Journey from Sierra Nevada to Mono Lake

     On the morning of June 1st  we packed up our camp at on our own TA Camille's parents house in the beautiful Sierra Valley. We parted ways with this magical place and our camp beneath Ponderosa Pines. From Sierra Valley in the Northern Sierra Nevada we drove East to hwy 395 through Reno and Carson City and finally South towards Mono Lake. This drive is one of the most stunning scenic I have ever experienced. The route placed us between Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin Desert almost the entire time. As the Eastern side of the Sierras is much more steep than the Western side we were treated to extreme views for most of our journey. After driving through the small town of Bridgeport and up to a summit we rounded a bend, started traveling downhill, and for the first time for many of us viewed Mono Lake and the amazing landscape surrounding it. We walked down close to the water’s edge on a boardwalk at the Mono Lake State Preserve. This short walked introduced us to the conservation story of Mono Lake and the amazing bird species of the area. Yellow Headed and Red Tailed black birds flew around short Willow trees in abundance. When we got to the end of the path we observed a nesting Osprey on a Tufa in the lake. A Bald Eagle graced our presence by flying above us only a few minutes after arriving. After returning to the vans we had a short drive to our camp location where we established our home for the next 7 days.

     Rising just before 6am, the view of Mono Lake was still. My heart filling with gratitude as I stay warm in my sleeping bag. Cook Crew whipped up a lovely breakfast. Most of the class sat around the fire to munch down on their bowls of oats. But I felt inclined to leave the aspen grove to watch the morning sun rise over the meadow which illuminated both Mono Lake and the White Mountains. Beck and I sat in peace, enchanted by the views and call of the birds. Lazuli Bunting perched behind us on a pine, just as the crow called.

     Zach hollars, “Mackenzie! It’s Doctor V!” Doctor V is riding his bike straight towards us down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. What does it mean? What is he coming to tell us? Doctor V pulls into Aspen Grove and introduces himself as Paul McFarland from the DeChambeaux Creek Foundation. “Is Ryan around?” he asked. Turns out our Doctor V of the day is the land manager for Simis Ranch and he had lots to share about how to manage ‘wild spaces’. He reminded us that places don’t look untouched on accident and that nowhere is rad without people protecting it. The ecosystems we know and love would not be the same without the care and attention of humans.

     We said goodbye to Doctor V and made our way to Mono Lake by the delta of Lee Vining River. We meant an Alkali Fly and a Brine Shrimp that resembled Emily and Ryan. These Mono Lake invertebrates shared secrets and stories of the lives they lead in the salty lake.

     After the skit, we quickly hopped into our swimsuits to take a dip in Mono Lake. Mono Lake is known for its high alkalinity which makes water salty and soap-like. Due to these water characteristics, it made for a super fun swim! The water was cold but that didn’t hold us back from enjoying the magic the lake had to share. The magic is found when you swim out to the depths of the lake where you can’t touch the ground anymore. Usually when you can’t touch the ground in a lake you would have to start treading water, but Mono is special because you can float without having to tread any water. MC discovered another special magic trick: if you scrub your hair in the water, the water will start to suds just like a bunch of shampoo. Our salty dip in Mono was followed by a fresh water rinse in the delta.

     With all the salt rinsed off and bathing suits hung to the van mirrors we set off to Panum Craters. Where Ellen and Griffin educated us on glaciers and geology! The view from the top of Panum Craters was absolutely breathtaking! Mono Lake was surrounded by the sierras, their glacial moraines, and the great basin desert. After the presentation, we were giving some free time to naturalize around Panum! I spotted a raven’s nest tucked away on a cliff side, it was large and made of big sticks! A young raven popped its head out ever so often to make some begging calls. Liam and Jake also introduced me to Mr. Jeffrey Pine! Turns out when you hug Jeffrey, we hugs you back with the sweet smell of butterscotch. I am going to be hugging a lot of Jeffrey pines this trip!

     Back at Aspen Grove Campground, we started to circle up for dinner but just as we checked the crawdads Elena exclaimed. “Rainbow!!” We all ran out from the shade of the aspens and into the sage brush to look out upon the beautiful Mono Basin which was nestled underneath a magnificent double rainbow!! Today our souls were cleansed by the water of Mono, our feet were rooted to geological histories, and our hearts were filled with love from the all the colors of the rainbow during sunset!

