Restoration Week and Century
Bike-A-Thon 1997
by Kay Ogden
1996 was a year of many changes for the Mono Lake Committee, and the 17th Annual Bike-A-Thon was no exception. The traditional route from Los Angeles to Mono Lake was ridden by just a few dedicated cyclists, and a new set of exploration activities and a hundred-mile bicycle ride became the highlight of five days of activities here at Mono Lake.
Dedicated cyclists
Restoration Week started in Los Angeles on Monday, August 26th, with a handful of dedicated "Torch Bearers" who were set to ride the 350 miles to Mono Lake in record time! Denny Green, Frank Smith, George Tredick, Pete Smith, and Martha Davis met at the reflecting pools in front of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) and held a private ceremony to honor not only the important tradition of the Bike-A-Thon, but also to pay respect to Los Angeles groups who are working hard to educate and conserve water in their communities.
The riders strapped vials of collected water onto their bikes, the SAG team (that's support and gear!) collected water to be shared with Restoration Week participants at the Rehydration Ceremony later in the week, and then the caravan left in the quiet of dawn to begin the journey to Mono Lake.
Unfortunately, as Denny was riding into Palmdale at two in the afternoon (what a pace!), he was struck by a car. Denny's ride ended at the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a fractured collarbone, bruises, and road rash. We are all very grateful that Denny will fully recover and look forward to seeing him next year pedaling up Highway 395!
Exploring the Mono Basin
As the remaining Torch Bearers cycled towards Mono Lake, Restoration Week activities started in the Mono Basin on Wednesday with a 19-mile, off-road Diversion Dam bicycle ride, which passed by three of DWP's diversion dams. The ride was fairly difficult with rough roads, long climbs and over 1590' of total elevation gain! Later that day, special tours of Rush Creek and South Tufa were given by MLC staff.
The second Exploration Day started early with canoe tours of Mono Lake, which offer a way to explore the lake's unique beauty from a different perspective. The two tours were an opportunity to glide through groves of tufa towers, float alongside diving birds, and to dip paddles into swarms of brine shrimp. The afternoon featured a tour of Panum Crater, the youngest and smallest crater in the Mono Crater chain, and then an off-road bike ride up Lundy Canyon! The riders climbed over 1840' in just 18 miles, but were rewarded with spectacular views of Mono Lake. Later that evening, friends and family gathered to hear storyteller and MLC Sales Manager Tom Siewert share tales of kings, queens, talking trees, and howling wolves from his grab bag of stories.
Work by the creek
Friday was Restoration Day, and for over 30 participants it was a long, hot and wonderful day filled with much-needed hard work. Over 120 Jeffrey pines were planted and watered; an additional 225 Jeffrey pines, cottonwoods, and willows were watered; a survival tally of previously planted trees along Rush and Lee Vining creeks was conducted; and old irrigation pipe from an experimental project was picked up from Lee Vining Creek. This day would not have happened without the support of TreePeople, which nurtured the 120 Jeffrey pine seedlings throughout the summer in Los Angeles, and the guidance of Scott English, a biologist who has designed and supervised much of the restoration work along the creeks.
For those who weren't too tired, an advanced off-road bicycle ride was offered in the afternoon, and the day wrapped up with an evening discussion at the Committee Information Center and Bookstore about recent NASA research done at Mono Lake.
Just as the sun was setting, a rumor that the Torch Bearers were approaching turned out to be true. Friends and strangers lined the street to cheer on the arrivals of Pete Smith (venerable SAG driver and incredible supporter!) and George Tredick (who rode and helped SAG). Then in the dusk and up the final hill came our lone all-the-way rider and Torch Bearer, Frank Smith, to the cheers and tears of those who gathered.
Rehydration
For cyclists, Saturday brought the chance to explore the June Lake Loop in the morning; for everyone, the day was filled with the events of the Rehydration Ceremony and the Committee's Annual Meeting. Executive Director pro tem Martha Davis presided over the Rehydration Ceremony and reminded those who attended that the work to truly preserve Mono Lake and its tributary streams has just begun. Participants reached high and poured vials of water into Mono Lake to show their commitment to the continuing protection and restoration of Mono Lake and its tributaries. The water was drawn from places each individual felt to be especially significant: a barren stretch of Lee Vining Creek awaiting restoration, for example, or buckets of DWP reflecting pool water brought from L.A., or perhaps even the water tap at home.
Good food, fun, updates on stream restoration, and the opportunity to meet Storm Over Mono author John Hart made the Annual Meeting, held on Mono's north shore, a great time for all. Later, a hike along Mill and Wilson creeks with Eastern Sierra Policy Director Heidi Hopkins featured a discussion of the restoration potential of Mill Creek's deltaic bottomlands.
The Century
Sunday brought a new event offered by the MLC-a Century! The inaugural Century Ride was a 100-plus-mile journey through the scenic backcountry of the Eastern Sierra that started and finished in Lee Vining at the high school. Although the Mono Basin had been smoke-filled all week due to the fires in Yosemite, Sunday brought clear skies and clean air, a relief for the cyclists and volunteers.
Forty-three riders rode south on Highway 395 to the first rest stop, but only after climbing Deadman Summit, the first "hill" of the day. After snacking on fresh muffins and goodies donated by event sponsors, the cyclists again rode south and then turned at Benton Crossing Road. Here the road becomes a lightly traveled country road, winding up several more hills until the first lunch stop at Watterson Divide (7525'), where the view of White Mountain Peak was a main topic of conversation!
Once hydrated and full, the cyclists had a short rest before starting their next climb to Wildrose Summit, and were then rewarded with an exciting downhill. After turning west on Highway 120, riders had an incredible view of Boundary Peak followed by a ride through Adobe Valley (and all the dips!) to the next lunch stop.
Then the cyclists tackled the last incline of the day, Sagehen Summit (8139'), and coasted down the other side through the Jeffrey pine forest. Here riders had their first glimpse of Mono Lake since leaving it behind earlier in the day. After soaking up the views at the final rest stop, riders cruised back into town, where a barbecue and music were waiting for them. Century riders, Restoration Week participants, family, friends, community members and MLC staff and interns all gathered at the barbecue to say good-bye until next year and to celebrate the close of Restoration Week!
Kay Ogden is the Committee's Special Events Coordinator. She's already working on next year's ride.
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