The Promised Land Calling ...

After Kelsey's visit to Seattle, the local forecasts were not very compatible with hiking.  But, not so in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, where it looked to be sunny, warm, and stable!  Let's go!


OK, not quite that fast.  We spent a bit of time pulling a plan together that revolved around permits that we snagged for a backpack in the Mammoth Lakes area, and for camping in Yosemite Valley ... but also included short stops at Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake on the way down, and a possible extension to the west entrances to King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.  And then we waited (and waited) for Tom's cold to subside enough to feel optimistic about the trip.  By the time we left, it was too late to use the backpacking permit.  But all was not lost!  It was late enough in the season that getting walk-up permits for weekdays was almost assured.

So off we headed for Mammoth Lakes.  The trip was a smooth 2 days ... with the only snag being multiple rounds of  "Road Work Ahead, Expect Delays" in NE California.  We skipped Lake Tahoe due to time and weather.  But we did stop at Mono Lake for a couple of hours.

We had very good memories of the other-worldly feel of this place from our 1988 trip to the area, and it didn't disappoint.  It's a very large salt-water lake (a lot bigger than we recall), and several times saltier than the ocean.  As such, it's a very interesting ecosystem, with no fish, but brine shrimp, alkali flies, and lots of migratory birds (including seagulls).  The most visually-striking aspect of the lake are the tufa ... which are limestone columns that formed when the calcium in fresh-water springs reacted with the carbonate in the salt water.  Starting in the 1940's, Los Angeles starting diverting the streams that feed the lake for their household use, dropping the water level by about 40 feet, and exposing the tufa.  (As a side note ... due to the hard work of some dedicated souls, the water diversion has been dramatically reduced with the goal of eventually stabilizing the lake at about 20 feet below it's original level.)  Very cool place.  The visuals in the late afternoon light were a real treat!

Tufa, Mono Lake

Tufa and wind-swept grasses, Mono Lake

Tufa, Mono Lake

More Photos

Activities

• Driving, talking, driving, listening to music and podcasts, more driving.
• Sightseeing - Mono Lakes South Tufa area

5-Star Moments

• Late afternoon light on tufa and environs.

Random Questions

• Are there fewer alkali flies due to the wind, date, or bad memory?

Tom's Daily Stress Points

• Drivers with inconsistent speeds (stress level = 1/5)

Sleeps

• Klamath Falls: Cimmaron Inn (fine).

Eats

• Klamath Falls: Thai Orchid (very good)