04/18/2024 (UPDATE 3;53 PM):  Mono County's plow crew made it to Rand Road and have cleared out parking areas at the various road aprons into the sub division. Check out the recent pictures provided at the "Pictures" tab. VL Road is blocked at Rand Road at this time.

04/18/2024:  Mono County plow crew has made it to Dunderberg Meadow road and are hoping to make it to Rand Rd. by the end of the day. No further info available at this time but hoping to have further details later today or tomorrow.

04/15/2024:  Mono County plow crew made it to just past the Helo pad by the end of last Thursday the 11th. They started back up this morning to clear VL road further. One picture from 4/11 and several from today 4/15 have been provided to show progress. They have made it to the 2nd straight away and should make further progress this week as snow levels on the lower sections of the road are thin with some bare spots. Check out the "Pictures" tab for the latest pictures. They are currently blocking any traffic past the helo pad/parking area.

04/07/2024:  Mono County began plowing Virginia Lakes Road on Thursday but only made it past the bridge before equipment break-downs. They did not return on Friday. The road after the bridge area is partially clear but blocked with their loader. The remainder of the road into the subdivision still has snow except for a small bare area by the helo pad section. Snow depth on the road varies from a few feet to 3-4 feet near Dundenberg Meadow road and beyond. Snow on subdivision roads vary from 4 plus feet depending on the many snow drifts. Weather was cloudy and snowing until sun arrived Saturday morning with a low of 5 degrees and a high of 45.

03/31/2024:  There has been some recent snow in the last few days but nothing major.  Current snow depth at the VL Ridge weather station is 56 inches. Mono County may begin plowing Virginia Lakes Road the end of this week or the following week depending on their schedule for other projects. We are going to be notified when they do begin plowing VL Road. The gully bypass area past the bridge is low on snow but still covering the majority of ground cover. The lower parking lot is clear of snow.

03/17/2024: Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Snow level per Virginia Lakes Ridge weather station says 49 inches of snow. There probably are higher areas with drifts in the subdivision areas. We were provided with a couple pictures of the lower parking area on Wednesday 3/13 that shows a pretty clear parking area up to the Avalanche beacon testing board at the end of the parking area. Check out the "Pictures" tab to view them.

03/05/2024:  Snow depth is around 62 inches per Virginia Lakes Ridge weather station. However there are drifts on VL Road per reports. Cal Trans was clearing VL Road to the parking lot this morning and expects to have the parking area open sometime Wednesday. Check out the pictures Tab for a couple pictures of VL Road entrance off 395.

02/09/2024:  Snow depth in subdivision unknow other than last report on 2/6 of 43 inches. Some snow has fallen since then - perhaps a foot or so. Virginia Lakes Ridge weather station is currently not report data. Some pictures provided from today of VL Road areas and the lower parking lot. Check out the "Pictures" tab to see them.

02/07/2024:  Virginia Lakes Road is currently closed and only open to the lower parking lot area. There is approximately 2 feet of new snow on VL Road in the subdivision area.  Mono County is not going to plow VL Road at this time. They did not indicate that it was a permanent closure for the season.

Virginia Lakes Ridge weather station says there is 42 inches of total snow as of today - down from 43 inches reported yesterday.

Check out the "Pictures" tab for a few pictures that were updated from today 2/7.

02/02/2024: The Following information was received from Cory Gonzalez - Mono County Public Works:

01/26/2024:  Virginia Lakes Road is open to Trumbull Campground as of info received today. There is approximately 19 inches of snow with some drifts much high in the subdivision and other areas. All subdivision roads are closed and not drivable in motor vehicles. If using the dumpster be careful as there may be a live animal inside scrounging for food. Try not to us the dumpster if visiting and take your trash home to save space for full time residents. Thank you.

01/07/2024:  Virginia Lakes Road is open to Trumbull campground gate per Mono County at around 2PM today. There was only around 4 inches of new snow on Saturday much less than forecast. Winds have been high with cold temps in low tens or lower. VL Road does have some ice in areas.

