Trinity Lakes 9180 ft - Reds Meadow 7600 ft - Crater Meadow 8800 ft ...12.2 miles
day 6 : 5 July 2003
  
  trinity  
  Trinity Lakes are a series of attractive shallow ponds strung out along the trail; Mike renamed them as Mosquito Lakes as the whole area is infested by millions of these irritating tiny blood suckers  
  
  
   
  crossing the minaret  
  creek crossing on the JMT can be very varied... from simple wading, to jumping across, to stepping over wet precarious stones, to stomping on sturdy wooden or metal bridges... this one across Minaret Creek looks sturdy enough  
  
  
   
  into devil's territory  
  at the northern boundary of Inyo National Forest with Devils Postpile National Monument  
  
  
   
  beer break  
  back to civilisation again to pick up our first food cache at Reds Meadow Store; here we had a delicious steak for lunch, Mike had his ice cold beers, and we met up with Alan and Steve again  
  
  
   
  shower  
  a refreshing free shower at Reds Meadow Campground, with hot spring water fed from Reds Meadow Hot Springs  
  
  
   
  destruction  
  the forest east of Reds Meadow was destroyed by a lightning-caused forest fire in 1992; more than ten years later, the forest have not recovered  
  
  
   
  red cone  
  a short detour to climb up the northern of the two Red Cones that flanks the JMT, with commanding views all around from it's barren summit  
  
  
   
  contrasting  
  a classical volcanic cinder cone, the sparse vegetation that manages to cling onto the cone's loose surface contrasts against the deep red soil  
  
  
   
  crater meadow  
  the view from our campsite at Crater Meadow with the more forested southern Red Cone close by  
  
  
   
  white sands  
  contrasting against the nearby red cones, the soil around the campsite at Crater Meadow is white  
  
  
   
  spaghetti again ?  
  Mike gives a hand to help out in the cooking