Dawn - Mono Lake

 

It's All Too Much

The elevation, the excitement the FOOD! It was all too much. With a nod to Yoko & John, we took to bed with strawberries and brie.

Lake Sabrina

Lake Sabrina is at an elevation of around 8,600'. 

It being all I could do to remain upright, we brought out the table and chairs and enjoyed bread from Erick Shat's bakery with butter.

People from everywhere stopped to chat. There was an especially lovely Asian woman from Los Angeles wearing only shorts and a t-shirt...at 40° fahrenheit.

In anticipation of Spring thaw and anticipating the need of storage to avoid downstream flooding, they'd let the water out of the lake.

This pond is near the lake outlet.

Volcano Tableland - Near Bishop

We had a bit of a time finding camp. We drove out the road I'd espied only to discover it was heavily washboarded and after several miles blocked by a locked gate. Normally, we'd have camped in the road at the gate, but the area was posted - as per law - every three hundred feet.

Backtracking, we arrived at the junction as a vehicle was descending the ridge. She suggested asking.

It's my experience that males will tell you anything they think of...usually made up on the spur of the moment. This one proved only marginally true-to-form suggesting that, based on recent observations, camping was okay. But his non-comittal delivery implied he was not to blame if it proved otherwise. 

Choosing the road perpendicular to his suggestion, we were soon welcomed to a BLM-designated area.

See:

https://thedyrt.com/camping/california/volcanic-tableland-blm-dispersed-camping

Owens River Traverse

We spent the night of the 9th in a spot around the corner from Big Springs Campground which was, fortunately, still closed. In the morning the ranger came by to put up a NO CAMPING sign and shoo us away.

Targeting a couple of canyons on the east side of Owens River, I lead to what looked like, on Garmin, as public property. But this is Californy and most every inch is private. Unable to gain access from the west side, we camped next to the fence and the NO TRESSPASSING sign.

Today, the 11th, we ambled on, looking for river access.

What with hail and heavy clouds, by Whitmore Springs we gave up. 

We backtracked to get out of the hail.

Low on energy,  we stoppef at Tom's Place where she had her homemade tuscan-bean soup while I had a couple of sardine sandwiches.

We rested, then, with spliffoes grazing the ground, we resupplied and began the search for camp. 

Our first attempt, down a lengthy washboard, brought us up at a locked gate. The swarming mosquitoes and signs prohibiting camping, stoves and campfires sent us on. Later, after we were settled, we discovered we'd each thought of getting a room; the Creekside Inn was recommended by family, but with a passing motorist's encouragement, we'd found our way home.

19 Miles to Bishop

Several years ago, after I plucked her business card from a laundromat bulletin board, I met the most creative dresser in Albuquerque. Xannibelle, Xannie for short, is a trained garment maker and makes her own clothes. 

She recently made a mattress cover that she mailed care-of general delivery to Lee Vining.

Due to a shortage of employees, the Lee Vining P.O. was only open from 10 am - 1 pm. Continuing toward Bishop where we planned to meet, I found a pleasant campsite within commuting range.

These two were having a great time!

Somebody in Lee Vining didn't like the elementary school's mascot. A young man (30-something?) who was going into the post office suggested the weight of the snow did it. (Guys! Why do I bother?)

The female student I asked said it happened a few years ago and is a mystery. 

Lee Vining or Bust

You'd think rhis lifestyle would be easy and laidback. I was trying to pick up some mail sent care-of General Delivery. Though not usually a problem, things kept happening.

My first foray, on a Friday, disclosed the Lee Vining Post Office was, due to staffing issues, open only a few hours at mid-day. 

Monday there was a blizzard and Tuesday a brushfire. By Wednesday I was determined! Thus, the title.