The Inn Fire near Mono Lake is now 70% contained at 728 acres in size thanks to the diligent efforts of more than 500 fire personnel who responded quickly after it ignited last Thursday, May 22 at 3:30pm. The cause…
I am noticing California Gulls differently this year. Their raucous calls are a sound of summer that always makes me smile. I love their bold manners and handsome white-and-gray plumage that gets messy as they forage for food until they…
Like we did last year, yesterday my husband and I ventured up Highway 120 West on bikes and skis to check out the snow conditions at Tioga Pass. Caltrans has plowed the road clear of snow all the way up…
Reservations are now available for this summer’s Mono Lake canoe tours. Tours happen every weekend from mid-June through August and include Labor Day this year, Monday, September 1. Canoe tours are a wonderful way to experience Mono Lake. Glide through…
Did you know there’s a tiny mammal (see photo below) in the Mono Basin that had never been photographed alive until last fall? Mono Lake and the Mono Basin are full of wonders that inspire that type of question. The…
Until last fall, the Mount Lyell shrew (Sorex lyelli) was the only known mammal in California that had never been photographed alive, despite being scientifically identified more than 100 years ago. That changed in November 2024 when three researchers successfully…
This essay, written by John G. T. Anderson, appears in the 2025 Mono Lake Calendar. “frost and fire working together in the making of beauty” —John Muir “All that is holding us together is stories and compassion” —Barry Lopez “For the sake…
This year, in a significant change of operations, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) is moving less water out of the Mono Basin than the maximum allowed. Existing California State Water Resources Control Board rules allow for…
It has been a long, glorious fall season at Mono Lake this year. Warm, clear days have stretched on for weeks, lighting up the changing leaves in the canyons and enticing visitors to hike and camp long into October. Crisp…
“Today, my friends, we’ve done the right thing. Today, we saved Mono Lake.”—Marc Del Piero, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, September 28, 1994 On September 28, 1994, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued Decision 1631,…