01/06/2024:  Happy New Year! There is a snow storm coming into today Saturday which may leave up to 1 to 1/2 feet of new snow. The current total on the ground was 11 inches this morning with no new snow yet. Mono County advised that they will plow Virginia Lakes Road after this storm either on Sunday or Monday. VL Road has been icy in some areas so be careful when driving up.

12/22/2023:  Trash service will end on Thursday 12/28 for the season. The trash dumpster will remain locked at the current location just off Virginia Lakes Road at the entrance to Tip Top Lane.  There will be no trash service until May or June of 2024. Please take your trash home with you when visiting during this time so room remains for any year-round residents. Snow levels have been low and currently only around 5-6 inches with little if any insight through the end of the year.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

10/28/2023:  The water system shutdown for the winter system started on Saturday 10/21 with 5 volunteers to assist. The shutdown process was slower than normal as we were checking out our new shutdown procedures to verify all the small details so no steps were missed. The gravity system was first, then the low tank system. On Sunday we were down to 4 volunteers 3 to do the high tank system and clean both the low and high tanks to be ready for the 2024 startup. Winter water is available at the spring overflow and at the main gravity line hydrants along Virginia Lakes road. All water during the shutdown period is considered non-potable since no water tests are submitted. Thanks to all the volunteers: Eric L, Chris R, Frank C, Bruce R, and Ross O. The total hours for the shutdown process took 47 volunteer hours. Check out the "Pictures" tab for a couple pictures of the crew at work.

There was a light snow on the evening of 10/25 with some high winds. Mostly sunny with some clouds most of the time. There was possible bear activity Tuesday night the 24th with paw marks on the side windows of a truck but no cabin issues were found the next morning. Hopefully the bear moves on for the winter. Bear activity was considerably less this year of around 5-6 incidents compared to the 30 plus in 2023.

At the 10/20 Board meeting the Board accepted Board member Chris Keller's resignation from the Board for personal reasons.

" Over his 8 1/2 years on the Board, Chris has done a tremendous amount to help the water corporation, and his presence on the board will be greatly missed. Thank you, Chris, for all that you’ve done.

Chris’s board seat was temporarily filled for the rest of Chris' term by Darlene Batatian.

10/16/2023:   A board meeting will be held at 50 Tamarack Dr. on Friday 10/20 at 2:00 PM. Agenda notice of the meeting was posted 10/16 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

The water system shut-down for the winter season will begin on Saturday October 21 and be finished on Sunday the 22nd unless there are low temperatures during the day and night prior to the above dates that could freeze and damage system equipment and/or facilities. Any change in the shut-down dates will be posted here on the web site.

There has not been any bear incidents reported lately. We hope that continues!

09/26/2023:  The member meeting held on 9/2 was well attended with a few members that had not previously attended. Bear activity has been very limited with one attempt on Summit Drive a few weeks back that broke the outer pane of the double pane window but no entry into the cabin. Several cabin owners reported bear paw marks on windows but no break-ins. Should you have a bear incident at your cabin it is important to report that to the Department of Fish and Wildlife at their incident report site. The link has been added to the "Links" tab under "California Fish & Wildlife - Bear incident reporting site" or you may go to the site at: https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir 

Information was received today that there will be a couple Firewise Town Hall meetings tonight and tomorrow. Below is the info that was received. Hopefully they will have more meetings and we can get notice earlier.

Wildfire Home Harden/Firewise Community Town Hall next week, Sept. 26, Memorial Hall

Hello!

This is Wendilyn Grasseschi, Mono County Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator,

As some of you know from conversations with me earlier this summer and the past few weeks, I have been working toward getting some Town Hall-style Wildfire Mitigation/Prevention workshops organized for North County.

We now have not one, but TWO awesome guest speakers coming next week (Tuesday, Sept 26, 6-8 p.m. at the Lee Vining Community Center and Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. at the Bridgeport Memorial Hall) who will share professional, expert tips on the best, latest, least expensive Home Hardening tips AND on how to best organize your communities and neighborhoods to become wildfire resilient – and possibly, save on property insurance (see below). There will be light  refreshments served.

I am hoping all of you on the RPACs and the June Lake CAC can help get the word out and forward all or any of this to anyone you think might be interested. You can either send the pdfs and/or share the links to the Facebook events page, or just spread the word the old fashioned way! I will also be putting up printed flyers in as many places in North County as I can today.

