August was a full month at the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, with highlights ranging from a major campground reopening to an out-of-town research trip that is shaping the future of dark sky programming at the site. The month's most tangible milestone was the reopening of Tuttle Creek Campground following slurry sealing of the access road and repainting of the speed bumps by the BLM Bishop Field Office team. The campground, which serves as the primary overnight venue for the National Scenic Area, is back open and better than ever heading into fall, our busiest visitation season. On the dark sky front, August included an in-person research trip to Pasadena to attend Astronomy on Tap, a monthly public science event run by Caltech's Director of Astrophysics Outreach, Dr. Cameron [...]

The work deepened in July. Fire restrictions that arrived in late June became the rhythm of every shift. The Eastern Sierra is dry, and the land makes that plain — in the color of the grasses, the sound of the wind through sage, the way a single spark becomes a conversation worth having with every visitor you meet. Patrol circuits continued: campsites surveyed, six illegal fire rings removed, trash and debris packed out across dispersed sites. Signs were replaced and restocked. Kiosks cleaned. Porta-potties serviced. Some of this work is unglamorous. All of it matters. Trail and vegetation restoration expanded across the National Scenic Area. The Mobius Arch Trail, Contact Flat, and the LOAF received vegetation work. Vertical mulch sites were identified and restoration boundaries established for the Alabama [...]

We are excited to welcome Mo Li as the new Interpretive Specialist at the Alabama Hills!  He jumped right in for a busy first month, and here are some of the snapshots of the work underway in June. Fire Restrictions & Resource Protection As fire restrictions took effect across Inyo County this season, a priority focus has been getting accurate information out to visitors quickly and consistently. That has meant posting updated signage at kiosks and trailheads, conducting targeted visitor contacts to explain current restrictions, and following up with hands-on restoration work — collapsing unauthorized fire rings and removing fire-scarred material from non-designated camping areas. The goal is always education first, compliance as the outcome. Dark Sky Designation One of the more exciting longer-term projects underway is a Dark [...]

After an unseasonably warm March in the Alabama hills, things cooled down in April and felt a lot more spring-like. We were treated to a wide variety of spring flowers including Desert Fivespot, Showy Gilia, Mojave Asters, and Beavertail Cactus blooms to name a few. The Black-throated Sparrows were out making all sorts of noise, as were the ever-present Rock Wrens in the hills. Day to day work down there included replacing signage, educating visitors in the area on best camping practices, and coordinating (and sometimes presenting) interpretive programs. Additionally, Sierra Forever and BLM staff were out monitoring the area for destructive use, gathering trash, and watering caged plants in restoration areas. One highlight of the month was a class of visiting high school Juniors from the Athenian School. [...]

Spring has fully arrived in the Owen’s Valley and our Weekly Wildflower Updates are starting back up again!  Flowers are blooming throughout the Owen’s Valley, with the Alabama Hills, Buttermilks, Volcanic Tablelands and Big Pine areas looking especially good right now. Smell something sweet in the air? Two of our most fragrant flowers, desert peach and antelope bitter brush, are blooming around Bishop and Round Valley.  One of the best smells of spring!  If you’re out looking at desert peach, notice how it usually grows in clusters of shrubs - this is because desert peach can reproduce clonally like aspen trees, so if you see a large grove of desert peach it is most likely all the same plant! Lupines are also starting to bloom throughout the Valley, from [...]

This winter, Eastern Sierra fifth graders once again traded their desks for snowshoes as they headed outside to explore science in the snow. Since launching the program in 2017, Eastern Sierra SnowSchool has introduced more than 1000 fifth graders from Inyo and Mono counties to the snowy side of their backyard. For many students, it’s their first time using snowshoes and exploring winter environments up close, turning the mountains into an exciting outdoor classroom. At the heart of the program is a shared belief between Sierra Forever and Friends of the Inyo that kids learn best when they can experience the outdoors firsthand. Our local program is made possible through the SnowSchool curriculum developed by Winter Wildlands Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting and celebrating human-powered winter recreation. [...]

Have you ever been driving down Hwy 395 on a cold and clear winter day and then suddenly hit a patch of dense fog by Lake Crowley or Mono Lake?  This fog is known as Poconip/Pogonip (deriving from a Shoshone word meaning "fog" or "cloud"), and while it is fairly common here in the Eastern Sierra, it is rare phenomenon outside of our region. Poconip is a freezing fog that typically forms in low-lying valleys on cold and still nights.  The fog forms when an inversion traps cold air over a warm and moist surface like an unfrozen lake.  This meeting of warm and cold causes the moisture in the air to condense into water droplets that become supercooled due to the cold temperatures. When these supercooled water droplets [...]

As we approach the end of the year, it’s a time for assessment, reflection and appreciation.  2025 has been one of the most challenging in recent years, and yet at Sierra Forever our overall mood is one of thankfulness.  We are thankful for our supporters, staff, visitors, students and of course, the incredible and special public lands we work in. This year, Sierra Forever and our public lands faced challenges unlike any we’ve seen in decades. Grant funding was cut. Federal staffing for the Forest Service was reduced, with no temporary seasonal positions to keep visitor centers open. Public lands across the West continue to be threatened.  All while our region struggles with economic uncertainty and rising costs. But through every challenge, Sierra Forever stepped up. And we were able [...]

You Are the Ranger: Protecting the Eastern Sierra During the Shutdown The Eastern Sierra's wild places remain open during the shutdown, but with many of our visitor centers and ranger stations closed during the ongoing government shutdown and most Forest Service, BLM and NPS staff furloughed,  there are far fewer people to care for them.  This government shutdown has just become the longest shutdown in American history and our public lands are suffering from it.  This means it’s up to all of us to step into the role of steward and caretaker for these incredible landscapes. Every trail hiked, rock climbed, campsite visited, or lake fished comes with a shared responsibility to protect this place we all love. The absence of agency staff doesn’t mean the work of caring for [...]