(last edited 10/20/12 @5pm)
First night at Bug Hostel was a sleepless night as expected. Trouble falling asleep at new place and bed was nothing new to me. I was tossing and turning for the whole night from the moment I laid in my bunk bad. I even woke up couple times during the night to check my email and update my blog.
@4am…think I only slept 2 hrs for the night which is normal for me at a new place and not my own bed. I am gonna need a lot of coffee for the day.
I finally decided to get up at 7 a.m. and get dressed. Soon after I woke up, others followed too. I guess I was not the only one had trouble sleeping at the new place with the exception of the guys because I could hear them soaring all night long.
At 7:30am, I went to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich(avocado and turkey) and a cup of coffee. Cheryl came in soon after me and busted out a full size coffee maker(vs me with just a pack of 3 in 1 instant of coffee in hand) to get their coffee fix. Meanwhile, Ebie was in the dinning room making some killer sandwich(fully loaded with cheeses, ham, sliced tomato…etc) for herself and Cheryl.
After a quick breakfast, we left the hostel around 8am and kick started our fun photography journey in Yosemite National Park. Our first destination was Mono Lake, 96 miles away from our hostel and estimated 2 hours of drive.
The weather was pretty bad that day. Snowed the night before(4ft of snow)at higher elevation along the 120 hwy. Really foggy and wet the entire day with low visibility(~8ft). Temperature was in the 40s. It took us an hour just to get to the park entrance. Above picture was taken with my phone and time stamped at 8:57am.
We were lucky to photograph the 1st snow in Yosemite. Above photo was taken on Oct 12, 2012 at Ellery Lake on Tioga rd(120 hwy).
@Tioga Pass overlooking Mt. Dana
We arrived at Mono Lake visitor center around 11:30am and spent around 20mins there for photograph.
View of the Lake from Visitor Center.
At 12pm, we arrived at Mono Lake South Tufa State Natural Reserve and spent the next hour and half photographing the area.
Photograph taken at South Tufa looking toward the Sierra Nevada after the 1st storm in Fall.
About Mono Lake
Nestled at the edge of the arid Great Basin and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains in California, Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and supports a unique and productive ecosystem. The lake has no fish; instead it is home to trillions of brine shrimp and alkali flies. Freshwater streams feed Mono Lake, supporting lush riparian forests of cottonwood and willow along their banks. Along the lakeshore, scenic limestone formations known as tufa towers rise from the water’s surface. Millions of migratory birds visit the lake each year.
From 1941 until 1990, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) diverted excessive amounts of water from Mono Basin streams. Mono Lake dropped 45 vertical feet, lost half its volume, and doubled in salinity.
The Mono Lake Committee, founded in 1978, led the fight to save the lake with cooperative solutions. We continue our protection, restoration, and education efforts today with the support of 16,000 members –and we host this Website.
In 1994, after over a decade of litigation, the California State Water Resources Control Board ordered DWP to allow Mono Lake to rise to a healthy level of 6,392 feet above sea level–twenty feet above its historic low. It is rising toward that goal — click here for the current lake level, or visit one of the other links on this page for more of the Mono Lake story.
More picture @ http://www.jhdesignandphoto.com/yosemite-national-park/
