Dale Matson
Click On Photographs To Enlarge
Mt Whitney is In Right Third Of View- 70mm
To get to the eastern side of the Sierras from Fresno CA in
the winter, we go south to Bakersfield, east over Tehachapi Pass and back north
on Highways 14 and 395. I always stop in Lone Pine and photograph Mt. Whitney
across from the wilderness permit station and visitors center. It is always
meaningful for me since I summited Whitney on three separate day hikes
with the last summit last fall after turning age 70.
Lake Mary
Mammoth Mountain From Lake Mary Road
Crystal Crag From Lake George
Horseshoe Lake
Twin Lakes From Lake Mary Road Looking Below And North
My wife and I arrived in Mammoth in about 6 hours and spent
three days in the Mammoth Lakes area. Normally, I would be cross-country skiing
the Tamarack trails but the snow season ended Sunday and the ski center was
closed. My wife and in-laws were able to ski on the Mammoth slopes on adequate
snow. I walked much of the trail I usually ski. The Lake Mary Road, especially
Lake Mary has exceptional views. Horseshoe Lake has warning about C02 emissions. Mammoth Mountain (11,053') is a dormant not an extinct volcano.
Route Including George Lake Day 2
It is sad to see how the ongoing drought has harmed the
economy of the Mammoth Mountain community. The drought has not just damaged our
California agriculture. It has damaged the ski resorts as tourist destinations.
This time of year, there were few people on the ski trails and I can only
imagine what a busy place the lakes area must be in the summer with all the
lodges, campgrounds and hiking trails.
Convict Lake In The Afternoon
Just After Sunrise
Additionally, I had a chance to photograph Convict Lake
south of Mammoth both during the day and the following morning. The effort is easy. Convict Lake is two miles west of Highway 395 at a turn off just south of the Mammoth airport. There is a ramp down to the shore below the parking area. The light was
not ideal but it is hard not to get a good photograph of Convict Lake. Unlike
the higher elevation Mammoth Lakes (e.g. Lake George at 9,010’) Convict Lake
(7,851’) was free of ice. There is a sad story of seven folks who drowned there
falling through the ice in 1990. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-02-20/news/mn-1121_1_holiday-skating-party.
Note: The light was flat much of the time and I converted some photographs to Black and White.
Note: The light was flat much of the time and I converted some photographs to Black and White.
Dale, Very nice account of your Sierra trip. I believe you meant to say Convict Lake is 2 miles WEST of HWY 395. I remember reading about the group who tragically fell through the ice back in 1990.
ReplyDeleteThanx for all the awesome pix, Richard
Richard,
ReplyDeleteCorrected thanks,
Dale