[CKF Info] Trip Report: Mono Lake

[Mike Brown]

After spending two nights at Benton Hot Springs just north east of Bishop
Ines and I arrived at Mono Lake via the scenic route of Highway 120 and the
visitor center at about 10 a.m.  We were advised that the wind forecasts
were unpredictable for the next few days and to paddle with care keeping
close to the shoreline.  Since the winds were relatively calm at about 10-12
kts we drove to the old Boat Launch and offloaded our boats and prepared to
launch.  In that short time the winds had picked up to about 15 kts with
some wind waves picking up.  The North tufas were close and, if things got
worse, we could land at the beach and walk back to our car and drive over to
the boats and load there.  

I was surprised at the how murky the water was compared to other Alpine
Lakes we had been in.  Rocks, or tufas, that appeared to be 3-4' underwater
where in reality just under the surface and presented a definite hazard; My
bright orange paddle blade disappeared under the surface!  By the time we
reached the tufas the wind had calmed down and we were able to thread our
way into to the pools and around the rocky structures startling the nesting
Canadian geese who where surprised to see two brightly colored kayaks coming
into their space.  

The scenery was spectacular with the snow covered Eastern Sierras as a back
drop to the whitish tufas and blue water.  There were thousands of gulls
nesting on some of the flatter tufas and osprey nests on one of the taller
rocky outcrops.  

By this time the winds had sporadically returned with an increase in
velocity after each lull.  We headed back to the launch site but the warm
air and, now calm water, was too good to pass up and we ventured past to the
delta formed by Leevining Creek.  Now the South Tufas, the larger ones,
appeared relatively close so off we went.  The winds were picking up a
little with stronger gusts and shorter lulls.  The distance seemed to shrink
rapidly as we approached and began threading our way through the
outcroppings trying not to disturb the nesting herons and ospreys in their
nests along the way.  At Navy Beach we turned and headed back to our launch
site.  

Just as we landed the winds really began with 2-3' wind waves and white
caps.  The winds continued as we changed into our clothes and loaded our
boats on edge on top of the car.  We wanted to load the boats and then take
a photo with one of the spray skirts flying in the breeze but, as nature
does, after loading the winds died!

FYI, the Mono Lake Committee sponsors a NOAA weather channel which I
discovered by accident after landing.  The forecast was for winds increasing
over the next 24 hours from 20-25 mph with 35 mph gusts to 25-35 mph winds
with 55 mph gusts. 

We were on the water for about 3.5 hours and distance traveled about 16-18
statute miles according to our computerized topo map and Google Earth.  It
didn't seem that far and the paddling was easy.  

The afternoon being young we visited the ghost town at Bodie.  There is a
mostly paved 270 off of 395 but the scenic view is best up Cottonwood Canyon
off the 167 at the northern rim of Mono Lake.   

Just east of the intersection of the 120 and 395 is a good dirt road to the
youngest of the Mono Craters-the Panum.  At 8 o'clock Monday morning the
winds were already getting fierce as we climbed to the crater plug and the
huge outcroppings of obsidian giving us a great view of the lake below and
valley south.  

Our trip home from there was good except for the winds which actually raised
enough dust that we lost sight of beautiful snow covered mountains behind
us.  

 

 

 

Mike Brown 


Life is not meant to be a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty
and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out,

 or parts replaced and loudly proclaiming -

WOW- WHAT A RIDE!!

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.ckf.org/pipermail/info/attachments/20080515/4adfdaba/attachment.html