My Post-Pork-Rally Eastern California and ? Trip
#1
Posted 19 October 2010 - 03:08 AM
I'd probably stay in this south-of-Mono spot Tuesday night, too, but my propane tank is almost empty and will need filling by then -- for some reason I didn't get the tank filled in Lee Vining...or Bridgeport...or before I left Bend, for that matter. So, either I propane-up in Lee Vining and come back here or continue on south to Bishop for propane and lots of other needed provisions, etc.
To start off, my truck reached an important milestone soon after I got over to the east side, when I turned off 395 and headed up 108 a ways (all of the FS CGs were closed up there, by the way). So does this make my truck (a 2000 F250) now officially middle-aged or a senior citizen?
These 3 photos below are near where I camped Sunday night -- Upper Summer Meadows, off the Green Creek Road, just south of Bridgeport.
These below are where I'm camped tonight, south of Mono Lake -- a few miles east of US 395 on CA 120, then a mile or so on a FS road.
(The elevations on the map are in meters -- the lake is ~6000 ft elevation)
To be continued...
FWC Hawk (2005) on a Ford F250 Supercab, 6.8L V10 gas (2000)
#2
Posted 19 October 2010 - 01:15 PM
Stew
Stew
2007 Custom All Terrain Camper Panther Shell on 2012 Toyota Tundra 4x4 in SE CO
#3
Posted 19 October 2010 - 06:50 PM
We'll see... My first/primary/main requirement for a vacation is "not working", and the secondary requirement is "in a place I like". So I've already got the important stuff going on.
FWC Hawk (2005) on a Ford F250 Supercab, 6.8L V10 gas (2000)
#4
Posted 19 October 2010 - 07:08 PM
-Richard and Ginny
2017 F150 with 2017 Hawk
#5
Posted 21 October 2010 - 06:40 AM
Late-morning today I hiked out to the shore, to a tufa formation that I could see from camp. It was pretty cool, but similar to others I've seen. Then, as I started to walk back to camp I found a string of mini-tufa (I call them) -- I've never seen anything like them...looked like little fantasy structures. I posted a bunch of photos on the Eastern California Gallery, a few of which are also below.
This is the "standard" tufa formation that I could see from camp:
Below are the mini-tufa...very strange. The biggest ones of these are only a couple feet tall. Seeing these really made my day -- maybe even made my whole trip...I doubt I'll see anything as new and cool (to me) on this trip as these weird deals:
Check out the Eastern Sierras/Mammoth Lakes Gallery of California if you want to see a few more.
I'm in a motel in Bishop tonight. I needed to come to Bishop for supplies (including the vital propane!), and I didn't get here until near dark, and I wanted to take a shower, etc. I plan to head up into the White Mts. Thursday morning.
FWC Hawk (2005) on a Ford F250 Supercab, 6.8L V10 gas (2000)
#6
Posted 21 October 2010 - 07:47 AM
Thanks for the report and photos from one of my favorite areas, Mark. Keep it coming!
Stew
Thanks Stew.
By the way: A few months ago I posted a photo I took when camped at the exact same spot south of Mono Lake in May. When you mentioned sagebrush in a comment to my photo I said, "No, those are greaswood (sarcobatus vermiculatus)." Well, I actually based that on a guess from looking at my photo (not from memory) -- those shrubs do have the aspect of greasewood and it seemed like greasewood habitat, what with the alkaline lake and all....
But now that I've revisited the area (and hiked/shoved through the shrubs) I see that they're actually bitterbrush (purshia tridentata). And closer to the water there are some huge artemisia, too...and no greasewood.
So -- I was wrong, and I just wanted to put it in writing.
FWC Hawk (2005) on a Ford F250 Supercab, 6.8L V10 gas (2000)
#7
Posted 21 October 2010 - 01:10 PM
marc
2016 Sprinter Silver Gray 144 Std. Roof 4x4. 3.0 diesle, Cooper "Dicoverer" ST Maxx 255/85/16
#8
Posted 21 October 2010 - 02:46 PM
2003 Ford Ranger FX4 Level II 2013 ATC Bobcat SE "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln http://ski3pin.blogspot.com/
#9
Posted 21 October 2010 - 03:07 PM
So -- I was wrong, and I just wanted to put it in writing.
It's about time, is all I have to say
I missed the mini-tuffa (very cool!) on my many trips to Mono Lake, but then I spent a lot of time digging my 2wd out of the sand instead of hiking about.
Stew
Stew
2007 Custom All Terrain Camper Panther Shell on 2012 Toyota Tundra 4x4 in SE CO
#10
Posted 22 October 2010 - 02:14 AM
The Tufa that you shot at the lake can be nice with the right light. And inland is some nice reflecting ponds.
Enjoy your travels.
Patrick
2015 FWC Hawk Flatbed
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