We missed winter last year. There was little snow in the Mono Basin during the 2011/2012 season, and sometimes you forgot that it was winter. Hikers freely roamed the high country in December 2011, and Tioga Pass remained open well into January 2012. One year later: a week’s worth of winter storms have nearly erased our memory. Now there is snow to play in and a dramatic, new landscape to discover. If you drop everything to see Mono Lake and her snow-dressed mountains, don’t forget your skis, snowshoes, tire chains, and budget some extra time to get around. You will not be disappointed.