The road (Highway 270) to Bodie is now open, and you can drive to one and a half miles of the park. At that point you need to park at the gate—be sure not to block it—and walk, ski, or snowshoe the rest of the way into Bodie. Skis, snowshoes, or good boots are still necessary to walk around the town of Bodie as well.

California’s state parks are a valuable part of the state’s cultural and natural history.

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"American Dipper" by Lisa Walraven.

Artist Lisa Walraven of North Carolina creates joyful, distinctive paintings of birds and other animals. Drawing from her work in wildlife rehabilitation and as a bird bander, Walraven’s love of the natural world is evident in her simple yet evocative work. We are excited to feature (more…)

The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore will be closed Tuesday, January 18th for our annual inventory. We will be open all other days next week from 9:00am to 5:00pm. We apologize for any inconvenience.

When winter descends on the Mono Basin, the rest of the world seems to disappear. The fog closes in, the roads are more difficult to navigate, and the only sounds outside are the chirping of birds and the hum of the snowplow. Many visitors and members can’t visit Mono Lake in the winter because of the weather and the long drive. Here is a sample of life during winter in the Mono Basin:

Part of the Mono Lake Committee staff's winter job description is snow removal! Here, drifting snowflakes obscure our open sign during a big storm last winter. Photo by Rosanne Catron.

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As the Information Center & Bookstore Manager, I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time interacting with visitors who walk into our store. Some are members and know the lake well, and some have never even heard of Mono Lake before and just desperately want to use the bathroom. One of the best aspects of working with the public so much is the opportunity to talk to people about the wonders of Mono Lake. I love  seeing how inspired and excited people get as they hear our story—the ups and downs, the difficulties and victories, and the work we do now.

Another one of my favorite parts about working at the counter is hearing people’s positive feedback about our Information Center and the Mono Basin. Visitors rave about our books, gifts, wonderful seasonal staff, and the magic of their time down at the tufa towers. Members reminisce about meeting David Gaines, the time they rode in the Bike-A-Thon, or the moment they first visited the Mono Basin and saw the lake teeming with brine shrimp and flies. Sometimes people email me days after their visit to share a story or thank a specific staff member for their help. Recently I received a chocolate bar all the way from Germany as a thank you for helping some travelers when their car broke down!

Our store is an amazing place to hear about people’s encounters with Mono Lake, whether it’s their first time visiting the lake, or one of many stretching back over the years. To our visitors from both near and far, and our members: thank you for your stories and kind words!

Will you be passing through Lee Vining during the holidays? Come visit us! We will be open from 9 am to 5 pm, with the following exceptions:

Friday, 12/24: Open 9 am to 1 pm only.
Saturday, 12/25: Closed all day.
Monday, 12/27: Closed all day.
Saturday, 1/1/2011: Closed all day.

The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore is located in downtown Lee Vining. Look for the shoveled path into the store on the west side of Highway 395.

Did you know there are two ways to shop and support Mono Lake at the same time?

The first is to visit our online store—we have a unique selection of gifts and books, and 100% of the sales benefit the Mono Lake Committee.

This week's winter storm at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

You can also help support the Mono Lake Committee while you are shopping at Amazon!  Just visit Shop For Mono Lake, click on the link to Amazon, and with each and every Amazon purchase you make the Mono Lake Committee will get 5% of the sale.  Keep in mind—you have to click on the link through Shop for Mono Lake in order to give the Mono Lake Committee 5%, so you may want to bookmark the page: www.shopformonolake.org. Every time you shop, you’ll be helping Mono Lake as well.

On Wednesday, December 1 the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore and the Mono Lake Committee offices will be closed all day for our annual staff retreat. On Thursday we will be open as usual from 9:00am until 5:00pm.

"Mono," the new book by David Carle, is now available at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore.

Join us in celebrating the release of David Carle’s new book, MONO, on Thursday, December 9 from 4:00–6:00pm at the Mono Lake Committee.

David Carle’s many non-fiction books explore relationships between people and the California environment. Now, through historical fiction, he enters the minds and hearts of a generation shaped by the Great Depression and facing the threat of world war. MONO confronts the question, ‘What were they thinking back then, as choices were made that endangered Mono Lake and its tributary streams?’

Between 1934 and 1941, the City of Los Angeles sent 2,000 men to work on aqueducts and an 11-mile tunnel beneath volcanic craters in the Mono Basin. MONO tells the story of biologist (more…)

Volunteers at volunteer graduation in June 2010. Photo courtesy of Janet Carle.

On Thursday, September 9th we acknowledged another wonderful summer of volunteers in the Mono Basin! The party included volunteers’ anecdotes of memorable events during the summer, a BBQ and potluck, and a trivia contest. I loved hearing volunteers’ stories (more…)