Long Live Mono Lake! Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A short hike (20 min each way) from the Mono Basin Visitor Center. 395 and Lee Vining can seem so crowded in the summer, but you'll see no human "improvements" from the cache site.
This cache celebrates the great conservation victory that has resulted in a healthier Mono Lake! Stop at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center first (open 9-4) to learn about the ecosystem of this beautiful area. From the center's parking lot at 37 57.974, 119 07.240, take the Lee Vining Creek trail on the lake-side of the center, off the patio. After big winter storms when the visitor center is closed and roads are unplowed, you may have to walk/snowshoe in from the highway, but it's beautiful and mostly level. You can return the way you came, or continue down along the creek and end in the town of Lee Vining, less than 2 miles from your starting point. You can retrace your steps or walk back along Highway 395 (carefully - several sideroads available). Mono Lake is a majestic body of water covering about 65 square miles. It is an ancient lake, over 1 million years old -- one of the oldest lakes in North America. It has no outlet. From the cache site/overlook, you can see the restoration led by the Mono Lake Committee, though the floodplain looks very natural. Be sure to stop at the Mono Lake Committee/Lee Vining Visitor Center (free entry) for maps, gifts and to donate to the MLC for the important work they are doing to restore the Mono Lake habitat.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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