8/7/13 - Inyo National Forest, Oh! Ridge Campground, CA

Jim got on the computer this morning and went through yesterday’s pictures from Yosemite.  Since the generator was on I watched two old westerns.  One had Gene Autry from 1939 and  one had John Wayne from 1933.  Then we drove to Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve.  This lake has tufa (too-fah) formations.  Tufa are spires formed by calcium from fresh water bubbling up through the carbonate rich lake water.  This lake is the 2^nd saltiest, only the Great Salt Lake is saltier.  During the cold war, Mono County was used as a test facility by the US military to test new weapons.  A “secret military installation” operated by the US Navy was located along the south shore of Mono Lake.  Numerous top secret exercises were performed here during what was called “seismic testing”.  Because of growing public safety and environmental concerns, this facility’s operations were shut down in May 1962.

We left Mono Lake and drove the June Lake Loop past Grant, Silver, Gull and June Lakes.  Then we drove to Mammoth Lakes and went to the Mammoth Brewing tasting room.  We shared a tasting of 13 of their beers.  When we got back to camp Jim worked on yesterday's and today’s blog and I fixed supper.