Winter Photo-adventures at Mono Lake

A day's discoveries along an inland sea

 

The winter of 2018 has not seen near the amount of snow as in 2017.  After a moist cold front moved through the region in early March, I was eager to venture out to eastern California and the High Sierra community, 6,383’ (1,946 m)  around Mono Lake.  

 I took a dirt road that might get me a better view of the lake and I was hoping not to get stuck in the icy mud.  I was slightly disappointed with the lack of snow on the ground but the mountains were looking very picturesque against the nice blue sky.   

Eventually the road-side opened for a nice view of the mountains to the south--the gateway to Mammoth Mountain and June Lake.  

With this type of winter lighting and the snow covered mountains Mono Lake looked almost like it was frozen. 

In the far distant to the south, trails lined with snow stood out, what great skiing on that fresh powder. 

The view across the north side of this inland sea leaves me with a very surrealistic feeling.  Mono Lake is twice as salty as the ocean.  

The docile appearing Mono Dome all covered in snow hardly gives any hint of this area’s volcanic past. 

Snow blankets much of the salty shoreline at this ancient lake and the Black Point basaltic cone

stands out across the blue water.  Black Point was formed over 13,000 years ago.  

By late afternoon the sky grows darker and colors become more saturated.  The black shape of volcanic Pahoa Island, formed just 300 years ago, begins to reflect in the calm portion of the water.  Unworldly “Tufa Towers” calcium-carbonate spires, accent the lake’s foreground. 

Time has come to begin my departure and travel back over Nevada’s 7,638 feet (2,328 meters) Anchorite Pass before ice starts to form on the road.    

No matter what the season photo-exploring around the Mono Lake area always offers the most awesome views.  Winter does seem to be my favorite time when the snow covers the high Sierra and accents the rugged terrain.  

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald.

For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

Lundy Lake an Autumn Retreat

 Mountains, a clear lake with an iconic tree and sunny aspens!

What better way to spend a warm autumn day than at a quiet lake near the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains?  Lundy Lake was my photo destination for this Indian summer day.  The 7858 feet (2395 m) elevation lake is located in Mono County near Lee Vinning California.

I was hoping to catch some color changes in the aspens up in the higher elevations but this autumn of 2017 the weather has been so mild for the central areas of California and Nevada. 

Arriving at the 100-acre lake, I was excited to see that the trees were accented in various hues of color.

Lundy Lake which was formerly know as Mill Creek lies in Lundy Canyon near the towering edges of Yosemite National Park.

With its clear water, the lake is a popular spot for trout fishing. 

Rather not go fishing, then how about a picnic by the calm water in shade of a tree surrounded by the serenity of nature? 

The trunk of a bare cottonwood tree stands in the shallow water near the shore and has become a symbolic icon to the natural beauty of Lundy Lake. 

 

Driving on past the lake and the dirt road is lined with aspens, some are still green and many are turning brilliant shades of yellow. 

Further along, the serenity of autumn envelopes the scene as the colorful aspens shroud the landscape. 

As daylight winds down shadows grown long, time has come to make my departure from this autumn retreat.  

What an inspiring photo-adventure this trip has been.  Standing on the shore and looking across the deep blue water of this pristine lake, I am alone in the moment feeling the solitude of nature.  There’s just something about the season of autumn that stirs my soul but brings such a feeling of peacefulness too.  

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level. 

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Eastern Sierras in an El Niño Winter

Glacier carved lake, Volcano Domes and Snow covered landscapes

With an El Niño winter bearing down on the Pacific Northwest, the days to go out photo-exploring are determined most often by road conditions.  It is much wiser to wait out the storm in the comfort of one's home than to become stranded like the Donner Party.

Gauging the weather after a moderate snow storm in early February, I decided to venture toward the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains before warmer temperatures melted most of the snow.  Even in the higher elevations, it does not take much sunlight to raise the ground temperature and within a few hours the snow vanishes.

As I pass by an out-cropping of solidified lave flows, the remaining snow accents the graphic details in the rocks, creating pleasing artistic effects.

Mono Lake is calm on this winter day. Paoha Island, formed by an uplift of lake sediments with volcanic core, reflects to the east in the deep blue water.  A number of smaller Tufa Towers line the western shore.

Driving south after Lee Vinning and Mono Lake, the Mono Craters stand out in the eastern horizon.  The volcanic chain of craters, domes and lava flows stretches 25 miles from the northwest shore of Mono Lake to the south of Mammoth Mountain.  The Explosive eruptions began over 50,000 years ago, with the most recent just 600 years old.

Continuing on and nestled against the steep eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada's is the subalpine valley of June Lake.  At an elevation of 7654 feet. (2333 m), and formed by glacier action, June Lake has been dubbed the Swiss Alps of the Sierras.

By mid-day the shadows grow long and it is time to turn back.  There are so many more natural wonders to explore and I can hardly wait for my return trip.  When the dirt roads dry and there is not as much danger of getting stuck in the deep snow, I hope to continue this photo-adventure to Mono's Panum Crater and hike the trail to the summit.  Follow my blog and check back often to see where my next photo-adventure will take me.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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El Nino Winter at the Sierra Nevadas

Frozen Lakes, Snow-flocked Pines and Tufa Towers

With the first storms of 2016 El Nino winter, I was interested to see how much snowpack there was on the Eastern Sierra Nevadas since January of 2014.  I tried to schedule my photo-adventure between storms since my travels took me over the Anchorite Pass and an elevation of 8379 feet.  Leaving early on a sunny but cold Friday, I was relieved that the road from Hawthorne, Nevada to Lee Vinning, California was dry with only a few icy spots. 

Towering above the town of Lee Vinning, the snow covered High Sierras stand out against the deep blue western sky with clouds forming from the warming sun. 

