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SHUTTLE OPTION FOR TRIP 3

Notice that there’s a road east from Granite Creek Campground 3 miles to the Mammoth Trailhead, at Indian Meadow. You could cut those 3 dusty miles off ssss1’s last, tough day by staging a shuttle car there.

On the west side of the river, the trail turns south, climbing above the river a short distance before curving southwest and then switchbacking steeply up the river canyon’s west wall to a roadend, the Mammoth Trailhead, at Indian Meadow. If you’ve dropped a car at this roadend (see sidebar above to learn how to make this trip a shuttle), your trip is over. Otherwise, follow this dusty road generally west for 3 more miles back to Granite Creek Campground Trailhead (6978’; 11S 29955 4157469); stay on the road at all junctions.

TRANS-SIERRA HIKE

For an easy trans-Sierra hike, from Corral Meadow, go east on the eastbound Mammoth Trail over East Fork Cargyle Creek and a tributary and then through beautiful Cargyle Meadow (once a popular meeting and trading place for Native American tribes from the east and west sides of the Sierra). Climb to Stairway Meadow and the Granite Stairway (neither granite, nor a stairway, oddly) to enter Inyo National Forest. Pass by Summit Meadow (not a meadow, and not at a summit) as the trail descends into Snow Canyon. At a junction with the trail to Fern and Beck lakes (good camping at Fern Lake), go ahead (northeast) to begin a pumice-y, rocky descent with great views over the Middle Fork San Joaquin River drainage.