- Hike to the dried up Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park
- Continue on Tioga Pass Road towards the east park exit
- View from Olmsted Point
- Photographing bizarre tufa formations at Mono Lake at sunset
Our last day in Yosemite National Park is already coming up. The nights are now getting colder and colder and we are happy to find shelter again in the common room of the Curry Camp. Here in the warm you can have a leisurely breakfast. Then we put on our hiking boots and march off in the direction Mirror Lake. Unfortunately this one too has dried up and only a large basin full of sand is left. In spring, the valley is reflected here so wonderfully, but the splendor of the trees is a little compensation.
Then we leave central Yosemite Valley and ride on the Tioga Pass Road to the east. The road leads up to the sparsely wooded high plateau. The landscape's glacial origin can be clearly seen. The rocks are smoothly polished, there are boulders scattered around, and ancient conifers, marked by wind and weather, grow. At Olmsted Point we enjoy the grandiose view of the back of Half Dome. The infrastructure along the road is already "closed for season".
After crossing the Tioga Pass it goes over 1000 meters downhill. Eventually we will get there Mono Lake Area. Here we want to see the bizarre limestone formations in the last sunlight of the day South Tufa Area see who made the lake famous. Mono Lake is a soda lake, so it is both particularly alkaline and salty. This in turn only enables specially adapted organisms to survive. The tufa formations were only exposed when the sea level dropped dramatically. Responsible for this is the pipeline, which supplies the region in far-away Los Angeles with the coveted drinking water. The discharge has been restricted for a number of years and the level is slowly recovering as a result.
We really have the best time of the day. The sun just disappeared behind the mountains when we arrived, but it is changing color Evening sky almost cheesy pink. The tufas reflecting in the lake form a picture unique photo subject. Then we find in the small nest Lee Vining a motel for the night and have a delicious meal in the neighboring dinner.
