Mono lake

I wanted to share a few photos from a past trip to Mono Lake, located in the Eastern Sierras of California. Mono Lake is unique because it is a saline soda lake. Because there is no outlet to the lake, high levels of salt accumulate over time, creating an alkaline salt lake. Mono Lake also has an impressive ecosystem, based on brine shrimp, that thrive in the salty waters. These brine shrimp, as well as blackflies, attract over 2 million migratory birds to the area annually. An interesting fact I learned on the trip was that the local Native Americans would harvest the blackfly pupae from the lake as one of their food sources! Another unique aspect of Mono lake are the spectacular "tufa towers". These towers are calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. When the water subsides, the towers become exposed, looking like intricate sandcastles If your ever in the area of highway 395 outside Yosemite, you should definitely check this place out!