27 Aug 2016
Day 5 Part
2
Mono Lake
My thought
of Mono Lake was just another beautiful lake but it turn out in a totally
unexpected way. Of all the lakes that I have seen, this one really stands out.
Its surreal with a dreamlike landscape like from another planet. I have never
heard this word tufa until I saw these spectacular structures piercing out of
Mono Lake.
Mono Lake began to
form around 750,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest lakes in North
America. Runoff water from the surrounding mountains became trapped in the
broad basin and with no outflow and limited inflow during the summer and fall,
dissolved salts and calcium accumulated rapidly. Where freshwater springs met
the lake’s alkaline waters, a chemical reaction occurred, causing the
precipitation of solid calcium carbonate into tall spires. Once the lake’s
shoreline receded, the iconic Mono Lake tufa towers were revealed
and remain popular attractions today. (Note of Mono Lake from travel
website}
Map of Mono Lake.
Earliest recorded settlers are Indian natives displayed at the Visitor Centre
Mono Basin
Scenic Area
Tufas around and inside Mono Lakes
Vegetation around Mono Lake.
Birds
Mono Lake South Tufa Area
More tufa in the Lake
Vegetation in this area
We drove to June Lake in the dark, happy to spend more time enjoying this awesome Mono Lake. Earlier, we had book Whispering Pines Motel.
Driving Map
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