Standing tall on the horizon, Eagle Peak is the highest point on the Buckeye Ridge with an elevation of 11845 feet (3610 m), located just southwest of Bridgeport, California.  

To the south and just before the quaint town of Lee Vinning, winter accents the shores of Mono Lake.  The dark area on the background to the right is Paoha Island, a volcanic island formed by lakebed sediments deposited above volcanic domes. 

Mono Lake's Tufa Towers, unusual limestone formations that result from a chemical reaction when calcium in underwater springs mixes with carbonates in the lake water.  Some of the Tufa Towers may grow to a height of 30 feet (9.144m).  

 Aspens still showing leaves with fall colors line the beginning of Tioga Pass.  This scenic drive through the eastern entry point of Yosemite Park is closed during the snow season due to the high elevation, "S" curves and sheer drop-offs.   

Just ahead, Mt. Gibbs and the parent peak, Mt. Dana dominate the afternoon sky with a majestic preview of the eastern part of Yosemite.  Mt. Dana's active glacier, the Dana Glacier that flows near the mountain's top at 13,053 feet (3978.55 m) is hardly visible with the snow cover and afternoon shade.

Rugged terrain and steep chutes make for some of the wildest ski descents in the Sierra.  

As the afternoon approaches, I make a last detour over to Lundy Lake.  At 7858 feet (2395 m) elevation, Lundy Lake is the gateway to the Hoover Wilderness Area in the High Sierras.  

Today the popular fishing lake with 2.4 miles of shoreline and 100 surface acres lies covered with snow. The rainbow, brown, and brook trout will be there for another trip  

Driving back along the Lundy Lake road the snow flocked pines create a picturesque view.  What a memorable ending to a day of winter photo-exploring.  Follow my blog and check back often to see where my next adventure begins.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Haunted Legends for Halloween Night

Join me if you dare, the spirits are waiting!

 Halloween has always been my favorite time of the year and not just for the sweet candy treats but because it was fun to dress in costume and get all scared going door to door.  I remember my mom decorating our house and later that night, reading scary stories like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Maybe that is the reason that I am drawn to haunted houses, ghost towns, and spooky legends.

 For this Halloween, I have decided to give a tour of some of the spookiest places that I have been photo-exploring with my camera.

Speaking of spooky places, I will begin my tour with Spooky Rock, a very unusual rock outcropping in Mineral County, Nevada.  Located in Garfield Flats, the area was prone to much volcanism. Even in the bright sunlight the grimacing faces on these rock formations make the hair on my neck stand at attention. As the sun drops down and one cloud to the left appears as a hand beckoning, it really begins to get me in a spooky mood.

A brick arch stands out in the desert of Central Nevada and is about all that is left of the Delamar mining town.  Once a town of 1,500 residents with an Opera House, hospital, churches and numerous saloons, Delamar soon became known as "The Widow Maker" due to the dust from mining that contained glass like particles. It caused an incurable disease of the lungs--Silicosis.  The hazardous dust not only brought premature deaths to the miners but also to anyone living in Delamar.  I will never forget that smell of rose perfume that greeted me as I wandered around this ghost town.

  

Spring Mountain State Park is an oasis and peaceful retreat from the hustle of Las Vegas.  However, I have heard some pretty scary tails from the rangers who worked there after dark in the winter months.  Windows rattling, doors creaking, footsteps on the wooden floor!  Some have even seen Vera Krupp wearing her 33.19-carat Asscher cut diamond as she wanders from room to room.  After a settlement from Alfried Krupp,  Vera purchased the 500 acres west of Las Vegas and enjoyed a life of cattle ranching and country living.  

Bodie State Park, California was once a thriving mining town turning out millions in gold bullion.  As I peek through the dusty window of the undertaker's parlor, I am reminded of all the mining accidents and a harsh winter that brought the demise to hundreds of residents.  Today the ghost town is protected from vandals or looters by the spirits that call Bodie their home.  Anyone foolish enough to remove even a pebble will suffer the "Curse of Bodie".

Founded in 1902, Goldfield, Nevada grew to a population of 30,000 and produced $11 million in gold.  Know for its longest bar of all mining towns, it took a staff of 80 to serve all the libations.  A stove exploded in a millinery shop and burned two blocks before the wind shifted and saved the town from destruction.  Today, Goldfield is mostly deserted as it sits quietly on Interstate 95.  After sundown you might just catch a glimpse of ole Virgil as he heads down to join with the other spirits.

Driving through the back roads of Lyon County, you cross the rail road tracks at Wabuska, "The Shadow Town" of Nevada.  The town saw a boom in 1881 when the Carson & Colorado Railroad station was opened.  There was a general store, hotel and hot meals for hungry rail workers.  Over time, the town started its decline and all that was left was a bar and a few rooms for the weary.  You can stop for a cold one on a dark night, but you must be pretty brave to enter that outhouse all covered in vines! 

Some houses aren't the source of legends to be scary; they just look that way from wear and tear of time.  This house caught my attention and made me stop for a closer look but I declined the invitation to go inside. 

Other houses stand as a reminder of what life used to be.  The mining boom in the surrounding areas of Aurora and Bodie depleted the forests of pinyon pine which was used for lumber and firewood.  A house near Lee Vinning, California void of any trees except for a stump is a reminder of those days.  The house stands abandoned but the spirits  linger, drawing me to come inside.

  

Pioche Nevada in 1860's was the scariest town in the west, meaner than Tombstone and badder than Dodge City. Pioche was a mining camp with dozens of saloons and brothels.  Seventy-two people were killed before the first natural death occurred.   No wonder this is still called the "Hanging Tree" and to me is the scariest of all the places that I've been spooked to visit.

   

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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