![\"mammoth\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/mammoth.jpg\")
<\/a>Yes, it’s me again this week. \u00a0As you read this my brother is hiking Machu Picchu<\/strong>. \u00a0Which means he has no access to the internet. \u00a0This could be my opportunity to write something really awful about him, except that he’s a really good guy and right now I’m just hoping he has a really great time<\/strong>. \u00a0So instead, I’ll write about my recent trip to June Lake Loop and the ravages of the California drought.<\/p>\nFor those of you who live in Southern California you are probably familiar with Mammoth Lakes<\/strong>, a renowned ski\u00a0town and home of several Olympians. \u00a0It is a place that my husband has visited yearly since 1960 and we have been going there together since the mid-80’s. \u00a0As someone who grew up going to Lake Tahoe, \u00a0I always considered\u00a0“the Lake” to be\u00a0the most beautiful mountain retreat in the Sierras<\/strong>. \u00a0And truly, it IS spectacular. But there is something about the eastern escarpment of the Sierras around Mammoth Lakes that takes your breath away.\u00a0 Rather than the gently\u00a0sloping foothills that you see on the western side, the eastern stretch juts out at a sharp angle from the flat terrain.\u00a0 Mammoth is also higher than Tahoe\u00a0– the town sits at about 7800 feet and the top of the mountain (which I have been crazy enough to ski down) is at a staggering 11,000 ft.<\/p>\n The Aptly named “Oh” Ridge<\/p><\/div>\n When we travel there in the summer we usually make a point of driving\u00a0the June Lake Loop<\/strong>, a\u00a0five-mile stretch of Highway 158 that is approximately mid-way between Mammoth Lakes and Lee Vining.\u00a0 The loop is literally a horseshoe-shaped road that sits between the eastern Sierras and the four lakes that rim the road: June, Gull, Silver and Grant. Six hundred and twenty-nine brave souls live along the shores of the loop as permanent residents, but the population swells to thousands<\/strong> during the summer and fall.\u00a0 It is the ideal place for fisherman, backpackers and day hikers.\u00a0 They also have added a new spa which is attractive to people like me who leave their siblings to do the “outdoor” stuff.\u00a0 This year we made the trip again, partly to see how the drought had affected\u00a0one of our favorite spots.\u00a0 As we entered Highway 158 coming north from Mammoth Lakes the first site we came is Oh! Ridge<\/strong>.\u00a0 As you can see from the picture (right) the ridge earned its name.\u00a0 I can’t remember a time when upon coming to that point I didn’t say “OH!”.\u00a0 This picture was taken from my car window as my husband was trying to avoid the Gull Lake is a litter harder to see from the roadway but sports its own marina<\/strong> and is a great place for fishing.\u00a0 A mile down the road is the beautiful Silver Lake.\u00a0 It is situated such that it often has a reflection of the mountain on the water and is another breathtaking site.\u00a0 Unfortunately we were there on a cloudy day so it wasn’t showing its best side to us but is beautiful none the less.\u00a0 I always have a soft spot in my heart for the only business on the lake, the Silver Lake Resort and Caf\u00e9<\/strong>.\u00a0 It has been\u00a0in business since the 1920’s, making it one of the oldest recreation resorts in the Sierras.\u00a0 Make no mistake, “resort” is stretching the term a bit.\u00a0 It is the type of place that sells everything from tee shirts to fishing lures<\/strong> at the check-out counter.\u00a0 But back in the late 80’s when\u00a0we embarked on this trip\u00a0I had had\u00a0a few too many…coffees.\u00a0 There wasn’t a proprietor in June Lake who would let me use\u00a0a restroom.\u00a0 But the kind owners of the Silver Lake Resort saved the day, and my bladder, and I will always be grateful.\u00a0 Again, Silver Lake looked a bit recessed but not alarmingly so.<\/p>\n The depleted Grant Lake<\/p><\/div>\n The last lake on the loop is Grant Lake, by far the largest of the four.\u00a0 It serves as part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct<\/strong> so its level is constantly changing depending on how much water is being\u00a0sucked out of it to head south.\u00a0 Given the relatively good conditions at June and Silver Lakes we were not prepared<\/strong> for what we saw as we rounded the bend and Grant came into view.\u00a0 While the photo I took (left) shows some beautiful colors, I quickly realized that I was looking at brush and other flora that used to\u00a0be underwater<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0Trucks and boats were\u00a0parked on\u00a0its shores where water used to be.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The marina, which previously sat at the center point of the shoreline is now at its most northern<\/strong> edge<\/strong>.\u00a0 After spending much of our summer traveling California this was the first time we came face to face with the ravages of the drought.<\/p>\n Snow in October!<\/p><\/div>\n We left “the Loop” and headed north to Lee Vining to see what Mono Lake<\/strong> looked like.\u00a0 In past years when the water is low the two islands in the middle of the lake seem to be attached.\u00a0 As Mono came into view it was clear that not only were the two islands seemingly connected, you could walk from one to the other<\/strong> without so much as getting your toes wet.\u00a0\u00a0We headed back to Mammoth Lakes\u00a0very depressed by what we had seen.\u00a0 I’m not sure there’s enough water conservation techniques in the world <\/strong>that can bring Grant and Mono Lakes back up to normal levels.\u00a0 The weather nerds are predicting a record-breaking El Nino this year and I sure hope they are right.\u00a0 I won’t mind cancelling a few plans if it means the Sierras get dumped with snow.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n The next day, perhaps a portent of things to come, it started to rain.\u00a0 The following morning we awoke to snow on the mountaintops.\u00a0 We can only hope there is much more on the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson Yes, it’s me again this week. \u00a0As you read this my brother is hiking Machu Picchu. \u00a0Which means he has no access to the internet. \u00a0This could be my opportunity to write something really awful about … read more<\/a>jerk<\/del> driver behind us who was tailgating.\u00a0 So you can imagine just how gorgeous the picture would be if we had actually stopped.\u00a0 Still, you get the idea.\u00a0 Although we had been reading a lot about the California drought<\/strong>, and June Lake was definitely down from previous years, it still looked pretty good.\u00a0 A bit past the ridge we entered the village of June Lake,\u00a0the hub of the loop.\u00a0 It is where most of the population lives, where the businesses are and is adjacent to the June Mountain ski area, a favorite of locals.\u00a0 There are several good little motels and best of all, an ice cream store.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>