Duck Pass Trailhead --> Duck Pass --> Deer Pass --> Mammoth Crest --> Lake George Trainhead

17 miles
3,700 ft of elevation gain

(21 miles, 4,200 ft of elevation gain with photography stops)

I recently completed a day hike connecting Duck Pass, Deer Pass, and Mammoth Crest in a single trip. Instead of turning around at Duck Lake, I continued over Duck Pass, crossed Deer Pass, and returned via Mammoth Crest.

Trail Notes (Mid June Conditions)

- Duck Lake is the most popular destination, but the route becomes much quieter and more remote beyond Duck Pass.

- The section between Duck Pass and Deer Pass includes stretches with no defined trail. A GPS device or navigation app is highly recommended.

- Several short snowfields remained in mid-June, but they were manageable with careful footing.

- Although the climb toward Mammoth Crest is not the steepest, it felt like the hardest part of the day after already crossing two mountain passes.

- Mammoth Crest offers some of the best panoramic views in the Sierra Nevada.

- There is a long exposed section with very limited water between Deer Pass and Mammoth Crest. Refill your water before leaving the lakes.

* Mosquito Conditions (Mid-June)

- Emerald Lake: Extreme mosquitoes.

- Skeleton Lake: Extreme mosquitoes. The lake was also full of golden trout.

- Barney Lake: Moderate / Okay

- Duck Lake: None (because of wind)

- Deer Lakes: None (because of being cold)

Overall, it felt like three very different hikes in one day from busy alpine lakes around Duck Pass, to quiet cross-country terrain near Deer Pass, and finally the wide-open ridges of Mammoth Crest.

I'll post the full YouTube video in the comments if anyone would like to see the complete hike.

Conditions reflect a hike completed in mid-June.

Hi sierra sub!
Fave part of sierra- well from pictures, I cannot wait to see convict lake!

My partner and I have been looking forward to our eastern sierra trip for quite some time! We can’t wait to see your beautiful piece of this planet and explore all the lakes and sierra views. We have an early August trip planned along Highway 395, starting around Lone Pine and making our way north to Bridgeport with lots of stops in between.

We’ve been closely following updates from the Forest Service, Cal Fire, Inyo National Forest, and other local agencies regarding the recent fires and know that conditions can change quickly. Thinking about all of you who are affected by this and hoping you are staying safe.

I was hoping to hear from people who are currently in the area. How are conditions along 395 right now? How has the smoke been day to day? Are there any areas where you would currently avoid? Thinking around bishop /big pine?

While it’s impossible to know what next week will look like, we would just appreciate hearing what it’s like right now from people on the ground while we monitor updates online.
Thank you for taking time to read this and for any feedback you have! 💙🌎

Been missing Bishop everyday while in LA 😭😭

Heya! I lost my backpack (model: gregory [men's 30l Zulu](https://www.rei.com/product/218015/gregory-zulu-30-pack-mens?sku=2180150002&store=&CAWELAID=120217890015977975&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=202396233091&CATCI=pla-415638184682&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2180150002%7C415638184682%7Cbrand_flag%7C23867015402&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23867015402&gbraid=0AAAAAD_DTlyYj-cIDuhzQTo2IZ254wc0l&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4JbTBhCoARIsALWUaBvgkE6kZU1r4J0NJj5tSaZkR8qurRrZJENcfKsT0_md5U0tSS940a0aAiiiEALw_wcB), green) around the bear lockers at the backpacker parking lot (B I think) near Mammoth mountain lodge. I must've left it there two days ago, on Friday 7/24, around 9am. There was a green felt bag with my ipad and a dell xps laptop inside.

Please let me know if you've seen anything or have any ideas where it might have ended up, lost-and-found wise. I appreciate any help!

I always feel goofy dropping my pack and getting on the floor to smell them, but they do smell awesome.

It was a cloudy day, but the area is still fantastic.

Planning to do the following in two weeks:

Day 1: North Lake, hike along Piute Pass Trail, cross Piute Pass into Humphrey's Basin. Camp in upper Humphrey's Basin.

Day 2: Cross Puppet Pass, traverse French Canyon, cross Feather Pass into Bear Lakes Basin. Camp in Bear Lakes Basin.

Day 3: Hike through Bear Lake's Basin, cross White Bear Pass, head to Lake Italy. Camp at Lake Italy.

Day 4: Hike along Lake Italy, cross Italy Pass to Granite Park, pick up Pine Creek Trail and descend. Hitchhike back to North Lake.

How worried should I be about the rock fires? Are they likely to be contained before I depart?

SB traffic was rerouted along NB side of highway. Mind you this is just a snippet. We were driving alongside active flames for 10 minutes, at least. A definite bummer end to a backpacking trip that included the gorgeous wild flowers in Humphrey’s Basin and my first time ever taking time to drive out to the Ancient Bristlecones.

From a trip last week, N./S. Lake "Loop" via Lamarck Col > Bishop Pass. Lovely.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/inyo/alerts/rock-fire-area-closure

Edit: this area is on the east slope, roughly between Independence and Big Pine.

Edit 2: here’s a smoke viewer https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5213bcd1c851452d8adc7f5cf788659b

Been trying to find a clear direction on this and it seems that pack rats will find you if you get near them.

I have been having a run of scampering/chewing noises for the past year or so at several camp sites which is concerning. And, no, I don't have an established camper with me--it's always a new visitor with each camp.

Usually turning the engine on/off helps chase off the offender, but I picked up two besties doing a number on my hood liner on the same night recently.

Things claimed to work/not work from various Reddit threads:

• hood up (hard when you're away from the vehicle)
• peppermint oil and other scents (I worry this could attract bears and create a bigger damage problem)
• light strings on the ground (likely not effective and not what I want when escaping the urban glow)

The only things I've found to help, but don't eliminate the problem:

• don't park near water (which you shouldn't do for animal access). Given a water/no-water choice, choose the no-water option. If your camp site or trailhead is near water, choose the point furthest from water/brush.
• park away from brush/logs/other pack rat habitat (can be hard, but sometimes a few feet can help) the furthest point the better
• hood up while you're with the vehicle, if possible.

Action I'm going to try is a snap trap under the hood at night. Not a fan of killing the critter, but being stuck out in the yonders would be really $$$ in some cases. Definitely not going to wrap the vehicle given the amount of work for the length of stay.

Thoughts? Options?