 |
Bill Bikes My bicycling expeditions and jaunts |
 |
Mono Lake, part 2, June 2019
Tufa Ride: A Photographic Log
14 June, 15 miles
After leaving the Forester at the overflowing Lee Vining Creek, I pedaled the Ogre on dirt and gravel "forest roads"—no trees—around the southern shore of Mono Lake to the main tufa area. (See part 1.) These impressive spires and towers of carbonates grew underwater and emerged when the lake level gradually receded over the years. Nowadays they make fantastic hunting grounds for photographers, and I was not the only one there wielding a camera. But eventually I had to mount up and pedal back to the car in order to drive homeward for six hours.
A helpful tourist from Germany took this shot.
Everything looks great, except maybe Old Grumble-Face.
Is it just me, or does this resemble a camel?
Towers and minarets along the shore.
With so much melting snowpack pouring in, the lake level is higher than usual.
Another tufa spire. Not to be confused with tofu.
Tufa erodes easily, and visitors are enjoined from touching or climbing the formations.
A trail winds through the formations, but in some places it's covered by an inch or two of water.
A wall and a couple of towers.
A little overflow from the lake created this sandy spit.
When formed, this entire edifice was underwater.
Although the declining lake level was reversed in the 1990s, it's still much lower than it was when diversions began in 1941.
Amazing stuff.
A gorgeous view across the little lagoon toward the high Sierra.
My photo doesn't do it justice.
More lake, tufa, and mountains.
Heading back to the car.
The only tree on the forest road.
An abandoned fixer-upper with a view.
I should probably check with my ace support crew before I make a down payment.
At high noon, the sun really brings out the color of the lake.
I see a line of greenery in the distance. That must be Lee Vining Creek, which means I'm almost back to the car.
The Forester didn't float away, so I was able to load up the Ogre and drive safely home to Sonoma County, concluding a brief but highly enjoyable expedition to Bridgeport, Twin Lakes, Bodie, and Mono Lake on the eastern slopes of the Sierra.
Now I'm carefully monitoring the situation in the hope that the high road over Tioga Pass, still closed by snow, will soon open to bicycles for a couple of days before it opens to motorized traffic. My ace support crew is slowly shaking her head.
Summary
Date: 14 June 2019
Time: 8:30 - 12:00
Weather: 60-80° F, sunny and breezy
Route: Gravel roads from Lee Vining Creek to tufa formations and back
Distance: 15 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.
~ 112 ~
| bstone@sonic.net | ::: Bill Books ::: Bill Bikes ::: Bill Games ::: | Copyright © 1983-2021 Bill Stone |