June 21st, 2017 by Michael, Mono Lake InterncloseAuthor: Michael, Mono Lake InternName: Michael Morris Title: Mono Lake Intern About: After growing up in New England and receiving a degree in environmental science at the University of Vermont, the west coast is calling Michael's name. With a passion for restoring natural ecosystems and community involvement, he is extremely excited to explore the Sierra Nevada this summer! In his free time Michael loves to ski, hike, play Ultimate Frisbee and lay in his hammock.See All Posts by Michael (1) Contact Michael
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After hearing about Mono Lake from a former intern, I had to check out the area for myself.
This year’s seasonal staff get an orientation to the Mono Basin’s complex plumbing from Executive Director Geoff McQuilkin, center. Photo by Michael Morris.
I was raised in Massachusetts and was lucky enough to attend college at the University of Vermont, but I had never traveled west past South Dakota before! The aspect that I love most about my time so far in the Mono Basin is how new everything is, from the massive mountains to the crazy weather. Here are some photos from my first few weeks as a summer intern: … more »
June 17th, 2017 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 grew up in on California’s Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (286) Contact Elin
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Caltrans will open the “lower gate” on Highway 120 west, Tioga Pass, on Monday, June 19 at 2:00pm.
This gate will be opened on Monday, June 19, 2017 at 2:00pm. Photo by Elin Ljung.
The lower gate is located 3.5 miles west of Highway 395, and when it is open visitors and locals can access the high country near the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. The park gate will remain closed; access to Tuolumne Meadows and beyond is still not possible by car.
The area of Tioga Pass around the park gate is still mostly snow-covered, lakes are covered in old unstable ice, and creeks and rivers are running very fast and cold, so be prepared for those conditions if you plan to recreate there once the lower gate is open.
June 15th, 2017 by Julissa, Canoe CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Julissa, Canoe CoordinatorName: Julissa Rosales Title: Canoe Coordinator About: Julissa graduated from Pacific University in Oregon with a degree in Environmental Studies. Born and raised on the Central Coast of California, she has developed a deep passion for the environmental non-profit community and has been involved with programs such as AmeriCorps and Audubon California. Her favorite forms of water are rain, streams, wetlands, and lakes. Her hobbies include crochet crafts, dancing, listening to music, birding, and yoga.See All Posts by Julissa (1) Contact Julissa
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The 16th annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua culminates on Sunday, June 18 with a free celebration at Mono Lake County Park, just five miles north of Lee Vining. This picnic and concert in the park is a fun event for people of all ages and a great way to get out and celebrate Father’s Day!
On Sunday, join us on Mono Lake County Park’s shady lawn while listening to live music by the Bodie 601 Band. Photo by Erv Nichols.
Join us to relax and unwind while dining on tasty BBQ and listening to wonderful live music. The Bodie 601 Band is best described as a combination of traditional folk, bluegrass, and alternative music with fiery fiddle soloing, smoking hot guitar styling, thumping upright bass, and powerful rhythm. Plan to buy a $10 picnic lunch that supports Lee Vining High School or bring your own and enjoy the lush summer scenery at the park. … more »
June 14th, 2017 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 grew up in on California’s Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (286) Contact Elin
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Photo by Robbie Di Paolo.
The ASO survey data arrived from the June 5 flight, and in a nutshell? There’s A LOT of water still contained up in the snowpack. The data for the Rush Creek watershed indicates that 64% of the April 1st snowpack remains, containing about 78,000 acre-feet of water. At this time last year—a drought year—only about 10,500 acre-feet of water was left in the meager Rush Creek snowpack. This year at the start of June there’s over seven times more water up in the snowpack, much of which will melt and flow into Mono Lake!
Check back during this runoff season for more stream restoration updates here on the Mono-logue—you can also find them all by clicking on the “2017 runoff” tag, below.
June 13th, 2017 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 grew up in on California’s Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (286) Contact Elin
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This just in from Caltrans—Sonora Pass (Highway 108) is scheduled to open today at 2:00pm.
From the press release: “The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) would like to notify the traveling public that State Route (SR) 108 over Sonora Pass is scheduled to open today at 2 p.m. Snow and debris have been removed and work to ensure the traveling public’s safety is finishing up.
“The State Route opening is dependent on favorable weather. If the area is impacted by inclement weather Caltrans may have to re-close the highway.
“Caltrans would like to also remind travelers of the truck restrictions recently enacted on SR 108 and advise big rig drivers to continue to use an alternate route.”
