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Eastern Sierra

150 images Created 16 May 2011

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  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.
    South Tufa, Mono Lake
  • Sky Rock Petroglyphs, a secret slab, one of the few facing the heavens, is believed to be Paiute in origin.  Owens Valley, Eastern Sierra, California.
    Sky Rock Petroglyphs
  • Indian Paintbrush and Sulphur Buckwheat adorn the north shore of Mono Lake in California's Eastern Sierra.
    Wildflowers and Mono Lake
  • A double rainbow appears after a summer thunderstorm over Mono Lake.
    Mono, After the Storm.
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.<br />
<br />
This image shows South Tufa beneath moonlight.
    Tufa and Casseopia
  • When the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power bought much of the land in the Owens Valley in Mono Basin, one family refused to sell. Their house still stands, perhaps as a proud testimony to the independent American spirit.
    Beneath Autumn Skies, an Abandoned H..rnia
  • The Lee Vining Tigers take on the Round Mountain Knights at Lee Vining High School with Mono Lake as a backdrop on September3, 2011. Round Mountain won 50-8.
    Lee Vining vs. Round Mountain at Mon..Lake
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.<br />
<br />
Sand Tufa is formed in more sandy regions of the lake near the shore. When the lake level dropped these tufa were exposed to the elements, the wind blew away the remaining sand, leaving these unique formations behind.
    Sand Tufa, Mono Lake
  • A Dappled Red Sky, Mono Lake
    A Dappled Red sky, Mono Lake
  • The June Full Moon rises over South Tufa at Mono Lake.
    Moon Rise over South Tufa, Mono Lake
  • Summers in the Mono Basin are generally idyllic, with clear skies and sunny days. When the occasional storm rolls in the mood of Mono changes and becomes almost instantly dangerous, the winds whipping up the alkaline waters.
    Mono in Storm
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.  In this photo tufa towers stand beneath Cassiopeia and the starry sky.
    South Tufa Beneath the Stars
  • Evening light reflects off a small tarn near the eastern end of Mono Lake's Navy Beach.
    Settling Storm, Mono Lake
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.  <br />
<br />
In this photo tufa towers can be seen above and beneath the lakes surface. Those beneath the surface are growing once again as they exposed to the high carbonate water.
    Tufa Submerged
  • A storm dropping snow on the distant Eastern Sierra and over Mono Lake descends on a late spring day.
    The Coming of Snow
  • Mono Lake is home to the second largest gull rookery for California Gulls in North America. Here the gulls are safe from land based predators. By early May they have scratched out a spot for the nest and lay black specked eggs. They feast on Mono Lake's brine shrimp and alkali flies and stay through Fall, when they head back across the Sierra to the California coast.
    California Gull, Mono Lake
  • Nesting Season, Mono Lake
  • Bands of rain move over Mono Lake as seen from Warren Bench in the Eastern Sierra.
    Distant Rains, Mono Lake
  • An Osprey brings a fish to a nest on Mono Lake. Osprey's mainly hunt fish but due to Mono Lake's alkalinity it contains no fish, yet they are safely protected from predator's by nesting on the exposed tufa towers. The Osprey's make a 6-25 mile round trip to catch their prey.
    Bringing Fish to the Nest
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.  <br />
<br />
In this photo, tufa towers exposed on now-dry land stand beneath summer's sky of fire.
    Tufa and Fire Sky
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.<br />
<br />
In this photo, a tufa tower that was once exposed has been recovered by the rising waters of Mono Lake. It has begun to grow once again, an encouraging symbol of the healing of Mono Lake.
    Tufa Regeneration, Mono Lake
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.<br />
<br />
In this photo, tufa towers stand beneath a cloudy sky as the full moon rises in the distance.
    Tufa Towers and Full Moon Beneath a .. Sky
  • Squirrel Tail Grasses, which grow along the shores of Mono Lake, reflect against the Vermillion Sky
    Vermillion Squirrel Tail Grasses Alo..Lake
  • The Phalarope is a migratory bird that visits Mono Lake each summer in great numbers. During its approximate six weeks at Mono Lake it completely molts its feathers and doubles its body weight. The Phalarope then begins its migratory journey towards the antiplano in northern Chile, Bolivia and Argentina where they spend time in other salt lakes.  <br />
<br />
The phalarope will often swim in tight, small circles, creating a vortex from which they can pick out the lake's brine shrimp.
