Mammoth Trailfest
Pardon the timeline disruption, I’m working backwards for a bit to post some highlights from the year. Let’s go all the way back to September, 2024 and my participation in the Mammoth Trailfest 50k run in Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Here’s my Instagram post following the race:
Yesterday I completed the Mammoth Trailfest 50k. It’s a race that’s only 3 years old and this year, all the pieces finally fell into place to get me here. Incredibly special day getting to run this giant loop around the lakes basin, MMSA, and including a grueling climb up Dragon’s back to the summit. Growing up coming here to ski and camp with family, climbing and adventuring with college friends, and then sharing with my own kids, so many great times. Loved every second of the 11 hours it took to complete the course and never take for granted that I’m able to run, even if I’m slow af.
I was there to run but more importantly, I was there to enjoy and celebrate every minute of being in this place, and that meant getting outside with my camera as much as possible. I got up for a sunrise, went out for twilights and got an entrance reservation for Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite NP) for Sunday after the race.
Not one to chase iconic scenes or compositions, I’ve been longing for an image of the Minarets for quite a while. And, to cover my bases, I wanted both sunrise and sunset because, why not! With limited time, I’d have to settle for the obvious vantage points offered from Minaret Vista. You always hope for something special in terms of atmospheric conditions, but I was more than happy to “get what you get and don’t throw a fit.” Again, just enjoying the moment and the act of photography.
I arrived about an hour before sunrise - painful but always worth it - and enjoyed the show of puffy clouds dancing around the spires that make up the Minarets. I loved my time out that morning and really do like this image, but wish I had composed a bit wider. Next time!
I don’t really have words, for what I found on my return for sunset. Good thing I have a picture, and hopefully it does some justice for the scene. Again, I arrived about an hour before and drove up to find the situation below unfolding. What a gift to be there at that moment and to make an image that I can’t wait to print and hang in our home.
Post-race, I made the lovely drive up to Tuolumne Meadows to visit my old friends in the many granite domes and to soak my feet in an icy cold Tenaya Lake. It was a truly magical weekend, with everything falling perfectly into place. I can’t wait to run it again in 2025. The experience will undoubtedly be different—perhaps better, perhaps not—either way, it’ll happen exactly as it’s meant to.
