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Tioga Pass

Toga Pass Route (click to enlarge)

Tioga Pass Route (click to enlarge)

We started the day with intentions of going to Mono Lake, a very alkaline, moon-like lake about 65 miles up the road from Bishop.

Then it started raining. In fact for the past week the area around the lake has been hit with some record rains and flooding.

So, we needed a Plan B . . .

First stop — Lunch at the Whoa Nellie Deli where I had a pizza slice and Jan had a Fish-Mango Taco . . .

Second stop — a bookstore in Lee Vining near Mono Lake . . .

Mono Lake Bookstore

Mono Lake Bookstore

The couple running the bookstore was really helpful. It turned out that they spend their summers working at interesting places around the country.

We bought a couple of maps and drove off to our Plan B destination — Tioga Pass — about 12 miles outside of Lee Vining up Highway 120.

Our Plan B destination turned out to have the most sublime scenery we have ever experienced.

What added to all of this was the fact that Tioga Pass had been closed the day before because of 5 inches of snow. On our trip up Highway 120 towards the pass, there was fresh, slushy snow everywhere. It was great.

Some photos from our trip . . .

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PANORAMAS (click on a photo to enlarge)

MOVIE

3 Comments Post a comment
  1. emhuze609's avatar
    emhuze609 #

    Tom & Jan, am certainly enjoying your excursions. You do such a great job documenting them. Love the maps.. I’m a big fan of maps! The photos are exquisite.. really like it when you let us play with the ‘click on it to expand’.. very cool stuff. Then you go an spoil us with video to boot.. Very much appreciate your trips. Keep ‘em coming. Thanks a bunch! Mary

    July 10, 2015
  2. khughes14@wi.rr.com's avatar
    khughes14@wi.rr.com #

    Wow! That’s some beautiful scenery. Now if the rain will move to Southern California, that would solve some of the drought problem. By the way, that taco looks pretty exotic. Kath

    July 11, 2015
  3. Barbara Hughes's avatar
    Barbara Hughes #

    like your pictures and narrative; everything looks so big. Thanks for showing!

    July 12, 2015

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