    Phalaropes Take to Flight, Mono Lake
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.<br />
<br />
In this image, tufa towers on Mono Lake lie beneath the stars as they appear to rotate around the North Star.
    Tufa of Mono Lake Beneath the Star Wheel
  • Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed when calcium-rich spring water mixes with the carbonate-rich Mono Lake water and precipitates around the spring. The towers grow underneath the waters surface. These towers were exposed when the city of Los Angeles diverted four of the five streams flowing into Mono Lake.  Deprived of its freshwater sources, the lake volume dropped by half, exposing nesting colonies of gulls to predation and again doubling the lakes salinity. The entire eco-system began to collapse. In response David Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee, a citizens group that was formed to reverse this trend and save the lake. In 1994 the California Supreme Court mandated that the lake should rise to a level of 6,392 feet, which will partially restore the ecosystem and migratory bird habitat.<br />
<br />
In this photograph, tufa towers are seen at dawn.
    Tufa Towers, Mono Lake
  • Mono Lake is one of earth's most unique lakes. Resting within the Mono Basin, Mono Lake is home to millions of migratory birds, which feed on the lakes abundant brine shrimp and alkali flies. Mono Lake is 13 x 9 miles wide, making it the equivalent of the city of San Francisco. Tufa towers grow beneath the lake's surface wherever calcium rich spring water mixes with the carbonates of Mono Lake. <br />
<br />
This photo is a minimalist perspective of Mono Lake.
    Mono Lake, A Minimalist View
  • Mono Lake is one of earth's most unique lakes. Resting within the Mono Basin, Mono Lake is home to millions of migratory birds, which feed on the lakes abundant brine shrimp and alkali flies. Tufa towers grow beneath the lake's surface wherever calcium rich spring water mixes with the carbonates of Mono Lake. <br />
<br />
In this image, Mono Lake reflects the auburn sky.
    Mono Lake Reflects the Auburn Sky
  • Evening light is reflected on the waters of Mono Lake from South Tufa
    Evening, South Tufa
  • An evening storm passes over Mono Lake, flashing a small rainbow
    Passing Storm, Mono Lake
  • Last light of the day catches the clouds above South Tufa, Mono Lake
    Evening Light, South Tufa
  • Gulls feast on some of the billions of brine shrimp which inhabit Mono Lake
    Gulls on Mono Lake
  • Mobias Arch in the Alabama Hills of the Eastern Sierra as seen at 12:32am on an early summer's night.
    Mobias Arch
  • Mobias Arch beneath the Milky Way 12:57am
    Mobias Arch beneath the Milky Way, 1..57am
  • Mobias Arch beneath the Milky Way, 1:58am
    Mobias Arch beneath the Milky Way, 1..58am
  • Mobias Arch and Late Light in the Alabama Foothills of the Eastern Sierra near Mt. Whitney
    Mobias Arch and Late Light
  • Mobias Arch, Evening
    Mobias Arch, Evening
  • Last Light, Mobias Arch
    Last Light, Mobias Arch
  • Mobias Arch beneath a falling moon and Scorpio on a night in June.
    Mobias Arch beneath a falling moon a..rpio
  • Mobias Arch and Mt. Whitney at Dawn
    Mobias Arch and Mt. Whitney at Dawn
  • Mobias Arch and Mt. Whitney, A Classic View
    Mobias Arch and Mt. Whitney, A Class..View
  • Mobias Arch at Sunrise
    Mobias Arch at Sunrise
  • Mt. Whitney and the Sierra Crest appear beneath an unnamed arch in the Alabama Foothills
    Mt. Whitney and the Sierra Crest app..ills
  • Intersection Rock, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park
    Joshua Tree Beneath the Rising Moon
  • The Bristlecone Pine trees are thought to be the oldest living organisms on earth, living to well over 4,000 years. Because the grow in dry soils and amidst cold winds they grow very slowly and the wood is extremely dense.
    Ancient Bristlecone Pine
  • The Bristlecone Pine trees are thought to be the oldest living organisms on earth, living to well over 4,000 years. Because the grow in dry soils and amidst cold winds they grow very slowly and the wood is extremely dense. Here bristlecones line a ridge along the White Mountains overlooking the Owens Valley.
