Copyright © 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Mono Lake Tufa SNR
State Natural Reserve

Something from my Eastern Sierra trip back in June. I’m really looking forward to going again this Fall.

I spent 2+ days in the 395 corridor. My last morning a girl-friend from a Meet-up group and I got up just before 3AM to drive out to Mono (Moe-noh) Lake to photograph sunrise.
We started out at Navy Beach but there weren’t as many tufas (two-fahs) there and the few that were there were quite a walk out. We would have missed the sunrise had we walked out there so we drove over to the south side where all the tufas are. Yes, these have probably been shot a zillion times by other photographers…many were here this morning, but this was my first time to the lake. I was so thrilled to see them and photograph them.

The “Save the Mono Lake” group has won their battle and the lake will be restored. When it hits it’s mandatory depth all these tufas will be submerged under water. Get there while you can!

Nikon D300s
Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8AF-S
B+W Circular Polarizer

PP-Clarity, vibrance, resized.

Historical Information:
The reserve was established to preserve the spectacular “tufa towers,” calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It also protects the lake surface itself as well as the wetlands and other sensitive habitat for the 1 – 2 million birds that feed and rest at Mono Lake each year.

Mono Lake is a majestic body of water covering about 65 square miles. It is an ancient lake, over 1 million years old — one of the oldest lakes in North America. It has no outlet.

Throughout its long existence, salts and minerals have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams. Freshwater evaporating from the lake each year has left the salts and minerals behind so that the lake is now about 2 1/2 times as salty as the ocean and very alkaline.