Hiya
Well I am still wandering around California having a great time. the WOW factor just gets bigger and bigger it really does.
I hope you are all ok and enjoying what ever it is you are doing.............. let me know
3rd April 2008
Lake Mono
Our journey continues down route 395, stopping many times to admire the mountains and overlooks, arriving in the Mono Basin which has a very impressive history of volcanic activity, there is also the very unusual Lake Mono which is surrounded on 3 sides by volcanic formations, this lake has no outlet only mountain streams running in to it carrying their minerals. Over the years a problem has arisen, along with evaporation and the fact that Los Angeles has over the years diverted some of the stream water for the use of their ever growing population the lake is now much lower then 150 years ago, the mineral content of the water has risen by 10%. Although no fish can live in these alkaline waters the lake is very productive supporting millions of brine shrimp, alkali flies and migratory birds, birds rest here on their way to South America from Alaska, the sea birds from the coast come here to nest (Les was in bird heaven). Above the surface there are an amazing number of magical shapes called “Tufa” these are formed when fresh water springs containing calcium bubble up through the carbonate-rich lake water, the combining of these waters form calcium carbonate, a whitish lime stone deposit that forms the tufa formation, they are quite beautiful and create quite a fairy land scape.
Lessons have been learnt and the level of this lake is increasing, the levels had come very close to creating an ecological disaster.
Friday 4th April
To day nearly become a disaster for me! We drove to Mammoth Lakes, there is a very nice town there, I was able to get some cash from the ATM at the bank also to do some shopping in a very good supermarket (Vons). My chest was not good, I did not feel myself; we are very high - well high for my poor old chest!! I didn’t get out of the truck much, we just plodded on, parking up at a casino for the night which had a petrol station I decided to fill up I asked the guy on duty if he would clean my wind screen which was covered in dead fly’s and butterfly’s (‘cause I had no breath) I was then going to give him a tip. NO Wallet!! There was around 600$ in it!! anyway I rang the shop up and would you believe “Yes we have your wallet here” was the reply to my question!! How lucky am I.
Saturday 5th April
This was the most interesting of days. We went to “Manzanar National Historical Site” this was one of the relocation or interment camps for the Japanese early in 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbour December 1941
We had a little lecture from a ranger who showed a complete model of the camp and asked what we thought it looked like, both Les and I said “Auschwitz” which is what the overall model looked like same, same, The ranger said it was a town, which it was - having a better hospital the then local people had access to, he went on to explaine the town - how it worked, there were some very good things and of course some not so good. The Japanese built some beautiful gardens, making their own very small living quarters very nice, the building we were in was the High School. We spent nearly a full day here, looking and reading all the exhibits, then doing a self guided drive tour. This was no concentration camp. Some of the occupants believed it was ok to be here because this would help the Americans with the war effort but of course others did not think like that and condemned America. However in 1943 the US army formed the 442nd regimental combat team a unit for Japanese Americans who served with 100th infantry in Europe. In 1952 Japanese aliens could become naturalized citizens and in 1988 an apology along with $20,000 was made to 82,000 former internees.
Our conclusion was that America did the best it could, with what it had, at a very very difficult time, when the whole world had gone crazy, good and interesting day.
SEQUOIA and KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS
7th 8th 9th April 2008
This forest is like nothing you have ever seen these trees are big, huge!
The giant Sequoia has a massive trunk, huge stout branches, with cinnamon-coloured bark, it is sometimes called “Sierra redwood”, its scientific name is Sequoiadendron giganteum. The taller and more slender coast redwood Sequoia sempervirens is more conifer-like in profile.
Sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of California’s Sierra Nevada range; The Redwoods grow naturally only on the narrow strip along the Pacific Coast.
Redwoods grow to 367 feet aprox weighing in at 1.6 million lbs. Sequoia grow to 311 feet aprox. But weigh in at 2.7 million lbs. The Sequoia is the largest living thing on the planet. The General Sherman Tree is the world’s largest living tree this lives in Sequoia National Park the General Grant Is the Nations Christmas Tree and lives in Kings Canyon Nation Park. Both these trees I can tell you are enormous.
