The Mono Craters are among the youngest chains of volcanoes in the country, having initially erupted less than 40,000 years ago. In contrast, Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America, dating back over 760,000 years. From the southern edges of Mono Lake, the Mono Craters rise to 9169 feet. Viewed here from the north, the warm afternoon light catches their western flanks, which is partially reflected in the cold blue waters of Mono Lake, seen through barren, winter cottonwood branches.
I first saw the potential for this photogenic scene as I descended from Conway Summit on my way home from Carson City. This image was captured with my trusty Nikon F4 on Velvia film, in the days before digital, but has been scanned with a high-resolution drum scanner, and has been printed with great results.