Guys trip to Convict Lake - Hiking to Marsh Lake
I went on a trip this past weekend up to Mammoth Mountain and camped at Convict Lake with some guys. During our first hike there, I came to the realization that I'm no longer in my 20s. I'm also overweight and not accustomed to long hikes. We hiked through Little Lakes Valley up to Marsh Lake, following Rock Creek so our guys could fish there. The hike was beautiful, but I struggled with the ascent.
Our trail is quite popular, with many dogs both on and off their leashes, as well as people of all ages and abilities out hiking. The hike had a 259ft ascent and a 95ft descent, starting at an elevation of 10,230ft and spanning 1.2 miles. I wasn't there to fish, so I was carrying all of my camera gear, a backup battery, and was wearing tennis shoes. The trail had some icy patches, with pockets of melting ice and some water flowing across. Considering it was the tail end of October, it was quite chilly.
If we had continued up the trail from Marsh Lake, we would have encountered Box Lake and Long Lake, both of which are much larger than Marsh Lake. That journey would have extended our hike to 2.1 miles with a 488ft ascent and a 157ft descent.
Although our crew had a few minor catches, they weren't particularly noteworthy. Unfortunately, our group didn't bring back any fish from this hike, and that includes both our fly fishing and spin fishing enthusiasts.
