Friday, May 10th, 2013 by Angie, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Angie, Project SpecialistName: Angie Glaser Title: Project Specialist About: Originally from coastal Southern California, Angie answered the call of the mountains and has spent the past three summers in the Sierra, including one as the Mono Lake Committee's Canoe Coordinator. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara she worked in outdoor education and interned for the National Park Service. When she’s not paddling through swarms of brine shrimp, you can find her backpacking, climbing, or cooking really spicy Thai curry.See All Posts by Angie (25) Contact Angie
According to today’s most recent update from the National Park Service, Tioga Pass will indeed open tomorrow, May 11. While the road opening will cut hours off travel time from the Eastern Sierra to Yosemite, visitors should be prepared for very few amenities and services on the road to Yosemite Valley. Read the (more…)
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 by Greg, Information & Restoration SpecialistcloseAuthor: Greg, Information & Restoration SpecialistName: Greg Reis Title: Information & Restoration Specialist About: Since his Committee internship in 1995, Greg has been involved with Mono Basin stream restoration and with maintaining the Committee's computers, Websites, and Research Library, and researching and compiling information for our programs. His B.S. degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Forestry and Natural Resources with a concentration in Environmental Management and a Senior Project in Hydrology reflect his interests in natural resources management, watershed management, and habitat restoration. He is a member of the California Society for Ecological Restoration and he also works for the Rivers and Delta Program of The Bay Institute.See All Posts by Greg (136) Contact Greg
The Mono Lake Committee recently received the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power’s (DWP) forecast for Mono Lake levels for the 2013 runoff year (April 1, 2013–March 31, 2014). The lake level forecast is primarily based on the preliminary April 1 runoff forecast of 66%, which makes this year officially “dry.”
Despite the 2013 runoff year being officially "dry," the area around Tioga Pass still has quite a bit of snow, as this photo from April 22 shows. Photo by Angie Glaser.
Median levels of precipitation and evaporation are assumed, so after September the accuracy depends on how wet next fall and winter will be. The elevations in the table below are in feet above mean sea level. (more…)
Friday, April 26th, 2013 by Lynette, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Lynette, Project SpecialistName: Lynette Villagomez Title: Project Specialist About: A native of the Coachella Valley, Lynette attended Humboldt State University and graduated in June of 2012 with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Natural Resources Planning. She enjoys traveling, knitting, baking, collecting agates, hiking, and exploring new places. She brings her interest in water politics and environmental justice to the Mono Lake Committee, where she manages social media and assists with membership. Lynette likes to paddle board on Mono Lake and has plans to someday build her own yurt.See All Posts by Lynette (16) Contact Lynette
The combination of spring’s arrival and the opening of fishing season on April 27 is prompting many visitors to ask when campgrounds and business will begin to open in the Mono Basin. Now that Sonora Pass (Highway 108) is open as of April 24, with the possibility that Tioga Pass may open before Memorial Day weekend, Lee Vining will again be swarming with activity in no time! Here are recent updates (more…)
Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013 by Erik, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Erik, Project SpecialistName: Erik Lyon Title: About: Erik first visited the Mono Lake Committee in September 2010. He learned about the lake's natural and political history as a participant of Whitman College's "Semester in the West," a hundred-day-long environmental field studies program focused on the politics, ecology, and writing of the American West. He quickly took great interest in water policy and hydrology, and is excited to be back at Mono Lake for a third summer as a Project Specialist. At Whitman, Erik finished up a bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Biology in 2012, and returned to his alma mater later that year as a staff member for Semester in the West. When he is not at work, Erik can be found playing guitar, hiking, taking photos, and playing volleyball.See All Posts by Erik (6) Contact Erik
Looking to land the big one? Or just looking for another big fish tale? As spring’s rejuvenating sunshine melts the ice in the Eastern Sierra’s many beautiful alpine lakes, another great fishing season begins this Saturday, April 27. Mono County’s lakes and reservoirs are fully stocked with Alpers Trout from our neighbors at Conway Ranch, located just north of Mono Lake.
Upper Rush Creek between Silver Lake and Grant Lake Reservoir is a great place to fish. Photo by Elin Ljung.
Angling has long held a special place in our hearts here at the Mono Lake Committee. In 1984, long after the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) diverted four of Mono Lake’s tributaries to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a local fly fisherman (more…)
Saturday, April 20th, 2013 by Elin, Communications CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Elin, Communications CoordinatorName: Elin Ljung Title: Communications Coordinator About: Elin's job consists of some of her favorite things: finding typos, experimenting with layouts, and figuring out how best to communicate the Committee's work to the world. She also oversees the Field Seminar program. Elin is an EMT on the Lee Vining Fire Department, loves sitting at Latte Da Coffee Cafe immersed in a good book, and watches English Premier League football (soccer) at any opportunity.See All Posts by Elin (147) Contact Elin
As I passed the turnoff to Highway 120 west, Tioga Pass, on my way in to work this morning, the message on the lighted sign had changed to “Road closed 12 miles ahead.” That means the lower gate, which is three miles west of Highway 395, has been opened, allowing visitors to access the area around Tioga Pass.
