The Road to Lake Tahoe...

Our plan was to camp on the east shore of Mono Lake, something that has been on our list for years. Ironically, what drove us away from Tahoe in August, drove us back today: SMOKE.

For hours, this was our view and even with the windows closed and the A/C on, the air quality in the truck demanded masking up.

And while the west shore of Mono Lake was clear and picturesque, our camp spot was off in the distance, under an ominous cloud of smoke.

Though we decided to speed on through, we did pause long enough to pay our respects at this gravesite, which reads:

On To The Golden Hills

RIP

Grave of the Unknown Prospector

On this site is the grave of the unknown prospector.

A reminder of the great sacrifices made by our ancestors,

who explored and settled the western frontier,

and especially to the memory of each and all of the pioneers of Mono County, whose resting place is known only to God.

May they rest in peace.

Continuing with our goal of traversing the road less traveled, we turned left on Monitor Pass. Named after the silver mining town of Monitor, silver was discovered in the district as early as 1857, but it wasn’t until rich strikes were made in the early 1860s that the community was established. By 1864, 150 buildings had been completed in the town, which was noted as the “centre of one of the richest mining districts on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.” I had no idea!

For us, it was the opportunity to see at least a little of the eye candy we've been hearing about from our Tahoe friends. We were not disappointed. WOW.