1999-02-17 - Lee Vining, CA - Rectangle

Lighted, rectangular shape hovering over 13,400 foot Mt. Warren in the Eastern Sierra. Prominent light was a red strobe that circled the vehicle at a high rate, with at least two additional white lights on the side of the vehicle. At ten miles the object was barely covered by one's thumb, making it quite large, possibly 1000 feet in diameter. Observed with 10 X 50 binoculars by two friends who called me while I was watching the Fox UFO special that was airing at the same time. I drove out to a vantage point overlooking the Mono Basin, but the vehicle had disappeared by the time I reached the vantage point, my friends stating that it gradually faded away rather than flying away as an aircraft might do. It's interesting to note that this area has had numerous sightings in the past, the most recent being in Dec. 1998 when a lighted object was seen over Mono Lake flying west towards Yosemite National Park.

Observers are long time friends of the reporter. Their home is situated approximately 10 miles NE of the location of the sighting. Weather was good, partly cloudy, no moon. Venus and Jupiter, now situated in the western sky, had already set. Observers have seen UFOs in the past. The area where they live is remote, near the Ca-Nv. border. Sighting is unusual because of the size of the UFO, as described.