June 12th, 2017 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 grew up in on California’s Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (286) Contact Elin
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Photo by Bartshe Miller.
The Mono Lake Committee’s 2017 seasonal staff have arrived and are getting two weeks of training about all things Mono Lake. On Friday, June 9 they were in the field with Executive Director Geoff and Education Director Bartshe, checking out the streams in the south part of the basin: Lee Vining, Parker, Walker, and Rush creeks.
Here they are at a section of lower Rush Creek known as “Channel 8.” In most years, the channel right behind where the staff are standing is dry. But this year there’s enough water to fill the channel from bank to bank, rejuvenating the water table, depositing new sediment, spreading seeds, and bringing new life back to the Rush Creek bottomlands.
Check back during this runoff season for more stream restoration updates here on the Mono-logue—you can also find them all by clicking on the “2017 runoff” tag, below.
June 11th, 2017 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 grew up in on California’s Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (286) Contact Elin
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Photo by Bartshe Miller.
Wednesday afternoon (June 7) at the Rush Creek culvert on Test Station Road: On this hot afternoon the creek was running at about 820 cubic feet per second when Education Director Bartshe Miller took the UC Santa Cruz Natural History Field Quarter class on a tour of the Mono Basin’s complex plumbing. It’s great to see the water so brown and turbid—that means sediments are getting moved downstream toward the Rush Creek delta, where they will get deposited, improving the delta habitat for birds and animals.
Check back during this runoff season for more stream restoration updates here on the Mono-logue—you can also find them all by clicking on the “2017 runoff” tag, below.
June 11th, 2017 by Lily, Information Center & Bookstore ManagercloseAuthor: Lily, Information Center & Bookstore ManagerName: Lily Pastel Title: Information Center & Bookstore Manager About: Lily stocks the store with educational, handmade, local, and ecologically friendly merchandise and keeps operations functioning efficiently. She graduated from Humboldt State University in May 2014, where she majored in Environmental Science. Contact Lily with questions or feedback about the items we carry, if you would like to place an order for Mono Lake Committee merchandise, if you have questions about an existing order, if you have questions about or need assistance with our online store, or if you are a vendor or artisan who would like us to carry your work.See All Posts by Lily (46) Contact Lily
Starting Thursday, June 15 the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore will be open 8:00am–9:00pm daily. Photo by Lily Pastel.
Stop by to get information about what to do in the area, find out where to stay or camp, learn about Mono Lake’s fascinating history, or pick up a field guide, novel, or souvenir. Watch the 30-minute Mono Lake Story film, peruse our gallery of artwork by Eastern Sierra printmaker Katherine Case, and enjoy the view of Mono Lake from the front patio.
We look forward to welcoming you to Mono Lake and Lee Vining!
June 10th, 2017 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 grew up in on California’s Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (286) Contact Elin
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Photo courtesy of Sally Miller.
Upper Lee Vining Creek has been flooding the meadows in Lee Vining Canyon for a few weeks, as water flowing at volumes between 300 and 500 cubic feet per second cascades from the reservoirs and melting snow near Tioga Pass. The creek alternates between deceptively tranquil flat water in the meadows and roaring rapids in the rocky sections of the canyon, bringing sediment and beneficial flooding to lower Lee Vining Creek, the creek delta, and eventually Mono Lake.
Check back during this runoff season for more stream restoration updates here on the Mono-logue—you can also find them all by clicking on the “2017 runoff” tag, below.
June 10th, 2017 by Andrew, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Andrew, Project SpecialistName: Andrew Youssef Title: Project Specialist About: Originally from outside Atlanta, Georgia, Andrew attended Vanderbilt University to study psychology. After graduating, he taught middle-school science in Glendale, Arizona where he enjoyed working with youth and sharing his passion for the sciences. While living out West, Andrew also developed a love for the wilderness and the outdoors after visiting and exploring many iconic National Parks. During summer 2014, Andrew volunteered in the Interpretation Division of Yosemite National Park, working at the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, and also gave many different naturalist programs for visitors of all ages. He was a Mono Lake Intern during the summer of 2015 and ran the canoe program during the summer of 2016, and is now staying on for a second winter as Project Specialist. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and birding.See All Posts by Andrew (29) Contact Andrew
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The sixteenth annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua kicks off next week with over 300 participants, over 50 presenters, and more than 100 programs! Many programs are still open, including some free programs open to all, so take a look and sign up for them before they fill. You can find full trip descriptions for all of the open trips on the Chautauqua website.
Bullock’s Orioles are one of the species you could spot at the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. Photo by Santiago Escruceria.
