Devil's Postpile and Yosemite

8/13/2016

Dear I-,

How are you? I got your letter. I haven't played Pokemon Go, mostly because my little brothers really liked Pokemon when it first became popular years ago. I wasn't interested in POkemon then because they were. Now, I guess that old idea is still stuck in my head! It sounds like you've been having a good time in Tokyo.

Last night, I stayed in a city called Tonopah, Nevada. This town was a gold mining town in the early 1900s. This morning, I got the chance to explore the town. I walked through the cemetery that was used from 1901-1911. I also walked in the downtown area and even checked out some really old mining equipment.

Tonopah cemetery

downtown Tonopah, Nevada

 I dropped off a couple of letters for my students at the old post office downtown then got back on the road. My next destination was Devil's Postpile in Mammoth Lakes, California.

It took a bit more than 2 1/2 hours, but I finally arrived at the shuttle bus stop. The only way to see Devil's Postpile is to take a bus to get there. The problems were that the bus ticket booth had a long line AND the nearest parking spot to the bus stop was 1/2 mile away. I was surprised by how many people were there already!

After waiting in a very long bus line and riding on the bus for 30 minutes, I arrived at the Devil's Postpile trail. I hiked the trail and arrived at the Devil's Postpile National Monument.

Earlier in my trip, I saw Devils Tower, a national monument with clusters of geometric tubes clumped together that rise out of the ground.

Devil's Postpile is a similar, unusual rock formation. This formation was created by lava around a hundred thousand (100,000) years ago. I took a bunch of photos and finished the hiking trail back to the shuttle bus. 

My next stop was Yosemite National Park. I've been there quite a few times, but this time, I entered the park from a different direction. I was able to see a part of the park I've never seen before. 

mule deer in Yosemite

along Tioga Pass

Unfortunately, I didn't get to stop very many times since I had to meet some friends at a cabin in Oakhurst, California for a camping trip. This camping trip is the very last part of my trip.  

I look forward to seeing you this week.

Your teacher,

Elaina