Sequoias do not die of old age, they are very resistant to fire - infact they can repair themselves from fire damage, they die from falling over. When the gold rush of California was happening so many of these wonderful trees were cut down they came very close to being wiped out, a tree would be felled to protect a cabin now they move the cabin to protect the tree. A lot have been damaged by fire because natural fires were put out quickly which allowed the floor of the forest to become clogged with fuel, small trees grew forming ladders which enable the fire to reach the tops of these giants. Now fires are controlled the forest floor is kept clean very small trees do not survive (no ladder) the tops of these wonderful trees are safe from fire also every thing gets more light and nutrients making the whole forest more productive. We have seen a wild Bob Cat sat in a tree, also White Pelicans on a lake we have had three awesome days, it is truly amazing I can not get over the size of these trees. Magnificent.
All good things come to an end on the third day Les has an engine problem we need to find a garage. Found a good Ford garage in Fresno but a part has to be flown out from England, this will take around a week so we will move on, coming back for the repair. Whilst at the garage we did laundry, they have wireless internet.
Friday 11th April 2008
We drove all day on the motor way (Interstate) boring to the top of Route 49; we will then drive down Route 49 to Yosemite National Park.
Saturday 12th 13th 14th 2008
Route 49
Along California’s historic highway 49 which is in the Sierra foothills we hope to find many interesting gold mines and old gold towns
In January 1848 A carpenter named James Marshall was building a sawmill for John Sutter (who incidentally purchased Fort Ross from the Russians.) James found several flakes of gold in a stream bed this was the start of the California Gold Rush. This find brought many thousands of people from all over the world to California for Gold, and many more thousands to support the miners, Merchants, doctors, lawyers, gamblers, ministers, Ladies!, everything a miner needs to find his gold and to be relieved of it! Towns grew up over night as gold was found in different places and of course closed just as quick. Within 2 years hordes of 49ers (as they were called) had panned out most of California’s gold bearing streambed. Only a few miners had any real idea that quantities of gold were still locked beneath the surface of the sierra. We visited “The Empire Mines” opened in 1850; it tells the story of hard rock gold mining, this was the oldest, largest and richest gold mine in the Grass Valley area. A lot of the miners here were from Cornwall they were very experienced tin miners, fetching with them their tools, their knowledge, their singing and their pasties!
There was also a MG rally in the car park!
The little town of Coloma where James Marshal found his gold is a Historic State Park with the houses and buildings being renovated or rebuilt to the original plans. We tried to get on a camp site in Coloma as we had not seen everything but the price of $48 each truck was too much for us, did they think we had found gold! Remember we want no facilities - just a parking place. We found a scruffy layby opposite a restaurant parked, up had a lovely meal, the owner gave his permission for us to park there - said his guests used it all the time, we had change!
The other town we payed a visit to was Columbia State Historic Park, this town, founded in March 1850 when gold was found, has never been a ghost town but by the 1940s buildings were very deteriorated until 1945 when a state park restoration began. Columbia now contains the largest single collection of gold rush-era structures which continue to tell the stories of these enterprising miners and merchants
Water is essential for placer mining, when the rains were gone most of the miners left until June 1851 a water company engineered and built a complex system of wooden flumes, pipes and ditches to convey water 20 miles from the Stanislaus river the miners were charged a very high toll to use this water they tried to build another but this failed. Columbia also had a bad fires in 1854 which destroyed six blocks of the town leaving only brick built buildings. A company then constructed seven cisterns beneath the streets to hold water for domestic and fire fighting in the town. It was quickly rebuilt in 1854 using locally made red brick and iron doors so that in 1857 when another fire struck all the brick builds with iron doors were left standing. One merchant doused his building with barrels of vinegar.
We also visited Indian Grinding Rock Historic Park please do not forget that before this mad gold rush Native Americans had lived in peace for centuries in this area. Once the gold rush started the people who came brought illness and disease with them which killed off hundreds of Native Americans, their food and homes were destroyed; when they tried to fight back they were killed and forcibly removed from the place they had known as home for so long. There is a great outcrop of limestone with 1,185 mortar holes these people were called “Miwok” their village and a round house (sacred dancing happens here) have been reconstructed in the middle of this valley were their history is being told.
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