We didn't get up particularly early, but then again, for a holiday we were up much earlier than usual. We had Peet's coffee, eggs, bagels, and leftover pork for breakfast (good hearty mountain eating!). Then we took the advice of our guidebook and set out for an "easy" bike ride along the south edge of Mono Lake. Mono Lake is probably one of the oldest lakes in North America. It receives much of the snowmelt from the eastern Sierras, and is a major nesting ground for many migratory birds. Unfortunately, in 1941 the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting most of the streams that feed Mono lake 350 miles south to the city of Los Angeles. Since that time, the level of the lake has dropped more than 40 vertical feet, and shrunk to less than half its former surface area. At the same time, salinity and alkalinity has increased immensly, threatening the lakes simple ecosystem (based on algae, brine shrimp and brine flies). Luckily, we have the Mono Lake Committee working to restore the lake, and having some success. By court order, the DWP has had to reduce the amount of water it diverts from Mono lake, and the lake level is rising slowly.
But back to the bike ride. Clearly, our idea of easy does not completely coincide with the author of the guidebook. We parked on Hwy 120 just east of the intersection with Hwy 395, and began riding east. Of course (as always!) a stiff desert breeze was right in our faces, making the gentle upward slope a little more slopey than anticipated. Then we reached the crest of the hill (between Panum Crater and Mono Craters- volcanic structures created about 600 years ago) and saw just how far down we had to go to get to the shore of the lake. It was a little further (and steeper) than expected, but we persevered (besides, we thought, the wind will be with us on the way back). We turned north off the highway onto the gravel access road for the South Tufa site of the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve. After a slow painful (though blessedly short) ride on loose gravel, we arrived at the entrance to the reserve. That is when we first decided that our Camelbak water carriers were the best recreational investment we had ever made. There is no water available at the park, and with the high temperatures and very low humidity (16%) we would have probably died without all the water we were carrying on our backs.
| The south tufa reserve is an odd and beautiful place. The flat plain (actually dry lakebed) is covered with low scrub sagebrush, but here and there sticking up are fingers of tufa, forming irregular bluffs and towers throughout the area. These towers are formed under the lake surface through the deposition of carbonates and other minerals carried by freshwater springs which flow underground and percolate up under the lake. As more minerals are deposited, they form a chimney through which the water flows, depositing higher and higher until these towers are formed. |  |
| Now that they are high and dry, the towers are very popular nesting spots for violet green backed swallows, pretty little birds that were soaring around like crazy. There were also a number of other birds, including many many many seagulls (something like half of all California seagulls come to Mono Lake to breed. Yet another reason to restore Mono Lake!. |  |
Properly awed by the beauty of the lake and tufa towers, we started our return ride. It was immediately apparent that my earlier prediction about the wind would be inaccurate: as always, the wind was in our faces as we started up the long hill back the way we came. Our poor clogged LA lungs just couldn't handle it, and we ended up walking the bikes most the way back up the hill. An immense feeling of relief passed through us as we reached the crest, only to realize the wind was blowing so strongly that we would actually have to pedal on the downhill just to keep moving. By the time we reached the car we were pretty much pooped. We drank every drop of water we had in the car, and headed back to our cabin for a shower and a rest.
Showered and rehydrated we now needed food and coffee. We made a quick stop at Trout Town Joe for an iced espresso, then headed up the road to Lee Vining to find some lunch. Lee Vining is all of about 1 block long, so once we went through we knew all our options. The one that looked most attractive was the Mono Cone. This is an old fashioned drive up burger and ice cream joint that was really good. We had burgers and fries, Alison had a chocolate malt and I had a very tasty and refreshing orange slush. There were tables out back (but no shade), a small indoor seating area, and nice clean restrooms. Everything you could want in a burger joint!.
After eating, we walked across the street to the Mono Lake Committee storefront. They have a truly amazing collection of books about Mono lake and the sierras. Very impressive. We also learned that the canoe tours of the tufa towers don't start for a few weeks. Darn! That sounded like a really interesting way to see some of the lake.
The next stop was another mile up the road: The Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center. There we saw a short video on the history of Mono lake (Geological, environmental, and political), and went through the galleries that taught a bit more about the Mono lake ecosystem and the cultural history of the Kuzedika Paiute Indians that lived by the lake. The visitor center provides some beautiful views of the lake and the two islands Negit (the black island) and Paoha (the white island).
It was closing time at the center, but we were just starting to feel refreshed, so we decided to walk the "healing creek" trail. This trail goes up Lee Vining creek, and plaques describe how the vegetation in the creekbed was devastated by drought (thanks to the DWP) and then a major fire in the 1950s. After that the creekbed was essentially used as a dump for many years, until the DWP was forced to restore the creek flow. Now the vegetation is beginning to come back, and as you walk up the creek, you essentially walk back in time, seeing the creek as it was before the drought and fire. Of course, the sign said "1.7 miles", what it didn't say was that it was 1.7 miles out, then dumps you on the far side of Lee Vining, and you have to walk back. Well, passing through town we again stopped at the Mono Cone for another orange slush. The waitress even remembered me and that I had ordered one of these earlier. We chatted while it was poured, and she told me the secret ingredient was Tang. This burst of cold and sugar gave us the energy needed to get back to the car.
Our "little" walk left us hungry again, and we really lucked out: It being Saturday, Trout Town Joe was having their "Big Fat Barbecue", so we stopped and pigged out. Ribs, pork loin, tri-tip, couscous, watermelon, salad. Burp!! It was REALLY good! It's little finds like this that really make a trip worth while!
Exhausted and stuffed, we made our way back to the cabin and were asleep by the time the sun set.
Day: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Last Updated 9 June, 2000
Send Comments to: rlindstrom@earthlink.net