Mono Lake's tufa towers with the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance, March 2016

This is the view from Mono Lake looking westward toward the peaks in Yosemite National Park. This image was recorded in the spring of 2016 while there was still snow on the Sierra Nevada crest and eastern face. The entire scene was well-lit by the morning sun rising in the east behind us. Rick wanted to create an image that had depth, so he included in this image the closer water, the line of tufa towers, two rolling hills at two different distances, and the higher hills before reaching the crest of the mountains. The tufa towers formed underwater when calcium-rich spring water flowed up into the lake with its carbonate-rich water. The calcium carbonate that results from the reaction of these basic components yields a solid tower. The calcium carbonate compound is the same material that makes up sea shells.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

A Mono Lake Tufa Tower "Pinching" the Moon

On our return from a trip to Death Valley, we camped south of Mono Lake, on the east side of the Sierra. Mono Lake is famous for its tufa towers, calcium carbonate structures that formed underwater, now exposed due to Los Angeles diverting 4 of the 5 fresh water streams that flow into the salty lake causing the lake level to drop. We were up early enough to get sunrise shots and while taking pictures of the tufa towers reflected in the water, we noticed that the moon was setting. Rick positioned himself near this tower that had two peaks that appeared to have a pinching action, so it would appear that the two peaks are pinching the moon between them.

The image was taken before 8 AM on March 27th, 2016 as the sun was rising to light the tower's east face and the moon was setting in the west. The camera settings were f22, 1/30 second, and ISO 100, with the camera set on a tripod and using the timer function to allow the camera to be still.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Mono Lake tufa tower pointing at the moon

It's all a matter of perspective! While returning to Sacramento from a trip to Death Valley, we stayed for one night in the Mono Lake area so that we could get early morning images in the Mono Lake basin. From the south shore, at what used to be the state park, we hiked out to the shore to look at the features and set up our tripods for photos of the lake and the tufa towers. Along the way, Rick noticed that the moon would be setting as the morning progressed and wanted to include it in some of his pictures. He lined up this image to include a tufa tower and the moon so that the tower appears to point to the moon. The early morning sun was lighting one side of the tower and the moon appears to be immediately above it.  In this shot, the moon appears to be the yin yang symbol.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Trona Pinnacles in the Mojave Desert of California. Where the remake of "Planet of the Apes" was partially filmed.

The Trona Pinnacles are in the Mojave Desert of California. They were formed while underwater in the ancient Searles Lake, which is now completely dry. Where the towers form represents freshwater springs that spewed calcium-enriched waters into the carbonate-laden mineral waters of the ancient lake. Calcium and carbonate combine to form calcium carbonate, the same material that makes up sea shells and cave formations. Mono Lake is famous for its tufa towers that are still forming. The ones at Trona that formed under Searles Lake can't grow anymore.

A few years ago, the Planet of the Apes movie was remade and some of the scenes in that movie were filmed among the Trona Pinnacles. We've also seen some commercials  with these pinnacles in them, as well.

We often stop by the Trona Pinnacles on our way to Death Valley National Park. The small town of Trona is south south-west of Death Valley and along the route from Ridgecrest, Highway 178. The dirt road out to the Pinnacles comes off of Highway 178 and crosses railroad tracks. This area is not a National Park, but is Bureau of Land Management land. They don't have the restrictions that a park would have in effect, so people can drive right up to the features and hike around them. There have been mines here so a visitor should use caution when exploring. Camping isn't allowed, though.

The last time we drove through here, the full moon was about 4 days away, so the nearly full moon was rising well before sunset. We looked at the moon and the pinnacles from several angles. Rick liked this one with the moon between a couple of the pinnacles as a dramatic shot.

Remember it's not just a picture, it's a story!