With the lower gate open, the Tioga Pass area’s backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking opportunities are available. Visitors can also access Ellery Lake and Tioga Lake for next weekend’s fishing season opener. As always, watch for falling rocks, stay clear of any road crews still working, and be safe if you’re heading into the backcountry.
Friday, April 12th, 2013 by Elin, Communications CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Elin, Communications CoordinatorName: Elin Ljung Title: Communications Coordinator About: Elin's job consists of some of her favorite things: finding typos, experimenting with layouts, and figuring out how best to communicate the Committee's work to the world. She also oversees the Field Seminar program. Elin is an EMT on the Lee Vining Fire Department, loves sitting at Latte Da Coffee Cafe immersed in a good book, and watches English Premier League football (soccer) at any opportunity.See All Posts by Elin (147) Contact Elin
Tioga Pass opening date rumors begin swirling in March every year, but we have some concrete information about Tioga Pass to pass along!
A photo from a bike ride up Tioga Pass on March 25, 2013 shows the snowbank at the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Photo courtesy of a local rider from Mammoth Lakes.
Yesterday, Yosemite National Park posted an update that reports crews will begin assessing the road on Monday, April 15, but will not begin plowing until (more…)
Sunday, March 31st, 2013 by Elin, Communications CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Elin, Communications CoordinatorName: Elin Ljung Title: Communications Coordinator About: Elin's job consists of some of her favorite things: finding typos, experimenting with layouts, and figuring out how best to communicate the Committee's work to the world. She also oversees the Field Seminar program. Elin is an EMT on the Lee Vining Fire Department, loves sitting at Latte Da Coffee Cafe immersed in a good book, and watches English Premier League football (soccer) at any opportunity.See All Posts by Elin (147) Contact Elin
Last week Highway 270, the road to Bodie State Historic Park was opened after being closed all winter! Definitely plan a visit to Bodie this spring or summer—it’s a fascinating place full of stories, history, and buildings preserved to help visitors imagine 1880s life in this once-booming mining town. Bodie’s hours are currently 9:00am–3:00pm.
A view from the cemetery gate overlooking the ghost town of Bodie. Photo by Elin Ljung.
Monday, March 4th, 2013 by Elin, Communications CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Elin, Communications CoordinatorName: Elin Ljung Title: Communications Coordinator About: Elin's job consists of some of her favorite things: finding typos, experimenting with layouts, and figuring out how best to communicate the Committee's work to the world. She also oversees the Field Seminar program. Elin is an EMT on the Lee Vining Fire Department, loves sitting at Latte Da Coffee Cafe immersed in a good book, and watches English Premier League football (soccer) at any opportunity.See All Posts by Elin (147) Contact Elin
The Mono Basin Forest Service Scenic Area Visitor Center will reopen for the year on Thursday, March 14. The Visitor Center is located north of Lee Vining out on the bluff overlooking Mono Lake and Lee Vining Creek. It’s the place to get permits, see the video Of Ice & Fire, and enjoy the view of Mono Lake from the back patio. The Visitor Center is open Thursday–Monday from 9:00am until 4:30pm.
The Mono Basin Visitor Center. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
Friday, March 1st, 2013 by Arya, Communications DirectorcloseAuthor: Arya, Communications DirectorName: Arya Degenhardt Title: Communications Director About: Arya oversees the Committee's communications program, which includes the Mono Lake Newsletter. She loves her job because she gets to share the inspiring work of the Mono Lake Committee with members and visitors alike. When she's not in the office you might find her running with her dogs Dublin and Poco, volunteering with the Lee Vining Fire Department, listening to any music with a banjo in it, or willing the plants in her garden to grow. Her favorite things to do in the Mono Basin include ice skating on nearby lakes, skiing the Mono Craters, and getting to smell the sagebrush when it rains.See All Posts by Arya (97) Contact Arya
As sequester cuts start to take effect, people everywhere are starting to translate what it all actually means, including here at Mono Lake. It is well known that cycles of life, tourism, and thus, the economy, in the Eastern Sierra are intertwined with the opening and closing of the Tioga road which connects us to the rest of California through Yosemite. We will be watching closely as events unfold and will keep you posted (more…)
Friday, February 15th, 2013 by Erica, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Erica, Project SpecialistName: Erica Tucker Title: Project Specialist About: Erica learned about Mono Lake Committee while attending the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. She previously taught environmental education in Yosemite National Park and worked as a manager for a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit. During the winter of 2011-2012 she took a birding-focused, 13,000-mile cross country road trip, worked as a milker on a dairy goat farm, and built an 8’ x 16’ tiny house. Erica knows all the good birding spots around Mono Lake and is happy to share them!See All Posts by Erica (13) Contact Erica
It’s a sunny morning as I park by Old Marina and strap on my skis. Do I have my binoculars around my neck? Check. Pen and paper in pocket? Check. Dog treats for my housemate’s puppy, who is ready to go? Check. We’re off on my weekly assignment to monitor Mono Lake’s level.
Equipment for accessing the lake level gauge in winter. Photos by Erica Tucker.
This task was a quick one in the autumn—just a look at the gauge at Old Marina and then a quick drive southeast to the old DWP dock to check the second gauge. Once we got snow (more…)