Why am I excited about these Town Halls and why do I think you will be too? Because Yana Valachovic will be here to talk about the best, latest, least expensive, most pragmatic Home Hardening techniques to protect your home and, Beth Burnam, who is now the brand new Eastern Sierra Firewise USA Regional Coordinator, will be here to talk about why creating Firewise Communities is one of the best first steps to organizing neighborhoods and communities to become more fire resilient, and possibly to get a break on your insurance. She will also address what it takes to create Fire Safe Councils. There will be time for questions and answers from both speakers. They are both really good and will give everyone the most critical, up-to-date info possible.

There are a lot more details about both speakers in the Facebook events page link, or you can email me at any time if you want more details; I don’t want to make this email longer than it already it!

Attached find two PDFs, one that includes the QR code for poster printing, and one without the QR code for social media.

Below are the shareable links to the Facebook event page for each workshop.

Sept 26

https://tinyurl.com/mv2ev27b

Sept 27

https://tinyurl.com/5hexrbn7

Thank you all for your help getting this out to your communities and I hope to see you next week.

Wendilyn Grasseschi

Mono County Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator

Mono County Office of Emergency Services

PO Box 696

Bridgeport, CA 93517

Phone: 970-509-0126

wgrasseschi@mono.ca.gov

File Attachments: 

Ready North County Flyer

The water system shut-down for the winter season is tentatively scheduled to begin on Saturday October 21 and be finished on Sunday the 22nd unless there are low temperatures during the day and night prior to the above dates that could freeze and damage system equipment and/or facilities. Any change in the shut-down dates will be posted here on the web site.

08/29/2023: The rescheduled Annual Member meeting will take place on Saturday, September 2 at 2:00 PM at the pump house location - 67 Tip Top Lane. Please bring a chair for comfort. It may be cold as weather reports indicate possible snow at the 9500 foot elevation!  Some packaged refreshments will be made available after the meeting.

Agenda notice of the meeting was posted 08/29 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

08/26/2023:  The water line replacements on Glacier and the line from the solar shed to the "Y" at Tip Top and Summit are complete except for the road base installation. It is estimated that the road base will be placed sometime between Tuesday August 29 and Friday September 1st depending on truck availability. Once the start-work notification is received from the contractor a post will be made on the web site.

Also a reminder that the rescheduled annual member meeting will be held at the pump house area at 67 Tip Top Lane on Saturday September 2 at 2:00 PM.

08/22/2023:  Glacier Dr. Water line has been replaced and the pipes covered. The road is dirt at this time until road base material is put down in  a few days or next week. Two hydrants, one service and clean up still needs to take place however. A water test was submitted on 8/21 and cleared to serve members today, 8/22. Caution should be taken until final work is completed and road base is installed.

The addition of a 2 inch water line from the solar shed area up to the Tip and Summit "Y" intersection has been installed.  The road is dirt at this time but is drivable at a slow speed. Some work remains for the next day or so to finish the drain area, clean up work and the placement of boulders near the dumpster area to protect the wet land area behind the solar shed and dumpster areas. Road base material will be placed in the next few days or next week. There will be some work at the "Y" intersection to check on an older valve that feeds the low tank for a possible leak .

There has not been any bear activity in the subdivision since Sunday the 8/20 when a bear tried to get in a small trailer at the top of Pinecrest.

08/17/2023: . A bear was successfully captured this morning on Easy Street in a bear cage that was placed yesterday by the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The bear had broken into the same cabin on Easy Street it had a few days earlier just before being caught. The bear weighed approximately 300 pounds and had not previously been ear tagged or collared. DFW removed the bear from the site and its relocation was to be determined at a later time.

08/16/2023:  There has been bear activity in the subdivision. So far 2 cabins have been broken in to and 1 trailer just this morning. It is recommended that cabin owner cover their windows when not at their cabins. California Fish and Wildlife has been notified of the incidents.

The Glacier waterline replacement started Monday the 14. Progress is moving along at a good pace.  

