Mono Lake…

Those of you who have been following this blog might remember that I stopped at Mono Lake back in ’06 and took pictures of the lake as it was the year that the people here had finally convinced the legislature of California to stop the ruination of Mono Lake by LA. The city of LA had strong armed the region back in the 1940’s and grabbed water rights to the area, including the several creeks that fed the lake. Even building huge water works to redirect water. As a result, the lake’s water level had dropped so precipitously that this incredible area of unique wildlife and bird life was dying. One result of this wholesale theft of water was that an island in the middle of Mono had become a peninsula with a land bridge…allowing foxes to decimate the nesting birds on the island. So much so that the birds had deserted the island.

“The primary lake life is composed of algae, brine shrimp, and alkali flies, and is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Nesting birds consist of California Gulls (50,000, 85% of California’s breeding population and second largest colony in the world after the Great Salt Lake in Utah) and Snowy Plovers (400, 11% of the state’s breeding population). Migratory birds include Eared Grebes (1.5-2 million, 30% of the North American population), Wilson’s Phalaropes (80,000, 10% of the world population), Red-necked Phalaropes (60,000, 2-3% of the world population), and 79 other species of waterbirds.” – From the Mono Lake Committee web site link above.

We stayed in Bishop the first night of this mini trip at a nice RV park just 60 or so miles from Mono.

Thought I'd show you Dan's rig.

The rig drives nice, and it’s an adequate size…for one. The slides help make it reasonable for two, but it’s not really big enough for two adults, IMO. The cab over section doesn’t have the traditional bed that so many with Class C’s enjoy as it’s filled with a wide screen TV and all the associated electronics. What I can’t stand about it is that damn doghouse right in the way. It’s just uncomfortable to have to jockey around it whenever you move from the front to the rear of the rig. But, it’s not mine so…

And the rear.

You can see from the wet spot under the rig that the city water connection leaked all night. It had been frosty the night before and I had trouble getting the hose screwed onto the inlet. It’s design is not very robust.

Off to another adventure.

It didn’t take long to get to Mono and I was surprised how much it had changed since I was last here.

There's Mono Lake...

This area is a desert and although the lake might seem refreshing from a distance, it is very salty. Can’t use it for drinking. Or irrigation. But it attracted millions of birds,  it’s part of a major bird flyway, has many unique insects that have adapted to the briny water who lay billions of eggs that are eatable. Indigenous peoples have harvested food from this lake for 10,000 years. It’s a leftover from the last ice age. In fact, one of the feeder creeks was from the most southerly glacier in the world. The glacier is gone, but the creeks are still fed from the nearby mountains which receive tons of snow each winter.

This area will be covered with water in a few years as the lake refills.

Those Tufa Towers there on the lake edge are caused by springs bubbling up from the lake bed through that briny water. Normally they would be under water, and will be again in 20 years.

Still more Tufa towers.

The resource center and the start of the self-guided walking tour.

Off to the East.

Quiet, warm, interesting. Well, interesting if you like geology.

Neat! They feel funny too. You're not suppose to break off pieces for your collection though.

Sadly, the springs that created these towers have mostly dried up. No one knows if the old springs will come back when the lake is filled. Some geology student would probably know.

There are some springs still operating here, and perhaps when the lake is refilled the general ecology of the area will have changed because of it and the springs might make a comeback. As it is, the possibility of hundreds of springs returning is doubtful, but perhaps several would be enough. The bugs life cycle depends on them.

Not many birds around this time of year.

It's interesting to think that this entire area will be underwater in 20 years.

I believe I read that they plan on leaving the signs right where they are as the area floods.

A Tufa castle.

Here's one of the few springs left in this section of lake.

Those ripples are created by a spring, not just from local surface disturbances.

Even more offshore.

That one is around 20 feet tall.

Awash in Tufas.

A hundred feet or so along the path.

Looking West to the mountains.

More glassy water. The sun was higher and I liked that the white of the towers was standing out so well.

There was probably a glacier right there on that hill centuries ago.

You could walk to those towers in '06.

And that’s the end of our tour of Mono Lake. I thought I took some pictures of the signs that showed how high the water would be in 20 years, but I guess I didn’t. 🙁

After this tour, we headed on north…