Summer Stewardship Calendar

Join us for a work party this summer, then our ever-popular member party in the fall! For multi-day stewardship trips, earn free, delicious meals by signing up two weeks in advance by emailing stacy@friendsoftheinyo.org or calling (760) 873-6500.
Be sure to check back here soon for all the details of these events, plus more stewardship and exploration opportunities all summer long in the Mammoth Lakes and Mono Basins.

June 20-21 Find Friends of the Inyo at two Eastern Sierra events: the Mono Basin Bird Chatauqua (Lee Vining) and the Summer Outdoor Expo (The Village at Mammoth).

June 24-28 Piute Pass Trail Work*
Piute Pass is one most loved trails into the High Sierra, west of Bishop. Each year all that popularity takes a small toll and leaves some maintenance to be done. This project aims to do some light trailwork, restore several campsites, and to continue some campsite inventory work that was begun last year. We'll be camping near Piute Lake, just below the pass.

July 1-6 Reds Meadow Stewardship Campout
Friends of the Inyo volunteers will join with the Inyo National Forest and the Backcountry Horsemen of America to do trail projects along the Middle Fork San Joaquin River, from Rainbow Falls to Agnew Meadows. Volunteers get a wonderful and rare opportunity to camp, hike and work at some spectacular spots in the valley. Sign up for one day or for an extended weekend!

July 4 Look for Friends of the Inyo along the parade route in Mammoth!

July 11 Protect our Headwaters Day, Owens River Headwaters
At this fifth annual event, anglers, hikers and campers alike will come together to help care for the Owens River Headwaters complex, newly designated a Wild & Scenic River.

July 11-16 Pine Creek Pass Trail Work*
The dramatic Pine Creek Pass trail offers entry into the French Canyon and Bear Lakes areas, as well as Chalfant Lakes and intriguingly named Granite Park, south of Rock Creek's Little Lakes Valley. The area is fairly busy despite the fact that the pass has over 3,000 feet of elevation gain from the parking are to the pass.
This trip aims to finish some trail restoration near the pass, where the trail was re-routed out of a meadow, and to restore some campsites that have been closed. Fortunately, we have pack stock support for the in-bound leg of this trip!

July 24-26 Wilderness Campsite Inventory Training
Have you dreamed of getting paid to go backpacking? Here’s your chance to earn $30 per day on the trail! Dedicated wilderness are invited to attend a two-day training in the Golden Trout Wilderness. After successful completion of the training, volunteers will be assigned an inventory route in the Golden Trout, South Sierra, Hoover, Inyo and Boundary Peak Wilderness areas, helping land managers maintain the wilderness qualities of these special places. Enrollment is limited; RSVP to andrew@friendsoftheinyo.org.

August 2-8 Kearsarge Pass Trail Work
The Kearsarge Pass Trail is a popular entry point into the incredibly scenic John Muir Wilderness, just west of Independence. The area features a half-dozen alpine lakes framed by 13,000 ft. granite peaks of the High Sierra.
This is a combination car-camping and stock-supported wilderness trip. We'll camp at the trailhead at 9200 feet in Onion Valley for the first two nights, and repair eroding trail sections near the trailhead. Then we'll hike with pack stock support into a lakeside campsite in the wilderness. Work days will include naturalizing heavily impacted campsites and repairing resource damage caused by trail short-cuts. We'll have a rest day for exploring and relaxing by the lakes.

August 11 Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce Mixer
Join Friends of the Inyo and the Mammoth business community for an evening open house at Pokonobe Lodge in the Lakes Basin, celebrating a summer of stewardship and the economics of wild places. Get details and RSVP to stacy@friendsoftheinyo.org.

September 12 Coastal Cleanup Day
Commemorate the connectivity of waterways by cleaning up a streambed or lakeshore in the Eastern Sierra. Get project details at friendsoftheinyo.org.

September 26 National Public Lands Day, Inyo Craters
Friends of the Inyo will work with members of Mammoth Trails to care for a much-used site north of Mammoth. This event wraps up a summer of stewardship events up and down the Eastern Sierra. Don’t miss it!

September 26 Member Party
After a day of stewardship, all Friends of the Inyo members are invited to a celebratory barbecue, campout, and music fest at a campground along the Owens Headwaters.

*Well-behaved dogs are welcome on these trips. Email todd@friendsoftheinyo.org for details.