08/03/2023:  Glacier Dr. waterline replacement is scheduled to begin the week of August 13 if all goes as planned. Work is expected to take approximately 8 working days  to around the 23rd or 24th. Those on Glacier that need water can obtain water from Easy Street. Please contact Ross at 58 Pinecrest for a work around if needed. 
Also during this time frame, or thereafter, there will be work on the waterline from the pump house area up Tip Top to the Tip Top/Summit "Y" to install a separate water line to automate the high tank system on Summit Dr. Some temporary road closures will be needed for these projects. Once these two projects are completed road base material will be placed where the lines were installed.

07/17/2023:  Just a reminder that assessment payments must be received by or postmarked by 7/31 to avoid the $50 late fee. So be sure and get your payment in.

Also, damaged solar panels can not be placed in the dumpster as they are considered "Hazardous Waste" and must be taken to a dump site that accepts them and pay the hazardous waste fee.

07/08/2023:   There will be a Board meeting on Thursday July 13, 2023 at 2:00 PM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend. There will be no refreshments provided.

The meeting Agenda ,of the above meeting, was posted 7/8 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda(s) sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

07/02/2023: After several days, we were able to track down the 1500 gallon/day leak in the high tank line. The cause was a seemingly innocuous ¾” hose bib that was left open and was discharging 1 gallon per minute. Multiply that by 1440 minutes per day, and it explains why the high tank was draining every few days.

In all, it took about 40 volunteer hours to track down and fix the issue. Many thanks to Frank Chop, Cathy Barale, Eric Lindquist, Bruce Rinehart, and Ross (via phone/text consultation) in the effort.

07/01/2023:  The water system was approved by Mono County Health Department to begin serving water to members effective 6/28. There is a leak in the high tank system of about 1 1/2 foot per day somewhere above the Keller cabin. Due to some high snow levels above the snow drift area were are not able to find and check several shutoff valves for potential leaks. We plan to keep water in the high tank until the end of the July 4th weekend as best we can but may have to shut it down after that around the 5th or 6th. We are hoping for more snow to melt to find the leak. There is considerable snow melt in that area as well as rest of the subdivision causing small streams down the roads creating ruts. The road adjacent to the pump house is very muddy with deep ruts from vehicles trying to get through.

Currently the following roads are drivable: Pinecrest to Tip Top, Tamarack to just above Beaver Run, Summit Dr to Batatian cabin, Tip Top to Hawthorne, Lodgepole to Beaver Run, Easy has some small snow drifts, Glacier but very muddy. Hawthorne and Beaver Run closed. Top of Tip Top from Hawthorne to Tamarack is closed. All roads should be driven at slow speeds, as always, but more so now due to snow melt runoff and road conditions.

06/27/2023:  We were notified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) on Sunday 6/25 that the bear that had been in the subdivision had been captured about a week earlier and was removed by Management Action. There have not been any recent bear sightings in the subdivision.

The water system-startup was completed on 6/22 with initial preliminary water samples taken in. Those tests were good. Then on 6/26 routine water samples were taken in to allow the start of the water system to serve members. Those samples were also good. On 6/27 a "Seasonal Water System Notification Start-up Certification Form" was submitted to Mono County Health Department asking for permission to begin serving members. When approval is received to been serving, notification will be posted here on the Web Site.

Snow remains on all subdivision roads except as previously noted for Summit Dr. A major mud condition excites on Tip Top Lane just opposite of the gas pump house due to snow melt run-off.

06/21/2023:  The Annual Member meeting scheduled for Saturday July 1 has been cancelled due to considerable amount of snow on the subdivision roads, meeting area, melt runoff on roads, as well as muddy road conditions on the entrance area off Virginia Lakes Road into the subdivision on Tip Top. Currently the only road open is from VL Road at Tip Top to the "Y" at the Tip Top and Summit intersection and up Summit Dr. to the snow drift. The new date for the Member meeting will be at 2:00 PM, Saturday, September 2nd during the Labor Day weekend period.

There has not been any bear activity in the subdivision since approximately 6/13 or 6/14.

Water system start-up began on Tuesday 6/20. Permission to serve will not be received from Mono County Health Department until all water tests have been completed. Anticipated serve date is Tuesday 6/27 or Wednesday 6/28.

