21/10/2019 - Yosemite National Park → Tenaya Lake → Ellery Lake → Mono Lake → Carson City / USA (303 Kilometers)

Shortly after sunrise, we woke up in the middle of the park. We drove to the Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley and unfortunately had to be told that the nearest waterfall we wanted to hike to has no water. So we took a great hike through the meadows along the Merced River. We saw painters capturing the beautiful landscapes and some deer grazing. Simply a dreamlike nature, the pictures speak for themselves. After spending a few more hours in the valley, we slowly drove out and enjoyed a final view of the vast forests, waterfalls, and giant rocks from above. We drove through the national park for a long time, as its total area is 3,081 square kilometers. Along the way, we made a stop in the middle of the forest. Here, too, there are giant sequoia trees and various tall coniferous trees with gigantic cones.

On the road leading east out of the national park, there are several lakes. We stopped at Tenaya Lake and enjoyed the great view once again.

At Ellery Lake, just outside the park, we saw our first snow of the year.

We crossed Tioga Pass, at an altitude of 3,513 meters, to Mono Lake. Here, the nature looks completely different again, no tall trees and waterfalls, but beautiful tufa formations. Mono Lake is a soda lake, it is particularly alkaline and very salty. Not many animals and plants can tolerate these harsh environmental conditions well. However, the few species that do exist have developed in very high numbers. We watched a huge area full of flies at the edge of the lake.

In the evening, we arrived in Carson City, the capital of the state of Nevada, for our overnight stay.