After my visit in Yosemite, CA last month, From there, I drove back over the Monitor pass to Bodie, located in Bridgeport, CA. It was a beautiful drive and fortunately I was able to see it all before the fires hit. My deepest sympathy goes out to all those affected by the recent fires in northern CA.
It was late in June when I passed by a herd of sheep grazing on the green hillside.
I love birds, and was happy to see this violet green swallow nesting in the side of this building.This colorful bird kept bringing food to her little ones tucked safely away inside.
The closer I got to Bodie, the wide open spaces captured me with their beauty.
At last I arrived and jumped right in to exploring the old ghost town. In 1859 gold was discovered in Bodie, by W.S. Bodey after whom the town is named. At one time Bodie's mines produced gold valued at more than $100 million!
Old machinery holds such a fascination for me. I don't even know what it was used for, I just love the shapes, lines and color.
I also love windows, and this side of the building had windows upon windows!
Colorful old machinery and lanterns tmade me want to get out my paints and create.
Peeking through the windows of one building led to this scene.
I walked in the heat, sweating profusely, as I took pictures of the wagons and old barns.
This picture above is a safe, for storing money and valuables. I found it when I peeked through the door of the crumbling brick building below. James S. Cain was a pioneer banker and miner who moved to Bodie and set up shop in this building. At one time he owned the only bank in Mono County.
Some of the buildings have been reinforced, in order to keep them from falling over. Not everyone is happy about the changes made to Bodie, but if they weren't made, nothing would remain standing.
After I left Bodie, I drove down Highway 395 to Obsidian Dome, an otherworldly place I had never seen. The dome was created by an explosion that took place when magma reached the water table, turned the water to steam, and pushed the magma up to cool and form rock.
The USDA has a website for Obsidian Dome, and there is also a campground nearby. An amazing place that is just mind boggling.
After camping overnight near Obsidian Dome, I continued down Highway 395 and stopped at Fossil Falls. A short trail takes you down to the falls. This is not your usual waterfall, but is actually the polished remnants of a 20,000 year old lava flow. In the back of the picture, you can see a spot of red, which belongs to a man hiking with two young boys. It gives you a little bit of an idea how huge the place is. By then, the temperature was over 100 degrees and it was all I could do to just get back to my car without fainting from heat exhaustion! With Fossil Falls being my last stop, I finished the drive home and ended my month long Sierra trip.
