Trail: Deer Lakes Loop
Distance: 14 miles
Elevation: 3,044' ft.
Location: Mammoth Lakes, CA
Permits: A wilderness permit is required for overnight backpacking.
Trip Date: July 2024
One of my favorite birthday traditions is heading out into the backcountry for at least a one-night solo trip. My birthday, on July 5th, is usually celebrated around the big 4th of July holiday, and was lucky to snag a last-minute permit to hike the Deer Lakes Loop in Mammoth Lakes. This would be my third time hiking this trail, and my second time completing the loop. This trail is special to me because 3 years ago, this was my first solo backpacking trip in the Sierra. It felt great to be back now as an experienced thru-hiker and backpacker with more knowledge and appreciation for the trails.
📍DAY 1: Crystal Lake Trailhead to Deer Lakes (6.5 miles / 2,516′ ft.)
Knowing the trail, I opted for a slightly later start today. I started my trek around 11:30 AM- to avoid arriving at camp in the heat of the day, BAD IDEA. The parking lot is a very popular place to access many lakes in the Mammoth Lakes area, so by that time the day after a major holiday, parking was difficult to find after 45 minutes. I lucked out with a spot, and immediately hit the trail.
The trail is very exposed. After bypassing the crowds headed to Crystal Lake the trail got very quiet. It wasn’t until 2 miles in that I realized- I HADN’T PACKED ENOUGH WATER. Carrying 1L for the 6-mile hike was a dumb idea. I should have turned around, but knowing my limits- I understood to take it easy and many many breaks. To be quite honest, the hike-in sucked. I was miserable, and kicking myself for getting a late start and forgetting my water.
It took me 5.5 hours to hike the 6-mile trail to Deer Lakes- I broke that often. I even chewed on a Nuun electrolyte tablet to help replenish. By the time I reached the lake, I was done. It was a little after 4 PM, and yet I still had over 4.5 hours left until the sunset. I set up camp, went for a little swim, and filled up on some water as soon as I reached the lake. It was so hot and exposed at camp, I pretty much hung out inside my tent for the remainder of the afternoon.
Around 7 PM the sun started setting fast behind the mountain. I made a quick ramen dinner and headed to a favorite sunset spot. Unfortunately, it was entirely way too buggy to enjoy so I headed back to camp. The lighting was great for pictures, so I stopped to snap a few before realizing that a bald eagle was watching me! It was so cool to see.
I slept with my rainfly open and watched the Milky Way dance across the sky, and was glad to be able to capture some of it on my iPhone. Forgetting not only to pack enough water, but also, my pillow, and my headlamp- I pretty much got no sleep, but that’s just how it is sometimes. I won’t be making that mistake again!
📍DAY 2: Deer Lakes to Duck Pass to Emerald Lake ( 7.5 miles / 550′ ft. )
The next morning I was awake right before the sun. It was a nice breeze, but once that sun came out it was out for the rest of the day. Deer Pass climbs a little over 500′ in about 2 miles and then it is all downhill from there! It was a beautiful and quiet morning. I was up and over the pass before 9 AM and saw Duck and Pika lakes as they came into view. The trail connecting Duck Pass to Deer Lakes isn’t maintained. I had to pull out my phone/map/GPS to make sure I was still on the trail. So many wildflowers that morning!
Quite a few day hikers heading to Duck Lake that morning. Having done that trail a few times, I didn’t care to stop, but I did break at Skelton Lake for some water and a few snacks before heading down to Emerald Lake! There is a new connector trail that goes through Coldwater Campground that leads me right back to my car!