    Bristlecones and White Mountains
  • The Bristlecone Pine trees are thought to be the oldest living organisms on earth, living to well over 4,000 years. Because the grow in dry soils and amidst cold winds they grow very slowly and the wood is extremely dense. The oldest trees began to grow during the time of the Egyptian Pyramids. They are old like Methuselah.
    Old, like Methuselah
  • The Bristlecone Pine trees are thought to be the oldest living organisms on earth, living to well over 4,000 years. Because the grow in dry soils and amidst cold winds they grow very slowly and the wood is extremely dense.  This image was made at dawn in the Patriarch Grove.
    First Light, Patriarch Grove
  • The Bristlecone Pine trees are thought to be the oldest living organisms on earth, living to well over 4,000 years. Because the grow in dry soils and amidst cold winds they grow very slowly and the wood is extremely dense.  This image was made at dawn in the Patriarch Grove.
    Dawn in the Patriarch Grove, White M..ains
  • The Bristlecone Pine trees are thought to be the oldest living organisms on earth, living to well over 4,000 years. Because the grow in dry soils and amidst cold winds they grow very slowly and the wood is extremely dense.  This image was made at dawn in the Patriarch Grove.
    Morning has broken, Patriarch Grove
  • The Bristlecone Pine is considered to be the oldest living organism on earth, reaching ages that exceed 4,000 years.  Here an ancient tree stands in the Shulman Grove in the Sierra's White Mountains.
    Ancient Bristlecone Pine
  • The Bristlecone Pine is considered to be the oldest living organism on earth, reaching ages that exceed 4,000 years.  Here an ancient tree stands in the Shulman Grove in the Sierra's White Mountains.
    Bristlecone Pine Beneath a Sierra Sky
  • Intersection Rock and Joshua Trees beneath the night sky.
    Joshua Trees and Stone
  • Hedgehog Cactus in bloom, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park
    Desert Flowers in Bloom, Joshua Tree
  • Joshua Trees, Hidden Valley
    Joshua Trees and Hidden Valley
  • Beavertail Cactus Blooms, Joshua Tree
    Beavertail Cactus Blooms, Joshua Tree
  • Desert Wildflowers, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park
    Desert Wildflower, Joshua Tree Nat'l..Park
  • Joshua Tree, Moon, Stone
    Joshua Tree, Moon, Stone
  • The Racetrack Playa is a scenic dry lake on the northwestern side of Death Valley. During periods of heavy rains water washes onto the playa creating a slick surface. Strong winds then blow the stones across the muddy surface leaving tracks behind. When the mud dries it leaves behind hexagonal shapes in the valley floor.
    Sliding Rock on Death Valley's Racet..laya
  • The Racetrack Playa is a scenic dry lake on the northwestern side of Death Valley. During periods of heavy rains water washes onto the playa creating a slick surface. Strong winds then blow the stones across the muddy surface leaving tracks behind. When the mud dries it leaves behind hexagonal shapes in the valley floor.  Here two stones were blown in various directions by changing winds.
    Mysterious sliding rocks blown in al..laya
  • Sky Rock Petroglyphs, a secret slab, one of the few facing the heavens, is believed to be Paiute in origin.  Owens Valley, Eastern Sierra, California.
    Petroglyphs Facing the Heavens
  • Sky Rock Petroglyphs, a secret slab, one of the few facing the heavens, is believed to be Paiute in origin.  Owens Valley, Eastern Sierra, California.
    Sky Rock Dawn
  • Sky Rock Petroglyphs, a secret slab, one of the few facing the heavens, is believed to be Paiute in origin.  Owens Valley, Eastern Sierra, California.
    Petroglyphs, Owens Valley
  • Sky Rock Petroglyphs, a secret slab, one of the few facing the heavens, is believed to be Paiute in origin.  Owens Valley, Eastern Sierra, California.
    Morning, Sky Rock
  • A heavy winter snowpack has melted beneath the Sierra sky and given way to streams dancing with runoff, creating an abundance of wildflowers. Here Lupine and Sulphur Buckwheat adorn a high pass in the Eastern Sierra.
