The Road Genealogist: Mono Lake

Showing posts with label Mono Lake. Show all posts

Friday, May 20, 2016

Over Tioga Pass Again

Over Tioga Pass Again Grand Jcn, CO, Lowe's

Most of my trips over Tioga Pass have been from east to west; hwr, the trip on 31 Aug 2016 was from west to east.
And the first scenic stop was at Olmsted Point, which has a large parking lot. The dome visible between two pines is not Half Dome. [See links below.]

At the east end of the Olmsted Pt Parking Lot there's a good view of Tenaya Lake.

Zooming in gives one a slightly better view of this roadside lake -- where there is often insufficient parking for those who wish to take photos.

The western edge of Tuolumne Mdws -- where the vehicles seem at times to outnumber the flies.

Look north while ignoring the glare from the silver SUV on the other side of CA120.

I suspect only a few of these vehicles belong to hikers or backpackers headed to or at Cathedral Lakes.

Finally, here's a zoom north tween the "silver mirror" and another vehicle.

Finally at the front of the line I scrambled to take this photo of the Tioga Pass kiosk.

Here's a closeup with the elevation of 9945 feet clearly noted -- the highest of the passes over the Sierra Nevada.

There was a strong SW wind blowing, but the waves caused by it are not visible from here.

The waves are clearly visible through my right window despite the reflection of the sun from my ice chest.

Links:

26 Oct 2011 post on Tioga Road
Wikipedia article on Tioga Pass
23 Apr 2011 entrance from the south
Saddlebag Lake & Yosemite Park

Routes:

W 5 Oct Actual Route: Bishop City Pk - Irwin Spector - Lone Pine - Olancha - CA90 bd
Th 6 Oct Actual Route: CA 90bd - Inyokern - Kennedy Mdws - Sherman Pass - Kernville - Bakersfield - Wasco W/M
F 7 Oct Actual Route: Wasco W/M - Paso Robles - San Miguel - Salinas - Marina W/M - SC - DWLs
Sa 8 Oct Actual Route: DWLs - Aptos Br Lib - DWLs
Su 9 Oct Actual Route: DWLs - Scotts Valley Br Lib - Dollar Tree - DWLs
M 10 Oct Actual Route: DWLs - San Jose - SF - Bodega Bay - Ft Bragg - McDs - S&As
T 11 Oct Actual Route: Ft Bragg(S&As) - Eureka - Forest Glen - Hyampom
W 12 Oct Actual Route: Hyampom - Hayfork - Weaverville - Hayfork - K&Js
Th 13 Oct Actual Route: K&Js - Hayfork - Weaverville - Redding - Anderson - Dunnigan I-5 Rest Area
F 14 Oct Route: Dinnigan I-5 Rest Area - Vacaville - San Jose - SV Lib -DWLs

Finding Campgrounds:

RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
Free campsites website
Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Bishop to the Clark Fork via Sonora Pass

Bishop to the Clark Fork via Sonora Pass Atherton, CA, Library

All of these photos were taken on Friday 3 Jun 2016 during a drive north from Bishop, CA, along US395N to Sonora Junction and thence west along CA108 over Sonora Pass.
This first photo was taken near the top of the climb from the Owens Valley to near Sherwin Summit. It's of the White Mountains to the east.

With both the White Mtns and the Sierra Nevada reaching peaks above 14,000', and Bishop situated at 4,150', Genny Schumacher titled her book on the Owens Valley The Deepest Valley.

A look at both Round Valley to the right and the Owens Valley extending south from the center of this photo not too far from Sherwin Summit.

Though I'm not certain, I believe this photo was taken just north of Sherwin Summit before US395N reaches Crowley Lake.

Excluding the ski areas near Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain is the most popular ski area on the east side of the Sierra Nevada -- especially for those living in southern California.
Mammoth Mountain is triangular-shaped when viewed from the south or north. Note the Minarets in the low spot along the Sierra Nevada crest (Minaret Summit) between Mammoth and the three sharp-pointed peaks to the north.

Driving a bit north, here's a closer look at Mammoth Mountain and the Minarets.

This shot as well as the next show the difference between the Minarets and most of the rest of the Sierra Nevada.

Looking south along the northern edge of Mono Lake.

Panning left...

Panning again...

Panning yet again...

Zooming in...

The muddy Walker River just east of the USMC Pickle Mdw Moutain Warfare Training Center.

Looking upstream...

Looking NE into Nevada one still sees snow on the higher peaks.

Looking up Leavitt Creek, which is visible through the trees directly below the highest peak, and CA108 toward Sonora Pass, which is out of this photo to the right.

Sonora Pass, second in height only to Tioga Pass of the trans-Sierra passes.

Looking upstream from the bridge over the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus River.

Last link below to Middle Fork of Stanislaus bridge, which is less than 100 yds from the Clark Fork bridge.

Links:

Wikipedia article on Sherwin Summit
Wikipedia article on Mammoth Mtn Ski Area
Wikipedia article on Mono Lake
Wikipedia article on the Pickel Mdw Mountain Warfare Training Center
Wikipedia article on Hiram Leavitt
Wikipedia article on Sonora Pass
Middle Fork of Stanislaus bridge

Routes:

Su 14 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - East Cliff $ Tree - SV Lib - WHL's - CA1N bd
M 15 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - SV Lib - APC Propane - CA1N bd
T 16 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - Aptos P.O. - SV Lib - CA1N bd
W 17 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - Aptos P.O. - SV Lib - WHL's - CA1N bd
Th 18 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - Capitola VA Clinic - SV Lib - CA1N bd
F 19 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - SV Lib - SV $ Tree - CA1N bd
Sa 20 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - SV Lib - CA1N bd
Su 21 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - SV Lib - CA1N bd
M 22 Aug Actual Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - Aptos Lib - CA1N bd
T 23 Aug Route: CA1N bd - Lighthouse Pt - SV Lib - S Tree - CA1N bd

Finding Campgrounds:

RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
Free campsites website
Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Mono Lake

Sonora, CA

A plaque on Mono Diggings taken on 19 October at the Vista Point just south of Conway Summit on US395 overlooking Mono Lake. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in.]

Things to see and do in and around Mono Lake.

"In the Rainshadow of the Sierra."

The western portion of Mono Lake with the northern end of the snow-capped White Mountains in the distance. [Oh -- what fire?]

Panning left one can see the largest island in Mono Lake: Paoha, where many birds used to nest until dropping water levels uncovered the land bridge to the northern shore; one Paoha was accessible, the varmits didn't waste any time in feasting on the bird eggs.

The northeastern portion of Mono Lake, which, according to my June 1999 AAA map, had an elevation then of 6372'.

At the picnic area near the tufa towers, a plaque explaining how the Piutes, in most cases, were forced to change their lives with the arrival of white men.

"Strange Water, Strange Tufa."

No -- I wasn't falling to my right when I took this photo, but there was a strong north wind.

The largest concentration of tufa towers are on the south shore of the lake.
--

Links:

Sa 22 Actual Oct Route: 3Links CG - Sonora - Tuolumne - East of Long Barn

Su 23 Oct Actual Route: East of Long Barn - Mi-Wuk Village - Tuolumne - Sonora - East of Long Barn

M 24 Oct Actual Route: East of Long Barn - Tuolumne - East of Long Barn

T 25 Oct Actual Route: East of Long Barn - Sonora - Tuolumne - East of Long Barn

W 26 Oct Actual Route: East of Long Barn - Sonora - East of Long Barn

Th 27 Oct Route: East of Long Barn - Sonora - East of Long Barn
--

Finding Campgrounds:

RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life or Woodalls for including links to their free campground lookups.