nectar from flowers, but from the soil, they obtain salts and proteins.
About three miles from the TH, we realized that we were not going to reach Lake Dorothy. We were walking at a leisurely pace, and in addition, the trail ascending up to the lake was covered in snow. We picked a nice shady spot to have lunch and enjoy the views. Hai, who joined us on this hike, took a nap on a slab of granite, while Ken and I explored the surrounding hills.
After dallying for a couple of hours, we headed back to the TH. Along the way, we stopped to boulder rocks on the side of the trail.
Bouldering problem along the trail
We also took more photos of the landscape trying to find shapes in nature. From this location, Convict Lake looks like the continent of Africa, or a blue Pac-Man chomping at the mountainside. Ken says it looks like a heart on its side.
Convict Creek flowing into Convict Lake
Grove of Aspen trees
We again encountered the overflowing streams, some running over the trail boardwalk. In some sections, there were logs which people used to avoid getting wet, but we found it was more fun to wade through the water. I walked back and forth across the boardwalk 3 or 4 times, enjoying the cold water rushing over my feet, the gentle breeze, the quaking leaves of the aspens, and the fresh air of the mountains.
Upon our return to our site at Convict Lake Campground, we found a deer relaxing under the shade of the trees. Across the way was a second one nestled in the shrubs. They didn’t mind our presence and hung around for a bit while we cleaned up.
California Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus californicus)
For dinner, we drove to the Whoa Nellie Deli (The Mobil) in Lee Vining. This is my favorite place to eat at when in the Eastern Sierra . They serve a delicious ribeye steak sandwich, which I always order after a long trip in the mountains. Their fish tacos are a close second.
After dinner, we drove to Mono Lake, which is popular for its tufa formations. It is also the second largest breeding ground in North America for the California Gull (the Great Salt Lake in Utah is the largest). Imagine that, 200+ miles away from the nearest beach.
pacorios 