Mono Village Camping - Day 5

Last morning on Sunday at Mono Lake Village, I got up at 5:25am to start packing so that I would have time to fish for a couple hours before we check out of the campsite. Sterling and I got up about the same time, he had a similar thought since he wanted to make solo run up to Barney Lake.

I was able to do packing and wash up before making my last try at fishing at Upper Twin Lake.

The morning time at the lake was so peaceful and the water was so still! It was certainly breath taking!

I loved being out there with nature!

And of course, I caught a nice size trout too! After cleaning my fish and buying a bag of ice to cool down it down. I got back to camp just as everyone else was packing up and started breaking down my tent. I had brought a lot of gear!! Sterling came back just in time to take down his tent too! We finally checked out about 10:30 or so.

The Pangs had to make a quick stop at the local Shell-mart station to check their van's tire pressure. We stop off to get an early breakfast / ice cream dessert at Jolly Kone in Bridgeport.

We broke for lunch early at 11:30 at Lee Vining's famous Mobile Station - "Whoa Nellie Deli"!

Most of the group except for Fiona, Melanie and I, had never tried the gourmet menu at Whoa Nellie's Deli. I had been there almost ever time I've gone up to the Eastern Sierras in last 8 years or so.

This time I tried the carnitas tortillas, it was good! Mel had the grilled swordfish, Fifi and Art both got the Lobster Taquitos, Sterling and Jason got the fish tacos with Mango Salsa, and Jill got the Ragin Cajun Chicken Jambalaya (which was what I got the week before).

After shooting our group photo by the Mobile station sign, we drove 40 miles down to Bishop to gas up.

We saw the burned out areas from the forrest fires that we heard about back at camp. The smoke were still coming off the Mt. Whitney area. Those poor firemen were in their yellow raincoats out in the middle of the dessert!

We made another pit stop at Ridgecrest (home of the China Lake Naval Weapon Station). We pulled into the local Coldstone ice cream parlor (it was 108 degrees outside)! Miss Fifi and I went next door to Home Depot to use their facilities. Strangely, they only had regular paper towels in their rest room instead of toilet paper. Well, at least it was nice and cool inside the Home Depot.

The next couple hours on 395 to interstate 15 was kinda of scary. It was a long stretch of two lane highways that went up and down like a bad roller coaster. There were tons of RV and big trailers that everyone tried to pass. It was a miracle that no one was killed in a head-on collision. There were so many close calls! My driver was cruising about 90 mph most of the way.

We all managed to make it back to the OC, safe and sound! Thanks everyone for a great camping trip!!

-DB-

Mono Village Camping - Day 4

These recycle bins were all over (too bad we didn't use 'em).


Most of the gang went on a two hour hike to Barney Lake (a whole 'nother tale there) but Art puppy-sat Brody and I went fishing in the Cove.


On my way to the Cove, I saw Bambi lurking about in the woods.


The lake was beautiful this morning!


I found a great fishing spot but didn't get a single bite! And then all these dang boats started to surround my area and throwing their lines in my spot! Curses!!!


I met Art for lunch at Mono Village Cafe (the rude waitress wasn't working the lunch shift) ...


Both of us got the "Mono Burger" which was a regular cheeseburger with a slice of hot dog wiener in the middle of it. It was good as were the fries. Unfortunately, the burger came back to haunt Art who prompt wreck the plumbing in my favorite john!

While the three of us (me, Art and Brody) were resting back at the camp, we saw the camp staff corral a black bear behind our campsite with their pickup trucks. Yogi was running back up the mountain behind us. My tent was the closest to this area but luckly we got some new neighbors moving their giant RV close by. Wonder if I should have warned them that they were in "bear country"


After the others came back, I decided to spend the rest of my Saturday fishing. I spent an hour or so in the first roadside spot with only a couple bites. Then, I walked about 200 feet or so down the road and found a really hot spot. I had bunch of hits and had my leader lines ripped by the hungry trouts!


I was fortunate to be able to pull in a couple nice ones!


I made it back for a yummy bacon wrapped hot link sandwiches! We had another bear sighting but by this time we were sort of used to seeing them. The gang went back to playing cards, ho hum.

I turned in about 10pm or so, this was our last night at the camp site. I happened to hear on the radio that evening that a forest fire had broken out on Highway 396 between Lone Pine and Independences so we didn't know if this was going to affect our trip home.

-DB-

Mono Village Camping - Day 3

Day 3, Friday started off with Art renting a boat for the day


Captain Art is ready to shove off!


"someone" is enjoy the ride


I was lucky enough to catch a couple nice sized trouts. It was a good thing that Art noticed my rod nearly got pulled in with by a trout!


We got called back for breakfast and our motor wouldn't start. Good thing the guy in the next boat (a vacationing teacher) pulled us in (you can see Art holding on to the rope).


Here are the two trouts I caught that morning. We ended up cooking them for dinner that night.


Here's Sterling with the trout he caught (and released)! Six of us went boat fishing after lunch.

Here's Miss Fifi fishing off a boulder in the lake. Right after I took this, I fell off a loose tree branch and smushed my camera monitor (I was shooting blind after this).


Here's a shot after my camera broke (not too bad).


We came back to check on Jill and Brody, Sterling put on his wetsuit and swam in.


Here's the shallow beach area where we met Jill & Brody


Now everyone is in the water



The ladies are working on dinner for this evening.

Later on we saw some bears nearby. Poor Melanie actually saw one within 3 feet when she was coming out of the ladies room! We figured out that the camp's Tri-tip BBQ cookout probably brought out all the bears into the center of the camp! Sleeping that evening was pretty scary!

-DB-

Mono Village Camping - Day 2

Breakfast @ Camp Pang!


Art check out da BIG TROUTS!


DB gets suited up for some serious trout fishing!


Meanwhile Jill takes Brody out a hike


We see a bambi right inside the woods


Jason attempts to sneak up on bambi


Here's the "Stalker" deer that followed Jill, Brody and Sterling thru the woods!


Art settles in for some fishing time


Later on, Art tried fishing off the main road


Jason catches the only fish of the day!


Back at camp, Jason and Art are preparing dinner.


Fiona and Melanie joined us on day 2.


We take a night time tour of the Twin Lakes Marina.


The guys are relaxing on our 2nd night at camp.

Later in the evening, Mel woke up to see a flames coming out the firepit (because it was so dry, no camp fires were allowed). Unfortunately, one of our mosquite coil stick ignited the pine cones in the pit and nearly cause our part of the woods to burn up. Luckly, she and Fiona with help from the Pangs were able to extingushed the fire before it got any bigger (and before the camp security came out around ... we might have gotten kicked out)! Thanks Mel for saving all of us from burning up!

-DB-


-DB-