Eastern Sierra hikes - 2012

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In August, 2012 we stayed in cabins at Annette's Mono Resort at upper Twin Lake, a few miles from Bridgeport, Ca., elevation 7,000 ft., located on highway 395 (south).    

note - on a pc or laptop you can zoom in & and out, but not on a smartphone.    

Caples Lake on hwy. 88

Bridgeport area

Twin Lakes

On the first hike we walked around sizeable Lundy Lake, which is not far from Mono Lake, or Lee Vining. 

	Lundy Lake
	Victoria and Patrick at lunch break		Jean		nearing the trailhead

note - the cabins were rustic but the Resort had a good restaurant. Rich, Linda, Bonnie, Jean, Victoria and Patrick all stayed in one cabin, next door to my cabin. (see postscript later)

We were in a huge pine forest, and from our campfire on the first night, I could see sunset light, way above, on saw-toothed peaks.

a little out of focus...

This was the first time that Patrick and Victoria joined the Eastern Sierra group, both working mates of Bonnie, in the Ops group at the Sac County Airport (SMF).

Our second hike was at Virginia Lakes, on a road heading west from scenic hwy 395, just before the drive downhill to Mono Lake.  

			gaining altitude		at the high point
		downhill trail		good look at the trail
	see note

note - While on the long downhill walk, we saw a fire, just starting, from no apparent cause. When we reached the trailhead, a CalFire crew had equipment staged in the parking lot and about 8 guys were making the steep ascent with picks & shovels. 

The Horse Creek Trail - this pleasant trail began and ended at the resort marina, a day off from driving.  

			good scenery right away		long uphill section
			back at the resort....		....and the cabins

On the drive home the following day, we detoured south on 395 and took the road to Bodie State Park, a great place to walk around with a camera. Years ago, the 13 mile drive was a washboard gravel road, but now it is paved.

At one time, with a population of 10,000, Bodie was the largest city in California. Visitors today see only 5% of the original town, due to repeated fires. 

The State Park museum has a display of old photos from the town's heyday, and the images are stunning.

			food can tin siding to keep the weather out		mining was big here
		cars melting into the ground		Monitor Pass

On the way home there was a construction-related traffic stoppage on highway 89 near Monitor Pass (8,314 ft. ), so I had time to take a photo, looking towards Carson Pass (8,652 ft.), plus other mountains.

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Postscript - stories from rustic cabins: 

On the second evening we had a nice fire going at Rich's cabin and were having an enjoyable conversation for some time, but a drunk neighbor in a nearby cabin, just uphill, and constantly smoking, began to make noises, and then he started to mimic our voices, as we talked.  It was intimidating & creepy, and brought the night to a quick end.

I stayed up later, keeping a low profile while sipping red wine, tending a reduced fire, and it was a fair night in the mountains.

After 20 minutes, the neighbor started murmuring angrily and we he tried to get up, he fell off his front porch, and rolled downhill some. 

At the next cabin over from his, two guys (older than me) who had been watching his antics, were in hysterics !  

As the poor guy got himself up, he started yelling "gddam it, MF's" and made his way indoors. Later from inside my cabin I heard him crashing about & and yelling the same thing. 

When I checked out a day later and mentioned him, the resort person said 'yeah, that guy has come here for years, always on the same week, always staying in the same cabin, smoking & drinking all day and night'. 

The resort person added "we think he's from Fresno", and I couldn't resist saying "well, yes, that does make sense", and everyone in the small store started laughing !  

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