On this trip we visited this area in the winter on snowshoes. We have also visited it in the summer on other trips. In the summer several interesting trails in this area offer a variety of hikes beginning behind Coldwater Campground. Climbing over Duck Pass to join the John Muir trail, the Duck Pass trail climbs the forested hillside behind Coldwater Campground and goes past Arrowhead, Skelton, and Barney lakes before going over Duck Pass.
On November 22-26, 1972 I snowshoed on a twelve mile round trip with Dale McCauley, Jeff Schrock, John Smallwood, Nancy Henderson, and Many Van R?. We drove to Alabama Hills Wednesday night for a windy night's sleep.
Thursday we drove to Rock Creek road which was not passable to my truck; then, on to Twin Lakes at Mammoth Lakes where we hit the snowshoe trail about 11 a.m. Followed the campground road toward Lake Mary road - took cutoff to Lake Mary road - then on Lake Mary road (dodging snowmobiles) to Cold Canyon Campground road - then to end of Campground road at Duck Lake Trailhead. Made camp about 3:30 p.m. Low Temperature 8°.
We were on our way about 10 a.m. Friday - followed trail as it climbed, then dropped into Arrowhead Lake, 9600', for lunch about 1 p.m., then on to Skelton Lake, 9800' where we made camp about 3:30 p.m.
In-route we climbed out of Arrowhead Lake and found an old mining operation with solid cabin and a 3 stamp mill which was apparently run by water power from a flume bringing over Mammoth Creek water. The ore probably came from the Mammoth Consolidated Mine across the canyon. We had a beautiful campsite at Skelton Lake. Low Temperature 22°.
Saturday I snowshoed up the trail toward Duck Lake Pass - reaching Barney Lake, 10, 200' at 11:30 a.m. Took pictures and ate lunch. Headed back about 12:10 p.m. and arrived at camp at 1 p.m.
The trail above Barney Lake gets steep and there was lots of snow. It would have been several hours work to reach the pass. Views from this trail are tremendous of Mammoth Mountain and other peaks. Below Arrowhead Lake are good views of Banner and Ritter peaks. A short way above Skelton Lake is a good overlook and good "echo" spot. Many great views.
Dale and Jeff climbed near camp to a high point close to the top of the crest and also saw great views. Also, Friday night the Coyotes "sang" to us early in the morning - and answered our "howling" until 10 a.m. Saturday. Apparently quite a pack.
After some soup and general dinking around we left Skelton Lake about 1:45 p.m. and made it quickly down the hill to our Thursday night campsite at the end of the campground road - made camp about 3 p.m.
We were all on snowshoes except Jeff who was trying his hand at ski touring. He was slower than the snowshoer's on the way up but made good time going down. Overall he was no better off than the rest of us - but, practice may improve on that. Low Temperature 22°.
We got on the way about 10 a.m. Sunday and retraced our steps to the car - seeing a number of ski tourers (no packs) and two snowmobiles. Made the car about 1 p.m. and after some lunch, changing clothes, etc. and talking to Karl Kohagen who we ran into - we headed for home about 2 p.m. - with a side trip to the ski lifts - sightseeing - and were in San Diego shortly after 9 p.m. THE GREATEST SNOW TRIP I'VE BEEN ON TO DATE!
Winter snowshoe route on Duck Lake trail 1972
