Mono Lake and Yosemite National Park
Trip Start
May 04, 2007
1
8
Trip End
Ongoing
Yosemite National Park, California
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
After a long, 2-day drive through desolate Nevada, we reached the Welcome to California sign! Soon after, we pitched our tent in Lee Irving, the gateway to Yosemite and then toured Mono Lake. Mono Lake is known in environmental circles because the City of LA tried to purchase land and water rights to the lake for municipal use (that what happens when a large city is built on the desert!! LA is known for its 'water grabbing'). The CA Supreme Court held that LA had to reduce its consumption of the water and restore Mono Lake to previous levels. Some of the pictures we took of the lake's deposits may not be visible in 10 years, as the lake slowly rises back to its normal level.
The next morning, we drive through the alpine pass into Yosemite National Park.
We also hiked Yosemite's Upper Falls. The hike was strenuous and worth every switchback. At the top we took our time viewing all of the vistas of the valley. We were pleasantly exhausted after it all.
