Bridgeport 2004 page 2


Page 2. Click on any photo to view a larger version.

Looming over the town is the Standard Mine, which was one of the largest producers of gold in the world for a short time.
		What ghost town doesn't have a cat? Probably most of them, actually. But Bodie had this friendly one hanging around an abandoned house apparently wanting inside.
The Bodie schoolhouse is am imposing old building with a tall steeple.
		Bodie was one of the first towns to have power supplied by a remote generator located 13 miles away. Power lines were ran straight as it was believed the electricity wouldn't turn corners. This is the Bodie distribution station where the power came in.
Much of the old mining equipment has been brought to one side of town. This large wheel may have been used for a mineshaft elevator.
		Bodie's namesake, William S. Bodey (the town name is misspelled), discovered Bodie's gold but did not live to cash in, dying in a winter storm in 1859 soon after his find. His remains were located decades later and re-interred in the Bodie cemetery.
The next morning we awoke early, and drove south to Mono Lake. On the way there, you pass Conway Summit. At over 8,000 feet altitude, it's the highest point on all of US 395. This view shows part of Mono Lake, the tiny town of Lee Vining, and snowcapped Sierras to the south.
		Mono Lake is a fascinating ancient leftover. Incredibly saline, it supports nothing but trillions of brine shrimp in its waters. The shrimp are major food source for migrating birds, and during the season millions of birds nest here. This is a panorama of the lake taken from Panum Crater, south of the lake. It shows the two islands, Negit and Paoha, where the birds nest. Visible in the lower left shoreline is the area where "High Plains Drifter" was filmed. The panorama is large, so please wait for the download.
On Mono lake's south shore is a monument dedicated to "Navy Beach", which was an area of the lake used for testing back in the 1950s and 1960s. Explosives generated waves which were measured on special "run-up" ramps for some purpose.
		There were some kayakers on the lake when we started hiking along the shore. Looks like it would be quite fun!
Mono Lake supports a huge population of brine flies, which eat the algae on the edge of the lake. Although intimidating to see, they actually will move away from humans when approached.
		Mono Lake sits in a beautiful place. Up ahead is some of its famous "tufa", which was produced by springs which were underwater at the time.
Springs are stll at work here. Here's a coldwater spring just back from the shoreline. It was posted for no bathing.
		Tufa abounds around Mono lake and is fascinating to look at and photograph. It was formed when the lake was much higher and springs bubbled through the saline water and precipitated elements. Los Angeles diverted most of Mono Lake's water sources until the early 1990s, when court victories restored some of the flow.
On the north shore of the lake by the roadside is this monument to the Bodie and Benton Railroad, which was built to provide timber for Bodie's mines. The railroad was an engineering achievement that was abandoned after less than 40 years of operation.
		You can drive aorund the east shore of the lake and find great views of the eastern scarp of the Sierras.
We decided to drive up and see the old power plant that fed Bodie, up Green Lake Road. The old pond is quite beautiful, and now attracts fisherman.
		In this photo, you can see remains of the old dam and the resulting pond. The powerhouse was located below the pond and no longer exists.
If you hike below the dam, you can find some remains of the 120-year old penstock which fed the powerhouse.
		On the day we had to return home, the weather was spectacular (isn't that the way it always is?), and I took this shot of Sawtooth Ridge from Bridgeport.
We drove home over Monitor Pass, which offers a beautiful view of the Slinkard Valley. We stopped here a bit to enjoy the view. Dave used his Yaesu FT-817 to talk to a few people.
		There's a beautiful view from the top of the pass. We can't wait to return.

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