PCT Day 57

Mammoth Zero Day #1

0 miles

Mile 903.4

Woke up feeling like utter shit. The beating I’d put my body through the day before had finally caught up to me. I walked gingerly to the shower after popping a few ibuprofen to soak in its warm water. I felt slightly improved upon exiting the steamy bathroom, so after getting dressed I joined Spikes and Mike for breakfast across the street at Schat’s Bakery.

It wasn’t quite as incredible as the Schat’s in Bishop, but it was still pretty fantastic. I waited in line drooling over the wonderful assortment of baked goodies artfully displayed in the glass cases.

I ended up ordering a bacon egg and cheese croissant, a piece of mixed nut brittle and a coffee. The croissant was mind blowing, but I was a tad let down that they didn’t have any hot sauce for me to spicify it with.

After breakfast we headed towards Vons to pick up 6 days worth of food to get us the 110 miles from Mammoth to Bridgeport. We swung by Mammoth Mountaineering Supply on the way to check out their gear selection. I hadn’t planned on buying anything, but ended up leaving with a badass pair of mountaineering pants. The ice and rocks have been destroying my legs when post holing, so I finally caved…no more shorts.

Having spent far more money than I’d wanted to, we finally made our the grocery store. I had way to much fun in there…and ended up buying more food than I probably need, but hey, I need the calories! The Sierras are freaking intense. I’ve lost 15 lbs since starting the trail less than two months ago, so I need to start eating more!

After Vons we headed back to the Motel 6 to organize our food. Here’s what my resupply looks like.

Yum!

Chores completed, we hung out in the room for a bit before heading out again in search of some lunch. Spikes and I were craving something ethnic, so we cruised over to a Thai joint called Thaid Up. Upon arriving we realized they didn’t open for another 30 minutes, so we headed upstairs to Mammoth Tavern for an adult beverage. Apparently the bar is legendary for their mules, so we both ordered a Kentucky and split a plate of shrimp ceviche.

Both were outstanding! Once we’d finished our drinks and app, we headed downstairs for the main course. I ordered lettuce wraps, Panang chicken and veggie curry and a Counterstrike IPA.

The food was so dang delicious! Absolutely stuffed, we paid our bill before heading over to peruse the shops within the Minaret Mall. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was an obvious stop.

There were three ladies working on an assortment of caramel apples when we walked in. One of them gave me a familiar look and asked me where I’d been…it was clear she had mistaken me for someone else. Cheesing hard, I could tell she realized her mistake and we all ended up chatting for a good while. All three ladies were an absolute delight!

Susan (in the middle) was the owner and the lady who’d mistaken me for someone else, and Lily (on the right) and Joy (on the left) were her employees. Susan hooked us up with some delicious chocolate fudge and a caramel apple! I ended up buying a few chocolate truffles as well. So dang good!

Glad we had swung by, we headed back to our hotel to drop off our purchases and pickup Mike before walking over to Mammoth Brewery for a few rounds.

We enjoyed our first beer on the patio while watching the sun set below the distant snow topped Sierras.

Once the sun dipped below the mountains the temperature took a nose dive, so we grabbed our beers and headed inside. Spikes ordered a appetizer of fried bread fries with beer cheese to pick at as we enjoyed our craft beers. My buddy Amrit Shiva also joined us. I’d met him my first few days on trail, so it was great catching up.

Around 9 we decided it was time to close out and head home. While walking back we saw this little trash panda hanging out.

Meeting him was a neat way to end an incredible day of R&R. Back in my hotel room I crushed a pint of chocolate fudge swirl Talenti. When I’d finished it I cleaned the inside, as I plan to use it to cold soak my dinners while on trail. It’s lightweight plastic and screw top design make it the perfect container for the trail.

Absolutely stuffed, I watched a couple episodes of Naked and Afraid…which is a ridiculous show by the way, but still somehow quite entertaining. By 11 I was sleeping hard as my body metabolized the thousands of calories I’d ingested throughout the day.

With all the delicious food options, Mammoth is a terrific place to zero for a few days!

Cheers!

P.s. and here’s my toe…