10/06/2022
I know its been a while since I traveled and posted anything. So here you go.
Mono Lake Basin CA
This is located just on the other side of Yosemite National Park. Mono Lake is located near Lee Vining, CA if tour looking for something out of the ordinary and otherworldly then head over to Mono Lake. This salt water lake has more salt than the oceans and has no outlet so the high salinity makes the water super akaline. You can float weightlessly in the water. You can swim in it but it is said not to do so for long periods of time. The lake was formed over 700,000 years ago. The Tufas which Mono Lake is also famous for. These Tufas formed from Calcium that is created by a chemical reaction from fresh water springs underground mixing with carbonates in the akaline water of the lake. Some Tufas are over 12ft tall due to the current receding water levels.
The lake is about 13 miles long, 8 miles wide and covers about 65 square miles. It is home to many types of birds, brine shrimp and other animals. There are measures to help save and protect Mono lake due to past water diversions making the lake drop in water level 45ft in 40 years and making the salinity rise even more. Groups of conservationists are working to restore many creeks and water ways, as well as the wildlife many water fowl suffered from the lake's decline.
Mono Lake is an amazing place to visit and worth a day's visit or even a few days to explore and enjoy the wonders it offers. Just a quick heads-up the small town of Lee Vining is very small but has some nice places to eat and stay. Friendly people all around. And definitely stop by their ice cream stop. They have some really good soft serve cones.
