Today we had the chance to explore Mono Lake, feeling a bit sore from yesterday’s first day back skiing, which meant today was a chill day. So after a wonderful massage with a therapist that was also a Reiki practitioner, to my pleasant surprise, and a wonderful lunch, we headed out to take in the majesty of this place.

I don’t recall ever having visited, although perhaps I was too young to remember if I did. Nonetheless, it was such a magickal experience, timed perfectly with two visitors leaving just as we arrived, and no one at the site, until we left. Having the whole sacred ground to ourselves to wander through and just sit and take it in was stunning and very peaceful, to say the least.

If you haven’t visited Mono (rhymes with “Oh no”)  Lake – the largest natural lake completely within California – it truly is a special place to check out if in the Eastern Sierra area of California, just a half an hour from Mammoth. It’s an ancient oasis that is habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds and under protection to heal the damage done that made it once endangered. This took place when water feeding it was diverted toward the Los Angeles basin, which caused it to lose half of its volume in the 40 years before an agreement was reached to save it.

Today it is still seven vertical feet lower than the targeted level.

Three organisms that are important in the Mono Lake Ecosystem are the shrimp, flies and the microscopic forms of life.

Its best known feature is the dramatic tufa towers, which are truly amazing and once were submerged under water. It’s like walking through a forest of otherworldly sculptures on another planet or a cosmic underwater world of limestone, coral-looking cities.

It really is a special place and it was interesting to walk through the landscape and learn about its history and importance to migratory birds all the way from as far as Argentina and traveling from the North to South pole. It’s truly a shame California diverted the water, which depleted the lake and affected the wildlife, but I am glad they are taking action to allow it to recover now.

Every time man has stepped in to “better” things, they destroy the natural harmony that benefits the greater good. Hopefully we’ll become better listeners to Mother Nature.

I hope you enjoy these photos I took today.

There’s also a brief, just under 4 minute, video I found that shares a little about Mono Lake and takes you on a visual journey to soak in and just “be” with the energy and beauty of this amazing place.