MONO

After the Watkins Ridge hike, we headed over Tioga Pass and out of Yosemite. We drove through the small community of Lee Vining and around the north side of massive Mono Lake. We drove a long dirt road until it ended below and East of Black Point. We car camped there, pitching the tent in a flat spot just beyond the end of the road. I think it was a legal place to camp, but I’m not certain. It wasn’t a particularly nice place to camp. There are no facilities, hammocking is impossible, and tent sites are limited. After dark we were harassed by moths and other non-biting insects. Mayflies, maybe? They didn’t bite, but they certainly enjoyed getting in our faces. On the other hand, it was free, and it offered a nice view of Mono Lake. Sunset was a bit of a dud, unfortunately.

Around dusk a small RV pulled in nearby. I thought they were going to camp there, but after about 30 minutes they left. We probably scared them off, but it was nice having the whole place to ourselves.

The next day was my birthday. I got up at first light and let Christy sleep in. My goal for the morning was a short off-trail hike to a maze of slot canyons on the mesa above. Known as the Black Point Fissures, I found out about them by chance from a friend on Facebook while I was planning our trip. It’s a short hike, but Christy wasn’t real interested in the required bushwhacking. So doing it first thing in the morning made a lot of sense.

There are many beaten paths leading from the parking area. I generally followed the path of least resistance, heading up. My return route was better, with fewer scraggly bushes. It brought me down closer to the lake farther south. After a fairly short but steep climb, I angled southwest to bypass the summit of Black Point. I worked my way out towards the end of the mesa and reached the top of the first fissure. There are a bunch of slot canyons here, though all of them are short and some of them are either inaccessible or impassable. I scrambled through several though, and got myself a little lost before eventually ending up back where I started. It was a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Afterwards I hiked directly back down. Christy had already packed up and had a breakfast plan. Rather than trying to cook and eat in the parking area, we decided to hit the Latte Da Cafe in Lee Vining. It was a cute place with good breakfast sandwiches and great coffee.

After eating we stopped at the Mono Lake Visitor Center to pick up our permit for the backpacking trip we would be starting the next day. From there, we headed over to Mono Lake. First, we did a short hike around the Panum Crater. It is one of several volcanic craters near Mono Lake. The trail makes a loop around the crater, offering up views of Mono Lake and the surrounding mountains. We did part of the loop before returning to the car.

Next, we stopped at Navy Beach on Mono Lake for a swim. This seemed like a great idea at the time. In fact, I was hoping it would provide an adequate substitute for showers. Mono Lake is at a much lower elevation than the alpine lakes in Yosemite, so the water would be warmer. What we didn’t realize is that the water is gross. It’s slimy, due to the minerals in the water and its extreme salinity. We weren’t in that lake for long. After my hair dried it was stiff – brittle, even. My bathing suit was like cardboard. Christy didn’t have to work very hard to talk me into a shower.

We drove up through Mammoth Lakes and on to Twin Lakes. We stopped at the campground there. The campground was full – in fact, the whole area was a zoo – but we were able to buy showers. While we were there, I asked the guy working the counter for camping suggestions. It was a very busy area, and I was worried about finding a site. He suggested we try the campgrounds in the Rock Creek Valley near Toms Place, farther south.

We had a late lunch in Mammoth Lakes and got groceries before heading that way. There are several campgrounds in the Rock Creek valley. We stopped at the first, French Camp, and found several available sites. One was really nice, and ideal for hammocks. We booked it for one night, and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing there.

That evening we went looking for hot springs. Owens Valley is loaded with them. The majority are concentrated south of Mono Lake and east of Mammoth Lakes. First we stopped at the Hot Creek Geological Site. That area features some (very) hot springs along Hot Creek. Soaking in them is prohibited, due to the excessive temperatures. That rule didn’t entirely stop one group. After hopping a fence, one guy approached a steaming pool and dipped his hand in the water. He recoiled, shaking his hand and cursing. I’ll admit it – that gave me a pretty good laugh.

From there we drove to the area between the Mammoth Airport and the Owens River. There is a large concentration of hot springs there. We stopped at Pulky’s Pool first, but it looked really crowded. I wanted to check out the Crab Cooker, but it is down a rough road, and I wasn’t sure if the rental car would make it there. Instead, we headed over to Crowley Hot Springs (Wild Willy’s). There is a large parking area here, and there were quite a few cars. We did the short hike in, and found a series of pools connected by a steaming creek. We picked one pool that was less crowded. It was the hottest one, and had scared most of the people away. I thought it was perfect, and we settled in to enjoy it. Christy and I had a couple of beers there, and hung out with some pretty cool people. Later, we were treated to a lovely sunset. Afterwards, we returned to camp for a late dinner. That evening was the perfect ending to my birthday.

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