Archive - 2013 - News Article
May 28th
A local on a backcountry ice skating trip initially reported the damage
It was a clear, starlit night in the second week of December 2011, and long-time Eastern Sierra photographer John Dittli was hiking from June Lake to Reds Meadow after a backcountry ice-skating trip when he started to notice something strange.
Trees—huge, thick-barked, three-and four-feet-in-diameter trees—down across the trail.
Bringing back one of California's iconic native trout—under much pressure, controversy, and change—is the subject of the Tuesday, May 28, Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL) "Green Church lecture."
WHAT: "Lahonton Cutthroat Trout Recovery in the Face of Climate Change" by Dawne Becker Emery, Environmental Scientist, Calif. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Green Church, corner of Benton Crossing Road and U.S. 395
Free and open to the public. Seating is limited
For more information contact: Leslie Dawson, ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
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By
George Shirk- Times Managing Editor
The future is … in the future
There was no hand-wringing or shortened breaths; no anxiety or rattled nerves.
Rather, the Mammoth Recreation Commission on Tuesday, May 21, engaged in a kind of recreational cartography, aimed ultimately at putting Mammoth’s recreation priorities on a single, easy-to-read map.
“We’re trying to see what the process is going to be,” said Sean Turner, a commission member who was in on the think tank.
After years of wrangling over location and scope, players draft first plan
Bridgeport may get a brand new high-tech, multi-use, multi-agency visitor center sometime in the next few years after years of arguments and disagreements finally gave way to a new spirit of cooperation.
Even better, according to a report by the organizers and proposed anchor tenants, there is a clear consensus that the new facility will be as much a cultural center as an interpretive center; a place for music, art and even an artist in residence.
Snow has melted from most Eastern Sierra trails, clearing the way for the annual ATV & UTV Jamboree from June 11 to 15.
Based in Walker and Coleville in northern Mono County, there are 20 different guided trail rides, leading riders to summit peaks, scenic vistas, and meadows teeming with wildflowers.
Guests will also learn about the area’s history and enjoy camaraderie with fellow ATV and UTV (all-terrain and utility vehicle) enthusiasts.
Bringing back one of California's iconic native trout—under much pressure, controversy, and change—is the subject of tonight's (Tuesday, May 28) Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL) "Green Church lecture:"
WHAT: "Lahonton Cutthroat Trout Recovery in the Face of Climate Change" by Dawne Becker Emery, Environmental Scientist, Calif. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Green Church, corner of Benton Crossing Road and U.S. 395
Free and open to the public. Seating is limited
For more information contact: Leslie Dawson, ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
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May 24th
Forest makes plans for the next 20 years
Much of what makes the Eastern Sierra the Eastern Sierra—its high granite peaks, its mountain creeks, its wildlife, and wildness—is under the management of the Inyo National Forest, and now the agency wants help from the public figuring out how to manage it for another 20 years.
To that end, forest planners are working on a new revision of the existing forest plan that they hope will keep the forest alive and thriving.
Deadlines placed for June, July
Mammoth’s town council last week set July 3 as a deadline for businesses wishing to protest the creation of a revenue-generating Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID).
The July date would be the end of a 45-day period that is required under California state law.
The TBID, which asks businesses to pony up a percentage of sales for a five-year period, has been prodded along by Mammoth Lakes Tourism Executive Director John Urdi.
Drought could damage ranchers for years
The rich and fertile irrigated meadows and croplands that surround the small towns of Mono County are more than a pretty foreground to the towering Sierra—they provide the second greatest economic engine the region has, second only to tourism.
Cattle, sheep, garlic, onions, carrots, alfalfa, even wine grapes—yes, grapes—grow here, to the tune of about $77 million dollars.
It’s more than that, however.
May 23rd
Most attractions open for Memorial Day

The Inyo National Forest plans to open several popular high-country destinations for the Memorial Day Weekend due to the unusually dry winter and spring this year.
Normally, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Reds Meadow, and the upper Mammoth Lakes Basin areas are covered in snow until June.
This year, they will all be opening for the weekend.
By
Darcy Ellis- Inyo Register Editor
Bishop takes center stage
While famous for its annual tribute to a four-footed hero of the American West, Bishop is actually one of four cities in the U.S. that hosts a multi-day celebration in honor of the mule.
Bishop isn’t even the only “self-proclaimed Mule Capitol of the World,” with Columbia, Tenn. also laying claim to the title.
But Bishop’s annual Mule Days Celebration has the others beat when it comes to variety, quality, and prestige.
Would require resorts to report on plans
In a vote along party lines, the California State Senate on Monday, May 13, passed a bill requiring all ski resorts in the state to prepare and make public their safety plans.
The legislation, introduced by State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), passed on its third reading, 24-8, with six senators abstaining.
It would require every ski resort in the state to prepare an annual safety plan and, upon request, make the safety plan available to the public the same day the request is received.
By
George Shirk- Times Managing Editor
Two-hour hike turns into overnight misadventure
It was supposed to be a two-to-three hour hike—a ramble, really, nothing much more than a walk in the woods.
But for a 63-year-old Merced man, a hike out of the Horseshoe Lake trailhead last weekend turned into a nightmare series of bad decisions that left him bruised, scarred, tired, and cold.
“It was like the Minnow on Gilligan’s Island,” said Gary Walker. “A two-hour tour.”
At least Gilligan found an island.
Jim Leddy, Sonoma County deputy administrator, takes over June 4
Mono County hired a new County Administrative Officer (CAO), according to the Mono County Board of Supervisors.
The board announced Tuesday, May 21, it selected Jim Leddy, the current Deputy County Administrator/Community and Government Affairs Manager for Sonoma County, to be the new CAO for Mono County.
The push targets infractions as far back as 20 years, levies a $300 fee
A renewed and “enhanced” attempt to collect delinquent fines for court infractions could bring millions of dollars into Mono County and Superior Court coffers—and create an unexpected headache for those who didn’t pay their fees or failed to appear in court.
