We left Yosemite Valley Lodge about 8 and headed for the Tioga Road, a road that would take us east out of the Park and onwards towards Death Valley. We took our time leaving though as there was still much to see. Our first stop was a view back down the Valley at El Capitan and Half Dome together...
..but the last view was at Olmstead Point, looking south. There was a pull in and a lovely lady had set up a scope so we could all see the Half Dome chains, put there to help climbers to get to the top. So I've added our photos but also a photo from the Internet of the chains in use. That density of climbers was what we could see from her scope!
We stopped briefly at Tanaya Lake for a seat, a photo, and a quick paddle. Memories of Moraine lake, but this wasn't so cold!
On then to Toulume Meadows, a meadow set high in the Park, which is full of Alpine flowers in July, but is now dry and brown.
We then moved on a little to find the Soda Springs, a small area where carbonated water comes to the surface. It was marked by a small wooden shack Where the water bubbled most. We had a drink - salty!
And finally a goodbye to Ysemite National Park, at the Tioga Pass at an altitude of 9945ft
We then be an the long descent down to Mono Lake, some 3500ft.
We stopped briefly for a picnic lunch at Mammoth Lakes, just beside Mammoth Mountain, a winter ski area. Would we ever return to ski? We also passed but didn't stop at Manzanar the site where many Japanese were interred in a concentration camp in WW2. Where we did stop though was at Alabama Hills close to the town of Lone Pine where amongst others the Lone Ramger Tv series was filmed.
On then towards Olancha in the middle of the Sierra High Plains where we had booked a motel for the night. As we approached we were quite apprehensive - what had we come to, this dusty place in the middle of nowhere? BUT, and it's a big BUT, we were given a warm welcome and shown to our credibly nice 1 bedroom chalet, clean, and cool and with everything we needed. And a view to the mountains from out balcony. The view across to the mountains, the glorious dry heat, and a cool beer reminds us so much of Oman!
We ate take away stark the little restaurant and even chatted to a couple of the scary looking but very nice locals. Jessie, whose grandmother is Scottish, works at the Owens Lake Project. A huge lake now almost dry because of Los Angeles water demand, is the largest single polluter in North America. The dust carries all the residual heavy metals into the air. There is a 12 year project to try and resolve it. Jessie has been working there for 6 months in tricky conditions, driving the 3 hours back to his family at the weekend.
Before bedtime we wandered out into the desert to see the stars. Sadly the moon is really bright just now, so not much to see, but it was a still, warm and beautiful night nonetheless. And here is a Joshua Tree, everywhere in these lands, which you certainly don't want to bump into!
