Top 10 Travel Photos: 2009

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• Outstanding images +Jeff Sullivan. I wish you the best in 2016. Happy New Year.

• İ can just tell amazing..whats name of this place..

• سال نو بر تمامی مسیحیان عزیز مبارک باد ارزوی صلح سلامت امنیت ارامش برای همه دارم .میلاد عیسب علیه السلام مبارک.

• Beautiful...

• +Melvin Cownzowfski Yes, that is where I took the photo. I live about an hour north of there.

• +Jeff Sullivan Thanks for your confirmation of my suspicion of the location. I lived in Southern CA for 19 years and have been there, (Mono Lake) even if long, long, ago in the mid to late 1970's. When I was there there were loads of flies and other similar bothersome insects flying about. I seem to remember a rather strongly unpleasant smell associated with this area as well. In any case, I thank you once again.

• +Melvin Cownzowfski Fortunately the alkali flies are completely unlike common houseflies. They have no interest in people whatsoever, and they mostly are found along the damp edges of the lake, within about 6 feet of the water's edge. Their populations have dropped considerably over recent decades, as diversions of water from the creeks flowing into the lake have lowered the lake level, and increased its salinity from about 1.5X as salty as the ocean to nearly 3X. It's an ecological disaster for the millions of birds that use the lake for nesting or feeding on their migration routes, especially after the loss of Owens Lake and the majority of the wetlands in California's Central Valley as well.

• +Jeff Sullivan That's sad! As one who lived in So. CA for 19 years, and always had a great appreciation for the natural beauty of the State and it's wildlife,I find it disheartening to learn of this. I was just wondering, do you know if the Owens River is still a good trout fishing area? I remember, long ago, somewhere around 1980 or thereabout, catching a large (to me anyhow) German Brown there. It was about 23 inches long and an excellent fighter ...and yes, it was also delicious.

• +Melvin Cownzowfski The trout fishing can be excellent in the Owens River, especially above Crowley Lake and below Pleasant Valley reservioir (near the campground managed by Inyo County, upstream from the town of Bishop).

• +Jeff Sullivan Thanks! It's nice to know that trout fishermen in CA can still enjoy that area's trout fishing waters. ;-)