The iconic scenery of the June Lake Loop was the perfect background for a morning of stewardship last Saturday. A partnership between Friends of the Inyo, June Lake Trails Committee, Mono County, and the Inyo National Forest, the eighth annual June Lake Trails Day brought together 36 volunteers from as far away as Reno and Arizona.
Volunteers tackled a variety of projects on popular trails, from pulling weeds, picking up trash, and repainting signs along the Gull Lake trail to crosscutting fallen trees on the Yost Lake trail.
Steep trails like the one to Fern and Yost Lakes are very susceptible to erosion after big winters, when sediment-loaded meltwater and debris clog water bars and force water to flow down the trail. A group of hardy volunteers took on the task of clearing out and repairing these drainage structures, fixing up a whopping 25 water bars along a 1.5-mile stretch of trail. As a result of their efforts, the trail will be protected from further erosion during the next runoff surge.
One volunteer, Jim Wells of Snowflake, AZ, spent the morning skillfully repairing the dilapidated kiosk at the Gull Lake trailhead. As you can see, he did a terrific job!
There’s nothing more satisfying than a freshly repainted trail sign.
Newly crosscut logs make great seats after a morning of brushing.
Thanks to our volunteers, our project partners, and the many local businesses that provided food and raffle items to support this event. We can’t wait for next year.