Tufa tour

We took my mom today to see the south rim of Mono Lake, where the "tufa towers" are most prominent. Actually, us locals had never been to the south end before, so it was a new sight for us as well. Tufas, by the way, are limestone deposits in the very salty Mono Lake, formed underwater with the help of calcium deposits from the freshwater that flows into the lake. Tufa is so visible in Mono Lake because lake levels fell after water diversions began in 1941. The lake itself is filled with brine shrimp and is a haven for kayakers and other boaters, although not really for swimmers. (For more--or more accurate--info, see the Mono Lake Committee's website at http://www.monolake.org/about/geotufa.) The tufa towers are quite beautiful! After a short walk on the trails, Jack settled himself on the sand for a little playtime with his new truck.