I had been on the road in Death Valley for over one week, and I was due to meet up with my Sierra Club skier-friends in Lee Vining, CA, which is just east of Yosemite National Park. Outside Lee Vining is Mono Lake, one of the oldest lakes in North America, more than one million years old. Its sixty square miles of water area is extremely salty and alkaline, and calcium-bearing fresh water springs beneath the lake created mineral deposits known as tufa.

The 19th century humorist Mark Twain once made some comments about Mono Lake's water feeling so soapy or slippery:
"Its sluggish waters are so strong with alkali that if you only dip the most hopelessly soiled garment into them once or twice, and wring it out, it will be found as clean as if it had been through the ablest of washer woman's hands."

Some of these tufa towers are tens of feet tall and resemble cave formations. As the lake water level dropped over the last sixty years (due to the water demands by Los Angeles beginning in 1941), the tufa towers were exposed near the lake shore. For years I have seen the photographs taken there by many leading outdoor photographers, and I was inspired to try to repeat those. I scouted out the correct site on one day, then returned the next morning at 5 a.m. to shoot in earnest. Judge the result for yourself.

(I've been printing the high-resolution color original at 11x14 inches)

On March 20, our group of eight skiers was picked up near the east gate of Tioga Pass, since normal auto traffic is blocked through the winter. We were driven up to snow line where we mounted our cross country skis. Our heavy packs were transported up to the Tioga Pass Resort, which is only one mile east of the actual Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park. The resort had basic dorm rooms and a pleasant winter lodge atmosphere, so I was not complaining.

 
The bottom of Lee Vining Canyon near the east gate.

The group, putting skis on the snow first.

We had a couple of miles of ski slog up the canyon.

There was almost zero slide danger on these south-facing slopes.

After arriving at Tioga Pass Resort, we skied over to the Bennettville mine that afternoon. Back in 1880-1890, some silver ore had been discovered near Tioga Pass. As the mining town of Bennettville was springing up, a wagon road had to be constructed in order to get the ore out to Sacramento. That old wagon road (The Great Sierra Wagon Road) had been refined and straightened out over the last hundred years, and now the paved road is called the Tioga Pass Road. Snow covers it in winter, however, so it makes a perfect ski route for cross country skiers.

The wood texture of the Bennettville cabins has a lot of character.

Bennettville cabins are just left of center

The snowy hills above Bennettville

We carried our packs as we skied over Tioga Pass and then eight miles to Tuolumne Meadows. The National Park Service leaves one small stone building open all winter on a first-come first-served basis for skiers, but there were only ten bunks. Another group had occupied eight of the ten bunks, so we had room for only two of our skiers inside. The rest of us camped out in tents behind the ski hut. Fortunately, our leaders had cached food and tents near the ski hut during the previous October, so we had everything we needed.

Mount Dana, just east of Tioga Pass.

Lembert Dome at Tuolumne Meadows.

Andy at the ski hut

One day saw us skiing the slopes above Elizabeth Lake, and another day saw us skiing up Lembert Dome, so it was a good time had by all.

The view from the slope above Elizabeth Lake, looking north.

The ascent route for Lembert Dome

Andy and Gerhard having a good time

Andy, living up to his name as a tree-hugger

Our fearless leader out in front

Terri and Tony, with Diane hidden in the trees (those are snowflakes flying around, not dust on my camera lens).

For our return to civilization, we skied back out over Tioga Pass, stayed another night at the Tioga Pass Resort, and then skied back down the road and made it back to our vehicles. All in all, it was a good trip, even though the snow was thin in spots. The spring thaw had begun and was making great progress. Maybe the road will be plowed open by May, but meanwhile, Tuolumne Meadows is a great place to escape civilization for a few days.

Here is the Gang of Eight

Our last look at Lee Vining Canyon

Here are some photos of Barbara expertly skiing the slope above Elizabeth Lake.

This is the slope

(the end)