Rainbow Falls, Devils Postpile National Monument
Day 2 of our Memorial Day weekend, 2006 – the plan was to spend the day hiking to Rainbow Falls in the Devils Postpile National Monument near Red’s Meadow. After having breakfast in our room, we hit 395 and headed south to Mammoth Lakes. Unless you are camping or are a guest of the Red’s Meadow resort, you have to take a shuttle bus from the Mammoth Mountain Adventure center to get into the Red’s Meadow area. Paying the nominal fee, we hopped onto the shuttle. By the time the bus reached the Red’s Meadow resort it was lunch time, and so we ate at the café out there. It is a small, but cozy joint. Everybody there seemed very happy to be there. A lot of smiling and joking was going on. One thing about visiting and staying in a somewhat rustic place like this is the minor adjustment that you have to make. Check out the toilets there to see what I mean ;-)
We had decided to go to Rainbow falls first and then take the trail to the Devils Postpile. By now, my son was used to the child carrier and he seemed quite happy to be chauffeured around. The trail to the falls starts just south of the parking lot. The initial part is through a burned part of the forest and there is no shade on this stretch. On a hot day it could be uncomfortable, especially if you are hiking with your kid(s). Be prepared with sunscreen and water.
Initial stretch through burned forest
The trail through the burned forest has nothing much to see and we were happy when we neared the falls. That day, the river just upstream of the falls was very quiet and placid. The falls would be quite a shock for someone out for leisurely paddle down the river. The trail starts descending and soon you can see the Rainbow Falls. The trail goes along further to the lower falls but we decided to stay put at the upper falls.
Rainbow Falls
At Rainbow Falls viewpoint
After spending some time at the falls, we went back to catch the trail to Devils Postpile. It was a sunny afternoon and the uphill, combined with carrying Tanay, made it a real trudge.I was quite happy to hand the ferrying duties to my wife.
Sharing the joy!
Just past Boundary creek, we took the left fork towards Devils Postpile. The trail undulates through the forest pretty much following the San Joaquin river. Eventually we came to the bridge where the John Muir trail crosses the river. It was pretty cool to be on this trail in the back country (even if it was just for a few feet!). It is a long way from Yosemite valley where the trail begins. That John Muir sure walked a lot.
Back on the trail and both of us were wishing that the postpile would show up soon. Finally…there it was. Well, it wasn’t anything spectacular. It looked just like it looked in the photos (isn’t that deep). Guess the combination of a hot day and carrying Tanay around dampened our enthusiasm. Anyway, since we were there, we sat down and took a break. My son busied himself gathering sticks and throwing rocks around. He had napped along the way and seemed happy to be out of the carrier.
Devils Postpile
Further along the trail, we stopped by a quiet spot by the river just off the main trail. It was another good break for my son. While hiking with small kids, it is important to stop and let them enjoy. We are sometimes more concerned about moving along to get to the destination. Kids don’t have this (mis)understanding yet – they are quite happy with the pebbles, sticks and pine cones. Let them enjoy.
Watching the river go by
A short distance later we reached the ranger station and caught the shuttle back to our car. All in all, it was a nice hike…maybe a little long for first timers, but still nice. That is the thing about hiking – when you look back, you always remember the good parts.
