On our road trip last week, after Yosemite, one of our stops was Mono Lake.

Mono Lake Mountain View

This lake was believed to have formed at least 760,000 years ago. To me, one of the best parts of visiting Mono Lake was seeing the Tufas (calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water). They are fabulous and make for such fun photographs.

How Tufas Form

The weather was perfect, so we headed out on the trail near the lake.

Hiking trail near Mono Lake

South Tufa Trail Sign

Tufa View

Tufa View

Tufa View

Tufa View

Pops really loved the scent of the yellow brush that was all around the trail. He said it smelled like vanilla and popcorn to him

Rabbit Brush

Close up of rabbit bush

We found out it was called “green rabbitbrush”.

Rabbit Bush

There are so many little bugs around the lake edge – luckily they don’t bother you or bite or anything – they just move away when you move near.

Bugs around mono lake

This shot is for Emily over at “The Happy Home Blog” as she put up a similar one recently of her chow chow.

Bubba's bug shadow

Some of the tufa towers are amazing.

Tufa tower

tufa close up
Tufa Detail

peek through the tufas

tufa view

tufa view

tufa view

tufa view

tufa view

tufa view

tufa view

tufa view

Hope you enjoyed the photos – more soon!

~Lita

Lita

2 Comments on Visiting the Tufas at Mono Lake

  1. !!! LOVING the silhouette of your frenchie! those ears are just too cute!

    when i was little, my parents took me to upstate new york to faux-spelunk in Howe Caverns. Totally got me hooked on rock formations. these are just gorgeous!

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