Tioga Pass

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 . . .

Whoa Nellie Deli

Fish-Mango Taco

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

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

Lake Sabrina

Lake Sabrina Route (click on map to enlarge)

On Friday afternoon, we drove up to Lake Sabrina. The lake is at the end of Highway 168, about 19 miles from Bishop.

Our Jeep was straining during parts of the trip when the elevation went up rapidly, but during the summer the great part about high elevations is the drop in temperature.

Back in Bishop (4,150 ft elevation) the temp was in the mid-90s, but at Lake Sabrina (9,128 ft elevation) it was in the mid-70s.

The first thing you notice about Lake Sabrina is how low the water level is. Jan and I guessed it was at least 25 feet down.

We plan to come back and try some of the hiking trails.

Photos from our trip . . .

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PANORAMAS

Structure on the Left is a Dam (click on photo to enlarge)

View from the Dam (click on photo to enlarge)

MOUNTAIN STREAM

On a Roll

Since there’s not much grass in the dessert, Ellie is making the most of our campground lawn . . .

The Silver Miner in Site #60

I guess this is #2 in my “The People You Meet” series . . .

The Georgian (US, not Soviet) in Site #60 owns and operates several mines, a few of which are in this area. He camps here for a month at a time and works his local silver mine.

He showed me ore samples from 4 of his mines — 2 silver and 2 gold. In the photo below, he said that the ore on the lower left produced 2,000 ounces of silver per ton while the ore on the upper left produces over 6,000.

The two samples on the left are from gold mines.

There’s Silver In Them There Hills

It just looked like colored rocks to me, but I’m not in the business.

Anyway, he said some folks from Beverly Hills are interested in buying one of his silver mines.

He also said he locates sunken treasure and was planning a trip to England to check out a site.

Who knows?

Manzanar

Jan and I spent Saturday morning at Manzanar. Here is what we saw . . .

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For further information . . . www.densho.org.