We spent a day in Bodie, California, a silver-mining ghost town in the middle of the high desert in northern California off Hwy. 395. It’s a photographer’s paradise, a state park, and a place with a very interesting history. The dry air keeps it preserved – as preserved as it can be – and the drive out is lonely.
This is a telescopic shot from the shore of Parker Lake in the Eastern Sierra. Taken in mid-August, the ice and snow is still visible from the winter before. We were up around 9000 feet (guestimate), but the snow field and waterfall are certainly far higher than that.
We spent the last week up in the area of Mammoth Lakes, located on the eastern slope of the Sierras, up Highway 395. Can you believe I have never been up that road?!?
We hiked and ate and took pictures and saw the sites. The weather was superb. We had to adjust from living at 800 feet above sea level to going up to 8000 feet and higher – shortness of breath (SOB!), dry eyes and nose, and so on. We got comfortable at 8000, but moving up, like in walking uphill, became a challenge at times, so we would rest and then continue. This gave for a lot of wonderful opportunities to look around, take in a breath of sage and pine, and snap away.
This view of Mono Lake is from the Parker Lake Trail, and is created from a montage of about 8 images. Click on the image for a bigger version.
These weeds – oat grass? – are typical grasses in open areas of southern California. The seed heads are sharp and stick into your socks and shoes and work their way in. Pity the poor dog who doesn’t get these removed . . . Mother Nature’s way to ensure a new generation is propagated someplace!
While this is a pretty bleak looking landscape, it also shows you how the heat of summer dries the winter grasses. One match, and whoosh! Too many fires already in California.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 