Mono Lake @en
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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… 😀
Mono Lake, Bristlecone Pines & Death Valley…
Waiting on the flange that had to be replaced on Vivalavida, we rented a car and went to visit Mono Lake, about seventhy miles north of Bishop. This lake is unusual to see since it have calcareous concretions created by source, like kind of stalagmites visible today. This lake is also very salty, which limits the underwater life.
1. High country near Mono Lake.
2. Salt foam on the shore.
3. Concretions have surprising forms.
4. Vivid colors created by the minerals dissolved in water.
5. Nice cloud in the lake area…
The driveshaft of Vivalavida reinstalled, the next day we drove to the White Mountains to see the Bristlecone Pines, incredible trees since it is actually the oldest known form of life on the planet. Some of them are more than 5,000 years old and still alive!
6. Some roots are exposed, the erosion of loose soil is important here.
7. A section showing the trunk which growths only a few tenths of a millimeter each year. This dead tree lived more than 3,600 years.
8. Plateau at Shulman Grove.
9. Tormented but beautiful growth…
10. This ancestor has ceased to live…
11. Continuing our journey through Death Valley, we took a walk in the Titus Canyon…
12. … before joining the inevitable Zabriskie Point at sunset.
13. Sweetness of these eroded hills…
14. The sun disappears for an image a little different from this so much photographed spot.
15. We found a place to sleep in the wild near abandoned mines.
16. Track makes pretty curves…
17. The next morning, we went up Dante’s View, a spot overlooking Death Valley that FredW, a friend of mine, adviced me. What a panorama ! (stiched panoramic of 9 vertical images)
18. Drawings in Death Valley
That’s it for the Death Valley area. We then spent an afternoon in Las Vegas before taking the direction of the Grand Canyon. To Come soon…
PS: The trip map is up to date… 😉
D5 Creation