Monitor Pass, California

After a lazy morning we decided we’d take a drive up highway 89 over Monitor Pass to Markleeville.

On Highway 395 a sign tells you whether or not the high Sierra passes of Tioga, Monitor and Sonora are open or closed.

Monitor Pass was open, so we followed the steep, winding road up through a canyon and high into the mountains, before dropping down on the other side.

We drove through lovely wide open meadows with beautiful stands of aspen glowing in the afternoon sunshine, before we arrived at Heenan Lake.

Heenan Lake is a pretty spot and is home to an endangered trout called the ‘lahonten’.   The bears in the area are big predators of the fish and as the bears come out of hiberbation in May, you might just see a bear standing in the creek catching the fish as they come to spawn.

Naturally the bears neither know nor care that the fish they’re happily munching on are on the endangered list. 

We spent so long at the lake that we never did make it to Markleeville, maybe next time.   On our way back there were some spectacular views.

Have fun, we are!