Mid Sierra Musings: A Few Photographs From Tuolumne Meadows And Mono Lake

Dale Matson

Click On Photographs To Enlarge

I have a motto, which is, “Never pass up a photo opportunity on the way to a photo opportunity”. This is especially true when we travel through Yosemite on the Tioga Pass Road (Highway 120).

We were recently on our way from Fresno CA to a long hike to the base of Split Mountain (14,065’) in the eastern Sierra Nevada near Big Pine. Along the way we spent much of the drive going through Yosemite Park. Tuolumne Meadows has several ponds along the road near Tioga Pass and this time I couldn’t resist the opportunity with a bright blue sky and scattered clouds. There are plenty of pullouts along the highway. Each of the many times we have done the Tran Sierra drive the view has been different. This time there was no smoke from wildfires or management burning.

After you exit Yosemite on the east side (nearly 10,000’), there is a long somewhat intimidating descent toward Lee Vining and Highway 395. Highway 395 runs north and south between the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the west and the White and Inyo Mountains to the east. This golden corridor ends just south of Olancha Peak south of Mt. Whitney near Lone Pine. As you descend from Yosemite there is a large lake (nearly 700 square miles) looming below in the high desert landscape. It is a fascinating place to visit for historical, ecological and photographic purposes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Lake

The lake can be viewed from the Mono Lake Visitors Center in Lee Vining and/or from the South Tufa area further south off Highway 395. Clint Eastwood selected Mono Lake as the location for the mystical town of Lago in his movie “High Plains Drifter” because it was so photogenic.

My photographs were taken with the Sony A7R2 and 24-70mm 2.8 GM lens.