HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS A DESTINATION RACE. Well-organized professional race but comes with the Eastern Sierras as your playground too. This year we came up earlier from San Francisco and stayed longer after . Definitely a photographers vacation spot. We Did some trail hiking (Ansel Adams Wilderness, Devil’s Postpile and the Pacific Crest Trail) and a photo excursion day to Bodie a CA historical Park about 10 miles from Lee Vining and Mono Lake — just north of Mammoth on 395. In Yosemite on the Tioga Pass road, stopped at Saddlebag Lake and Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite for a photo hikes as well.
The 2014 Half course was even better IMHO — by adding a Lake Mary Loop at about mile 2 ; instead of 6 miles straight down hill, you run around the edge of a clear mountain lake. Gave my quads a breather. I still had to walk — I chose the 7 mile marker to actually walk backwards for about 100 steps. I walked some of that slightly uphill mile 12 that seems like to should be so easy but is NOT somehow ….walked but took in the vistas of the mountains. The support was fabulous all along the course, even for the back of the pack. The start included foil insulating wraps — excellent idea because the elevation combined with early morning hour was cool, but the temps were climbing this year. Well- done Mammoth folks!