    Lupine and Sulphur Buckwheat, Easter..erra
  • A heavy winter snowpack has melted beneath the Sierra sky and given way to streams dancing with runoff, creating an abundance of wildflowers. Here in late June lilies adorn the Conway Ranch in the Mono Basin
    Lilies, Conway Ranch, Mono Basin
  • A heavy winter snowpack has melted beneath the Sierra sky and given way to streams dancing with runoff, creating an abundance of wildflowers.  Here lupine, sulphur buckwheat, mules ears, and indian paintbrush adorn a field near Monitor Pass.
    Wildflowers, Monitor Pass, Eastern S..erra
  • A heavy winter snowpack has melted beneath the Sierra sky and given way to streams dancing with runoff, creating an abundance of wildflowers.  Here Mules Ears adorn Monitor Pass in the Eastern Sierra.
    Mules Ears, Monitor Pass
  • Sky Pilots adorn the summit of Mt. Dana in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
    Sky Pilots adorn the summit ridge of..rra.
  • A heavy winter snowpack has melted beneath the Sierra sky and given way to streams dancing with runoff, creating an abundance of wildflowers.  Here Indian Paintbrush and Lupine adorn Dana Meadows in Yosemite National Park.
    Indian Paintbrush and Lupine, Dana M..dows
  • A Lupine in Dana Meadows, Yosemite National Park.
    Lupine, Dana Meadows
  • Indian Paintbrush and Lupine adorn Dana Meadows in Yosemite National Park during a summer season in which there was heavy snow melt and flowers late into the season.
    Indian Paintbrush and Lupine, Dana M..dows
  • Mt. Wheeler receives a dusting of snow as fall arrives at Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada.
    Fall, Great Basin National Park
  • Cathedral Peak, Tuolumne
  • The old house on 395 near Lee Vining, California
    The 395 House
  • Abandoned old houses along highway 395 near Lee Vining, California
    Old houses on 395
  • Dawn, Death Valley
  • West Side Road in Death Valley, California
    West Side Road
  • Early Morning, Death Valley
  • Badwater
  • Alabama Hills
  • Orion, Taurus, Pleiades, Ruby Mountains
  • A storm rolls over Mono Lake
    Storm Over Mono
  • Exposed tufa formations which used to lie at the bottom of Mono Lake give a surreal quality to the landscape.
    South Tufa
  • Morning lights up rabbit brush and sage along the shores of Mono Lake as surreal tufa formations stand in the background
    Morning, South Tufa
  • A spring morning on Mono Lake after a fresh snowfall
    Spring Morning, Mono Lake
  • A rainbow over Mono Lake with tufa towers rising from the lake
    Rainbow, Mono Lake
  • Two Canada Geese float on the waters of Mono Lake
    Canada Geese, Mono Lake
  • A fresh snow fall covers the tufa formations and the rabbit brush and sage along the shores of Mono Lake
    Snow, Mono Lake
  • Tufa towers in Mono Lake are covered with a fresh layer of snow. Snow covered mountains and a volcanic crater rest in the background.
    Tufa Formations in Snow
  • A Canada Goose nests on a tufa tower, a place that gives the waterfowl protection from predation.
    Goose Nesting in Tufa
  • A pair of ravens sit on the top of dead tree along the shores of Mono Lake
    Ravens near Mono Lake
  • Mono Lake as seen from a viewpoint along CA Highway 395.
    Mono Lake from Hwy 395
  • Morning dawns with a fresh coat of snow along the shores of Mono Lake, California
    Tufa in Snow
  • A spring snowstorm places a layer of snow on tufa towers along Mono Lake's South Shore.
    South Tufa, Spring Snow
  • A cottonwood tree after a spring snowfall, Mono Lake
    Cottonwood after snowfall, Mono Lake
  • The Milky Way seen from Kings Canyon National Park in California
    Milky Way, Kings Canyon
  • Comet Neowise shows up on the horizon, seen from Kings Canyon National Park.
    Comet Neowise, Kings Canyon
  • Comet Neowise shines bright in the evening sky.
    Comet Neowise
  • Comet Neowise stands in the night sky above the walls of Kings Canyon National Park in California.
    Comet Neowise in Kings Canyon
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