What a great tour in the Volcanic Tablelands a couple of weeks ago. We owe a huge thank you to Greg Haverstock, the BLM’s resident archaeologist. It seems as if very few people are as familiar with the Tablelands, and we’re thankful for him sharing his knowledge of the cultural history and landscape that is right out our back door. Check out some photos from the day, and we’ll do this outing again in the future. Greg brought an atl atl for us to try out. This is a traditional hunting tool that preceded the bow and arrow. Greg also…
Exploration
Check out Mike Prather’s piece about Owens Lake from the latest issue from Bird Watching Daily.
Claudia Moya-Tanner’s son Bo explored Devils Postpile National Monumental with Bishop Second Graders on a project supported by Friends of the Inyo. Check out Claudia’s editorial, published in the Inyo Register on December 6. Nature’s Classroom Exploring public lands through the eyes of children. There’s no better way to experience a sense of wonder than through the eyes of a child. For me, that means frequent trips with my son Bo to Devils Postpile National Monument, the protected public lands in our own backyard. The Monument has long been Bo’s playground, and one of his favorite places to learn, explore,…
“It takes all of us that love the wild to keep it wild.” By Janet Carle I will never see the wilderness in exactly the same way after a five-day service trip into Humphreys Basin, organized by Friends of the Inyo in partnership with the Sierra National Forest. I have enjoyed many backpacking trips over the years, but “working” in the wilderness took my knowledge and appreciation to a whole new level. Our group of seven intrepid volunteers from all over California joined Sierra National Forest wilderness rangers Greg Dusic and Zach Barton and Friends of the Inyo staff Tristen…
In July, Friends of the Inyo explored the Glass Mountains with about ten participants. Unique to the Eastern Sierra, the Glass Mountains run east-west and connect the Sierra Nevada to the Great Basin. This range is home to rare plant species like the Mono Lake Lupine, and provides the opportunity for species to connect between bio regions. Also, it’s just a darn beautiful place to spend a day. We began our hike at Sawmill Meadows, and wandered up the trail to the summit of Glass Mountain. In the summer of 2016, the Inyo National Forest received comments on its…
BISHOP SECOND-GRADERS CELEBRATE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL WITH TOURS OF DEVILS POSTPILE NATIONAL MONUMENT More than 170 students and teachers to explore public lands, taking Earth Science curriculum from classroom to the Great Outdoors MAMMOTH LAKES, CA – October 2016 – Devils Postpile National Monument hosted Bishop Elementary second graders this October for a series of interactive field trips highlighting the national treasure in their own backyard. The Bishop Unified School District and Friends of the Inyo will be celebrating the National Park Service Centennial during the first two weeks of October at Devils Postpile. During this time, 170 seven-…
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Thank you to the 7 volunteers that helped out on the Humphreys Basin Volunteer Project. This was a partnership between Friends of the Inyo and the Sierra National Forest to conduct restoration at Lower Golden Trout Lake in the John Muir Wilderness from August 23-27. In all, the group restored nearly 40 illegal campsites, 40 illegal firerings and removed over 40 lbs. of trash. Check out some pictures below: Photo by Ben Wickham Arianne “scrubbing” a boulder scarred by fire, which can remain on rock for decades. Photo by Ben Wickham Not a bad view for a work site….
We are pleased to announce the winners of our Desired Conditions photo contest! Wilderness: Somer Seitz, Upper Onion Valley Ecosystems: Somer Seitz, Lower Onion Valley Mountains: Dianne Erskine-Hellriger, Lake Sabrina Sustainable Economic Opportunities: Gail Klett, Pack train over Piute Pass Recreation: Joe Blommer, Paddling Board Gull Lake Water:Joe Blommer, Owens River Headwaters Wildlife and Plants: Gail Klett, Wild Horses, River Springs These photos were posted at the Inyo National Forest Planning workshop on Thursday, June 19th. The workshop was well attended with over 80 people and photos and comments were well received by Forest Service staff from the local…
An expedition up Marble Canyon embodies what makes exploring in the Eastern Sierra second to none. Close enough to town for a day trip, but far and rough enough to yield a meaningful four-wheel drive tour (or really long pedal!). Easy enough to walk, but just challenging enough to keep your mind off your in-town troubles and on your feet, the rocks and the desert creek. Diverse enough to contain plants from the Mojave Desert, Great Basin and Rocky Mountains all in one desert canyon. And it’s accessible and inviting year-round. I first stumbled into Marble Canyon over a…
Potato Peak is kind of a cowpie shaped mountain in the northern end of the Bodie Hills, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). As part of a project FOI has currently embarked upon, which includes inventorying motorized routes in BLM Wilderness Study Areas (part of the National Landscape Conservation System), I drove east out of Bridgeport on the Aurora Canyon road up to a junction that turns down toward Bodie State Park. Excellent scenery of the Bridgeport Valley, the Eastern Sierra, and down into the Bodie Basin is provided just at the top of the road here. Not…