     The morning began to an orange cream sunrise. At the crack of dawn, the sound of zippers opening could be heard, the early morning birding crawl began as soon as birds started chirping. As usual, once the sun rose enough, breakfast began and hungry naturalists filed into the breakfast burrito line. After a great breakfast (kudos to Crawdad 4, aka Ryan’s poncho) we met at 8:30 to talk with Paul MacFarland (Dr. V), a steward of the land we’re staying at. He spoke to us of the little-known public lands that all citizens own and about the importance of caring for those lands.

     After his brief talk, we headed off to Lundy Canyon, the canyon just over the hill from our camp in the aspen grove. Our adventure began at the Lundy Canyon trailhead next to a beaver lodge where Edgar presented about beavers and their natural history. After that, we all meandered down to the beaver dammed pond. Before another round of presentations, we dipped in the snowmelt and we soaked the cold into our bones. After a quick dip, we had a presentation on pika by Georgia and one about big-horned sheep by Mitchell. Having learned about some more of the mammals that inhabit the Sierras, we had free time to either go up to the waterfalls or stay at the pond. On the way up to the falls, the temperature was rising and more and more snow melt came running down the trail. We reflected on this landscape, had time to swim, draw, and focus on whatever we wanted. Around 3 o’clock we all headed back to the vans through the rock-slide marked, avalanche crushed trail. We got back to camp and had time to relax until dinner. After another lovely meal, we all met in the meadow under the stars to get an astronomy lesson from Chris. Cozy in our sleeping bag, we looked at the constellations and learned about how our location on earth changes the stars we’re able to see. We fell asleep as the cool breeze swept the day away.

     We woke up to the birds singing, the Western Meadowlark, Yellow Warbler, and Green-tailed Towhee dominating the soundscape. As the morning progressed, we were blessed with a breakfast of burritos to fill our stomachs, and coffee to keep the mind alive.

     At 8:30 we loaded up into the vans and drove up Lee Vining Creek to work on our final projects. After a few hours of critical thought and writing at a place named Doggie Park by the locals, we gathered up to listen to Matt’s presentation on the conservation of the Greater Sage Grouse and the implications this has on the Endangered Species Act. We learned that the Endangered Species Act is complicated and that there is no sweeping solution for all species.

     After the presentation, we headed over to South Tufa State Park and heard a brief presentation fro Mama and Papa Carle about the formation of Tufa Towers. Some of us walked over to see the unique sand tufa, while others went to the more popular and well-known sand-stone tufa. After the tufa towers, Yoell came to join our group. Yoell is not only a field quarter alumni, he is also Ryan’s good friend.

     In the evening, after a delicious dinner of Chili, we all gathered to hear the sage advice that the elders could pass on to us about the post-college experience. With the wind howling through the Aspen, all four instructors passed on some incredible knowledge about what to expect and worry about once we are off on our own.

DIY Day at Parker Lake

     For our last full day in the wonderous Eastern Sierra Nevada we traveled to the Parker Lake Trail for “Do it yourself day” which gives students the choice of what, where, and how they want to naturalize. The group started their hike up this trail in the Inyo National Forest and soon entered the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area.  The hike starts in a sagebrush scrub area very typical of the Great Basin Desert and then quickly transitions into the Sierra Nevada. We were able to observe a beautiful and healthy high sierra stream and lake system. Parker Creek flows from the peaks of the Sierra and flows down the Eastern side. It pools in Parker Lake, a naturally occurring lake and then continues its journey towards the Mono Basin. Along the trail Lodgepole Pine and Jeffrey Pine comprised most of the forest as well as some Aspen and Willows along the creek. The two biggest Jeffrey Pines anyone in our group has ever seen were growing near to the trail before Parker Lake. Cassin’s Finch and Chickadees were in their prime enjoying the spring weather. Also enjoying the late high mountain spring time were many visitors to this beautiful public land including our class and a group of students from CSU Monterey Bay. After completing an awesome day in the mountains we returned to our camp for dinner and our last night of the trip. We reflected on our journeys and experiences of the quarter and shared appreciation for our classmates and instructors.