November 10, 2021

Heading north of US395 out of Bishop, you climb about 3,000 feet up the side of a volcano and end up in the Long Valley Caldera. This caldera is similar but smaller than the Yellowstone Caldera measuring about 20 miles east to west and 10 miles north to south. On the western edge is Mammoth Mountain which is both a ski resort and a lava dome. The Long Valley, like Yellowstone is home to active geothermal locations. The most stunning is the Hot Creek Geothermal Site. Hot Creek flows from the Mammoth area though the caldera to reach the Owens River to the east. At the Hot Creek Geothermal Site, the hot springs flow into Hot Creek, hence the name. These shots were taken on two separate visits to the geothermal site, a week apart with one in the late afternoon and one in the morning.