Sierra Nevada @en
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Salt Tram…
I met Andrew with whom I went to Baja last year. He’s gonna make a little way with VivaLaVida before I hit the road toward East…
1. Beautiful colors to the first camp together near hot springs.
2. Stop at Alabama Hills that I discovered last spring with Jean-Luc.
3. This place is really fun with these conglomerate concretions.
4. Withney Portal Arch.
5. These hills are located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada.
6. Visit of Mobius Arch I had already presented here.
We then went to discover the Salt Tram, a construction that I wanted to explore. We had seen some pylons with Jean-Luc in the Saline Valley, thinking it was an elevator built for mining. In fact, it was a tram designed to exploit the salt deposit of the Saline Valley. Built between 1911 and 1913, the numbers are just amazing! It starts from 3,300 feet above sea level in Swansea, in the Owens Valley, rises more than 8,000 feet and goes down the other side of the mountain in the Saline Valley. The hauling cable was 27 miles long!
7. Up the Swansea Grade, above Owens Valley.
8. The Sierras received some snow three days ago.
9. Owens Valley with VLV and Baja Shaker camping at 5,500 feet elevation.
10. I approach a first pylon.
11. Assembly.
12. The dry climate has preserved the wood for over a hundred years.
13. Second pylon.
14. One of the intermediate stations to cross a ridge.
15. The construction is very similar to modern lifts excepted it’s made of wood.
16. Hauling cable detail.
17. Framework.
18. Pylons alignment with the top station at the bottom.
19. View of a lower intermediate station in front of the saline still in use today.
20. Graphics of saline.
21. Baja Shacker going down the Swansea Grade quite steep and dissected in places.
To be followed in some days… 😀
Behind the Sierras…
1. Sunrise over Eureka Dunes.
2. Contrasts between dark cliffs and clear dunes…
3. … and between the softness of the sand and the harshness of the rock.
I then went to explore volcanic craters near Mono Lake, the few snow this year allowing to access it easier than usually in this season.
4. On the road, I spent a night near Hot Creek, a river warmed by hot springs.
5. I’m over 6,000 feet elevation and there is no snow…
6. It’s cold at night however, 10F that night – and lakes freeze…
7. Boondocking behind Crater Mountain, at 7,900 feet elevation.
8. Mounted in steep scree of porous and rather light volcanic stones. Worse than the sand: making three steps up, you descend two! 😀
9. at about 8,500 feet, I see Mono Lake in the distance.
10. The north slopes keep some patches of snow.
11. Patchwork…
12. Sierra Nevada is close toward West.
13. Scoria cone in front of Mono Lake.
14. Remnant cornice under the summit slope.
15. Arrival on the main crater or what remains.
16. There were many of such black stones that looked like vitrified coal, rather light for their size with smooth and shiny texture.
17. One of the only plants that manage to grow in this hostile environment. Tiny but pretty…
18. View of the crater from the highest point at 9,400 feet elevation.
19. The panoramic view of emerald color Mono Lake is impressive!
20. Going down on the way to some hot springs, VivaLaVida went through Benton Hot Springs, a historic place of passage.
After soaking in hot water two hours under the stars (what a joy!), I took a one day break to make an oïl change to VivaLaVida. Andrew (the guy with whom I had discovered the Baja California early last year) is being announced, I should meet him in the coming days to discover some new corners with Baja-Shacker.
To discover soon in a future update… 😀
D5 Creation