Mammoth
Half of the group headed out that morning, while the other half went to breakfast at Good Life Cafe. Had solid french toast and a fresh orange juice, then Albert lead the group up to Earthquake Fault. Caught more excitement than we expected when a mama bear and her cub strolled right up to the fault! They split right up the middle of the tourists at the fault, close enough that the rest of the group was afraid the photographers were going to get eaten. o_0 Then they headed towards the road, where we saw them a second time as they crossed-- so an extra, bonus viewing!
Next stop was Mono Lake. No bears, only birds, brine shrmp, and tufas. The tufas are unique formations of calcium carbonate and freshwater springs, formed only when submerged in the lake, and many were exposd after the lake's water supply was diverted by Los Angeles in the mid-1900s. Pretty cool to see, and worth a visit. The vista point a few miles up the road was worth a few minutes as well, as it's a quick visit.
The leisurely drive back involved stops for beef jerky at Mahogany Smoked Meats as well as sandwiches and bread at Erick Schat's Bakkey, both in Bishop. The mule kick sandwich is good, and the cheese bread-- who can resist??
The drive back was slowed by a multi-vehicle accident in Olancha, which snarled traffic in both directions for miles. Over an hour's delay meant traffic extended miles north of Cartago, enough that we were able to get out of the car and take a walk while we waited for CHP to clear the wreckage. o_0