Last week an “iron ranger” was installed at Old Marina—it is a key piece of keeping the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve open and financially viable.

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Interpretive Specialist Dave Marquart at Old Marina explaining how the new parking fee keeps the park open. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

Visitors who drive to Old Marina can now deposit their $3 per-vehicle parking fee into the iron ranger and know that it helps ensure the park stays open.

What if (more…)

The Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve boardwalk located at County Park will be closed tomorrow, May 31, to be resealed with linseed oil. Visitors will not be able to visit the boardwalk, but County Park itself will still be open to the public.

The Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve boardwalk at County Park last winter. Photo by Rose Catron.

The Inyo National Forest welcomed a new Deputy District Ranger to the Mammoth-Mono Lake District in early May. Sarah Tomsky takes up the position after interim ranger Lesley Yen’s four-month temporary detail and former ranger Mike Schlafmann’s transfer to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington state. (more…)

On Friday, May 25 the fence in front of the Committee’s remodel was opened, allowing visitors in town for Memorial Day weekend to walk up the new steps and across the new deck into our Information Center & Bookstore. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and concrete specialists all worked hard to make this happen, and we were happy they did so.

We were even happier when we realized that we were celebrating an anniversary—on the very same day in 1979, the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore first opened its doors! What great serendipity.

Rose and Morgan enjoy the new front steps last Friday. Photo by Geoff McQuilkin.

An exciting project called Digital 395 is bringing fast broadband internet service to the Eastern Sierra, and construction starts in the next few weeks. The fiber optic line is expected to “light up” in mid-2013, opening the door to many new opportunities currently unavailable in our rural area.

Digital 395 has successfully worked through the environmental approval process, and construction has started (more…)

This morning we changed the angle of the Remodel Cam to show the metal frame of our roughly ten-foot-square Mono Lake map out in front of the store. The map will be filled with blue concrete sometime in the next week, with a pale stain for Paoha Island and a dark stain for Negit Island. Keep your eye on the cam to see the concrete map take shape….

Staff and contractors admire the lake frame before getting it oriented just right. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

A cool detail about the map—the concrete slab around the lake needs seams in order to (more…)

Construction continues at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore, but don’t worry, we are open for business as usual. Due to our office spring cleaning and Memorial Day weekend, our schedule will vary quite a bit over the coming week.

Deck and boulders at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

We are currently open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, seven days a week. However, this Wednesday, May 23, we will be closed until 1:30pm for spring cleaning, and open from 1:30 to 5:00pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

We are open longer hours for Memorial Day weekend. From Friday, May 25 through Monday, May 28, we are open from 8:00am to 6:00pm. We will resume our regular hours, 9:00am to 5:00pm, on Tuesday, May 29.

I must start here with an apology for the tongue-in-cheek pun that is the title of this Mono-logue post, which is actually an update on the Mono Lake Committee’s Information Center & Bookstore storefront improvement project. I’m afraid that from my vantage point sitting in the corner of the building closest to the storefront construction project, it simply cannot be avoided. The warm spring combined with the daily activity happening within arms-reach and earshot of my desk chair means that our door opens out onto all the action.

One of the neatest things so far has been the installation of six large boulders around which the front steps are being built. The rocks were carefully drawn into the architects’ plans, so we’ve been excited about them the whole time, but actually making them happen has been unexpectedly cool. (more…)

The Old Schoolhouse Museum, run by the Mono Basin Historical Society, is a great spot to visit in Lee Vining. Located on Mattly Avenue next to Hess Park, the museum’s hours will be 10:00am–4:00pm Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 12:00–4:00pm, starting on Friday, May 25. They’ll be closed on Tuesdays.

This is the Old Schoolhouse Museum’s 25th year in operation, and it has displays about mining, pioneer, and Kutzadika’a Paiute history of the Mono Basin. It is also home to the famous Upside-Down House, which you can see on the lawn. For more information, call (760) 647-6461.

State Park Ranger Jim Pence at Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. Photo by Clare Cragan.

Friends, family, co-workers, and colleagues gathered on Saturday, May 12 to celebrate State Park Ranger Jim Pence’s retirement from six years serving in the Mono Basin, and over 32 years of State Park Ranger experience in California. Before serving at Bodie State Historic Park and the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Jim (more…)