Back at camp at the McGee Creek campground, we enjoyed the usual camping activities: conversations around the campfire, eating, drinking, fishing, eating, drinking, eating, drinking…
HANS
MANS THE
BBQ
JOE SHOWS OFF
HIS CATCH!
ROB & JOE
GET FISH
CLEAINING
DUTY
THE GRAND PRIZE RESULT OF CATCHING FISH (below) HAILEY SHOWS OFF THE TROUT CAKES WE PREPARED. THERE ARE RECIPES ON LINE FOR TROUT CAKES, OR USE YOUR FAVORITE CRAB CAKE RECIPE AND SUB TROUT. I MICROWAVED THE TROUT, SCRAPED OFF ALL THE MEAT AND SEARCHED THOROUGHLY FOR ERRANT BONES. THE RESULT: DELISH!
(Above) – Alan cooks giant Costco shrimp on the barbie!
Near camp is a little zoo. We enjoyed petting the alpaca, sheep, mini bull, etc.
The wooliest sheep we ever saw!
Back at camp we welcomed the Fish & Game guy who stocks the rivers with fish.
A trek up to Convict Lake landed a few more fish and a lovely afternoon around the beautiful lake and surrounding dynamic scenery.
There is lots to see and explore in the area. We drove to Mono Lake and stopped in to the visitor center and the Save Mono Lake Committee Headquarters. Alan and Hailey hiked around the obsidian mountain where they studied samples of the rock which Indian’s carved into arrowheads and other tools.
Even visited the Upside Down Cabin of Lee Vining
We drove up the highway which crosses the Sierras from East to West, delivering travelers to Yosemite. However, it was closed at the ranger’s booth, some 9,500 feet up the pass, due to snow. Our favorite lake, Tioga Lake, was all snow and ice. We watched as a few young men climbed up the mountain and skied down
Before heading south back to Lone Pine we camped a night at Benton Crossing. This is the most soothing campground with its lush green grasses, meandering Owens River (stocked with fish), screaming terns, white pelicans, brilliant yellow-headed blackbirds and a magnificant view of the Sierras. At night the frogs croaked with gusto, and on top of all that, we were lucky to have a glorious full moon. The Benton Crossing Campground can probably be miserable in hefty winds or severe weather, but we enjoyed perfect conditions.
Home bound, we spent two more nights in Lone Pine at the Boulder Creek RV Park – with its beautiful view of the valley and the Sierras. It is located about 2 miles south of town and has a pool and jacuzzi. Nearby is Diaz Lake which is now under renovation and promises to be a good place to camp in the near future. The only consolation on our 4 hour drive home from Lone Pine was knowing that we will visit again later this summer. My favorite time of year to visit is late September when the cottonwoods turn red and gold, the temperature cools and crowds disappeared.