The Ooolation Singers will perform tonight at the Forest Service Visitor Center in Lee Vining, beginning at 7:00pm as the sun sets. Admission is free, and you’ll want to arrive early to get a good seat! This concert celebrates the splendor of the Eastern Sierra with splashes of dulcimer, dance, and percussion in songs from all over the world—it’s not to be missed.

What is Ooolation? Ooolation is a summer vocal experience made up of teenage and young adult singers. They come from across the country to camp in the mountains above Mono Lake for two intense weeks of singing, percussion, and performance. (more…)

Beginning August 1 boaters can visit Negit Island (pictured), Paoha Island, and Mono Lake’s islets.

The islands are closed to boaters from April 1 to August 1 each year, in order to protect the nesting population of California Gulls. The gulls are nearing the end of their breeding season, so now visitors can take the opportunity to explore Mono Lake’s distinctive islands.

As always, when you boat on Mono Lake, be aware of the weather forecast, take more food and water than you think (more…)

Will you be in Lee Vining on Saturday morning, July 17? If not, you might want to consider a trip just for this….

From 7:00—11:00am you can get the best pancakes around at the Lee Vining Community Center. This gourmet breakfast fundraiser benefits Lee Vining High School, and with the recent consolidation of Lee Vining High with the Eastern Sierra Academy, a lot of exciting projects need funding.

If you’ve been to the Whoa Nellie Deli, then you know what kind of delicious food Chef Matt “Tioga” Toomey turns out … and you won’t want to miss his pancakes. The menu includes (more…)

The County Park boardwalk has reopened; go for a visit today! Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

The recently-burned Mono Lake County Park boardwalk has been reopened to the public after last week’s fire. State Park crews replaced the burned section with new boards and applied a coat of linseed oil to the entire boardwalk, which will protect it from the Mono Basin’s dry weather and harsh sun. So head down to County Park and take a stroll to the lakeshore to enjoy the multitudes of birds, sweeping views, and the reopened boardwalk!

Get ready for the seventh annual Ghosts of the Sagebrush Tour on July 30-31, a two-day event that will explore the year 1940 in the Mono Basin! Enjoy dinner and dancing on Friday night, and then head out into the field on Saturday for a tour of aqueduct facilities that (more…)

The ninth annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua was another rousing success, wrapping up on Sunday afternoon with great music by Kris Delmhorst & Jeffrey Foucault and delicious food benefitting Lee Vining High School.

For more photos from the 2010 Chautauqua, check out the Mono Lake Committee’s Flickr set and join the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua group to add your images to the collection. And mark your calendar right away for the tenth anniversary of the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua: June 17–19, 2011!

Jeffrey Foucault & Kris Delmhorst drew from their repertoire of songs about birds for the Chautauqua crowd. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

Rob, Bob, Lundy, and Rena prepared tasty meals as a fundraiser for Lee Vining High School. Photo by Elin Ljung.

First the bad news:
According to Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher, Tioga Pass (Highway 120) will not open for this Memorial Day weekend. No opening date is in sight, but crews are working hard to open the road for the busy summer season. Stay tuned here to the Mono-logue and check the California Department of Transportation website for the latest news.

Sonora Pass (Highway 108) is not open. (As of 5pm it is open)

The good news:

Monitor Pass (Highway 89) has reopened today, according to the Bishop CalTrans office.

Luckily, the lower gate on the east side of Tioga Pass is now open, allowing skiers easy access to the abundant new snow in the Tioga Pass area.

A chilly and beautiful spring day at Mono Lake. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

This Memorial Day weekend, unseasonable cold weather may complicate your plans to visit Mono Lake, Yosemite National Park, and the rest of the Sierra Nevada region. To make sure your visit during this beautiful part of the year goes smoothly, here’s what you can do:

—check the weather forecast
—check road conditions
—and plan your routes accordingly!

WEATHER
Even though it’s nearly June, winter has kept a firm grip on the Mono Basin. Snow is predicted for Friday, but the sun (more…)

Whether you fly fish or prefer to spin cast, take out your float tube or stand on the shore, look for stream riffles or the glassiest lakes, fishing season in the Eastern Sierra has something for everyone. The 2010 fishing season opens this Saturday, April 24 … do you have everything you need?

Licenses
Anyone age 16 or older must have a valid fishing license. New this year: no longer do (more…)

Here in Lee Vining we wait for calling California Gulls, melting snows, and warming temperatures to tell us that spring has arrived each year. But there are other signs of spring as well, and among the most eagerly-awaited is opening day at the Mono Cone!

Arya, Lisa, Greg, and Erika bask in the warm sprintime sun after a big Mono Cone meal! Photo by Elin Ljung.