East Sierra Hot Springs

I went out to Grover Hot Springs State Park a few weeks ago and was exposed to a whole new part of California. South of Tahoe at the headwaters of the Carson river, Hot Springs Creek runs through Markleeville in Alpine County.

Still some snow (I need to fix my camera, as there is a spot on the lens I can't see)

Just beyond the area is the nevada desert, in the shadow of the mountains that keeps rain from falling. 

Going up the valley, across the creek

 Once there, a large meadow separates the camping area from the pools

 And it is so expansive and beautiful

I wonder how long ago this fell 

A very prominent outcrop, 7,000 feet up 

On the south side of the valley, the geology produces 125 degree seeps of spring water

So the natives used it, then pioneers, and now it is developed into a cold and hot pool looking out onto the valley

As it comes into the pool (4 feet deep). At the end of the day they drain it over an hour, so by the end you only have about 6 inches of hot water to be in, which then disappears!

 The source is just up the hill from the pools

 It all comes from here, they collect it just above the pool so there is enough for the day.

Mineral content 

This is the overflow that heads into the creek

 The meadows were full of wildflowers, despite the terrible year for them. Aren't these fluffy!

 This is a young coral root orchid/snow plant. I've posted a tall one from the fall from Calaveras before

Lupine, one of my favorites

There is a lot of hiking around too, I went out to a waterfall and saw this lava formation from eons ago

On top of the formation, these trees were sparse and kinda scraggly

 Their roots clinged to the rocks looking for some dirt

 It was hard to photograph the waterfalls, they were like cataracts, so you see a couple and then hike up to more

 This one went into a nice looking pool

 These sparrows were quite vocal, and darted about all day long

 Camping was primitive, but did have bathrooms. Here is the grill I used

 There was some flat area to camp, but lots of boulders

 Markleeville is a tiny town at the crossroads, classic small, rural California mountain town

 The county courthouse, which fits like 10 people. You have to walk in with the criminals when on the jury, it is from like 1877 or something

 The old county jail, so small

South-Central Sierras With Snow

I went out the Highway 88 corridor into the central Sierra's on a ski bus recently. The mountains around kirkwood are fantastic, and are a bit redder in person than in the photos. 

The foothills had received some now recently

 Up towards the passes, you could see the hallmarks of the Sierra Nevada, snow, granite boulders and isolated incense cedars

This is called a snag, a dead tree with some of its trunk still standing. Lots of creatures live in these, but this one was empty

Once there, you could just see for miles

You could just see forever....

 I think this one used to be a volcano

 More volcanoes?

 The runoff from the area is very clear, but picks up silt and mud on it's way down the slopes.

 And then it was time to head home. Some guys had a massive snowball fight here moments before, it was very juvenile, and awesome!