Mono Basin Journal
A roundup of less political events at Mono Lake
by Geoff McQuilkin
You know spring is edging in when you see
bluebirds balanced atop the highway snowstakes. They look
dubiously at the piles of snow beneath the trees and dart
off to the warm, bright patches of light between the
Jeffrey pines.
Other signs of spring are unavoidable as well: the weather warms slightly, the days expand, Orion sets early, snow melts out from the sunny spots in town, the creeks increase in vigor, and fresh flags snap in the wind at the Mono Cone.
Spring clouds begin to appear as well. In late March, one long thin cloud—two miles of moisture—perched over Mt. Ritter. It dipped at its center, making the cloud appear to have wings, a giant white gull leading the flock in from the coast for summer nesting at Mono.
Avalanche chutes are another sign of spring, for now they are full of hard-packed, debris-saturated snow while the surrounding ground is bare. Reminders of winter storms, the chutes’ snakelike paths off Mt. Gibbs and straight courses down from the Warren Bench are lingering reminders of the big snow storms now gone by.
With the change of season, the night gets darker. In mid winter the snowy mountains glow in the moonlight; now they are darker, absorbing light, inviting us with their newfound accessibility.
Return to Spring 1999
Newsletter
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|