Through all the phases of water here, through all the natural and unnatural explanations for the origins of the tufa towers (they developed underwater when the lake was much higher), one truth stands: Mono Lake in the still of a cold day is a unique spectacle. Not another human being was in sight or earshot thanks to the chill. As I slowly roamed the shoreline, treading alternately through snow, grass, alkaline mud and water, a peaceful appreciation for the all-around beauty of the place overcame me. Perhaps this was, indeed, a John Muir moment.
5 ESE Lee Vining CA (20 Jan 6) Looking NW
37.9425, -119.028