Month: February 2022

Squiggly Ice~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Tech Marvels, TRAVEL REVIEWS171 Comments

on Convict Lake,

in the Sierra Nevada Mountains,

in California. (Tap to enlarge).

These fascinating patterns of both straight lines/angles,

and wiggly-squiggles, are created by ice layers melting, moving, cracking and refreezing, over and over again.

They remind me of the patterns on Scribbly Gum trees in Australia.

Tap to enlarge and see if you can spot the distant skaters.

These learners were closer.

Cheers to you from the Sierras in winter~

Tufas~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS225 Comments

These strange formations called tufas (click to enlarge),

are in Mono Lake at the eastern edge,

of The Sierrra Nevada Mountain Range in California.

They are made of calcium carbonate and formed by the interaction of fresh water with the saline/alkaline lake.

Mono Lake is 2-3 times more salty than the ocean.

It is one of the oldest lakes in North America.

Trillions of brine shrimp live in the lake,

supporting 1-2 million migratory birds annually.

On this winter day, the lake was mirror still and silent.

Cheers to you from Mono Lake ~

For more on Tufas see: https://www.monolake.org/learn/aboutmonolake/naturalhistory/tufa/

Wild Mustangs of Mono Lake~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life220 Comments

Officially named The Montgomery Pass Wild Horses, (click to enlarge)

these mustangs have a range of 50,185 acres,

spanning the borders of California and Nevada.

Photos were taken on the south shore of Mono Lake in California.

There has been no aerial round ups, or baiting population control efforts, with this herd for the past thirty years.

They are the only feral herd in the US whose population is managed entirely by natural apex predator (mountain lion) predation.

These guys are clearly advising me not to come much closer!

There were only two other people here, in the winter, and you can see the horses seemed more interested in the people, than visa versa.

These are shy and elusive creatures, I was fortunate to spend time with them.

I didn’t have my zoom lens and was pleased they allowed me in shooting distance.

The herd is estimated to have a population of over a hundred. We saw at least that many.

Cheers to you from The Mono Lake Mustangs~

For more info on these stunning creatures see:

https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/media/herds-across-west-montgomery-pass-mustangs

My next post will focus on Mono Lake and the strange formations you see in the photos.

Snowy Sierra~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Sunsets, TRAVEL REVIEWS241 Comments

We have decided not to stay home anymore. We are going to resume our regular vagabonding, as safely as we can. We left sunny Southern California,

for some cold Sierra snow.

Sunset on the peaks are lovely.

But is quite nippy.

Winds on the peaks are 55-75 mph, with temps approaching 0 F,

gets your attention skiing!

View towards The White Mountains from The Sierras.

We’ve come 6 weeks after an epic storm.

It has been sunny, but cold since.

Maybe these folks are gonna wait till spring to dig out? I don’t blame them.

Cheers to you from the chilly Sierra~