06/11/2023:  A bear continues to roam the subdivision. We know of 6 bear break-ins as of 6/8/23: 3 to cabins, 1 to trailer, and 2 times to the same shed. It is possible that other cabins have attempted or actual break-ins that we are not aware of. Getting around in the snow melt to check out other cabins is difficult.  If you have a bear break-in or attempt at your cabin, trailer or shed please notify the Department of Fish and Wildlife by making an incident report at their site.  It is very important for them to know the incidents that we are having to raise the level of their response and action to remove the bear or bears. via cages or other means. Their site is located at the following link: https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir

Also let us know here on the web site by going to the "Contact Us" tab and proving information so we can keep tract of incidents as well.

In 2022 we had over 30 incidents with bear attempts and break-in to cabins, trailers, and sheds. We hope we do not have that level of bear issues in 2023.

Snow is melting in the subdivision but at a slow rate. There is still a considerable amount on the roads and lots. VL Road was plowed to the Virginia Lakes Resort but may be a little farther to the lakes since our last report.

No date for water system start-up as of yet. As noted previously, information on the start-up will be posted here on the Web site once we know it can begin.

06/06/2023:  Virginia Lakes Road has been cleared to the Virginia Lakes Resort entrance. Snow has been melting with warmer temps but also with the help of some rain - but we did got some snow last night - maybe 2 inches that melted quickly.

A bear is still in the subdivision with its most recent sighting this evening around 7:30 pm. It could not be determined if it had a radio tracking collar on as the sighting was short lived when the bear saw the individual.

Roads in the subdivision are still heavily covered in snow.

The water system turn-on will not be on for some time as there are still some serious drifts and snow depths. Water turn-on updates will be provided once known

06/01/2023:   Mono County road crews have plowed Virgnia Lakes Road to the Summit/Tip Top road entrance as of this afternoon. They will not be back up until Monday 6/5.  Some parking areas have been cleared along VL Road or at street entrances.

05/29/2023:  A bear has arrived in the subdivision. It has a radio collar and ear tags so it must have been caught previously. It was seen on camera video and also treed by a cabin owner yesterday. The Department of Fish and Wildlife has been notified.

VL Road plowing has been making progress and they are about 1 1/2 mile from the subdivision per  reports received today. Hopefully they will make it into the subdivision this week - although they only have three work days this week.

GoDaddy is trying to make corrections to our website to allow pictures to be posted again. There is a glitch somewhere that won't allow pictures to be brought into the Picture Galley.

There is still considerable snow in the subdivision and a date for water system startup is still not known. Any update for the startup will be posted here on the site when known.

05/21/2023:  Mono County crews are still working on clearing VL Road. The latest word is they have made it to the area around or just above the Helo pad area above the big drift. Snow in the subdivision is still high with no roads open.

Disaster Recovery Centers have been opened in Mono County - see the following info:

05/15/2023:  The lower parking lot has been cleared of snow however Virginia Lakes Road has only been plowed to the big drift past the bridge and up the hill. Equipment issues have been the main cause of slow clearing of the road. The subdivision still have 6-7 feet of snow with high drifts in some areas. The biggest drift is up on Summit Dr. The VL Road is snow covered and bumpy if going in on snowmobile, skis or tracked vehicles. it still is not known when the water system will be started back up due to the amount of snow still on roads, tank, and valves. Any update to water service will be posted here. Snow has been melting due to higher temperatures - but still has a long way to go. Some building, railings, solar and miscellaneous damage has been seen due to the winter snow depth and weight of the snow. One older cabin/shed structure roof collapsed with many solar panels damaged from the snow. Big and little Virginia lakes were still frozen with Trumbull seeing a little blue thinning on the northern shore. Still no fishing due to snow/ice depths.

05/06/2023:  Sorry about the pictures from 4/24 that were to be added. Something is wrong with the process to add pictures at this time.

There is still lots of snow in the subdivision and area. with 8 or more feet remaining and some serious drifts. Mono County has started to plow Virginia Lakes Road but has only reached the drift area past the bridge about 1/2 a mile in. The snow pack is very dense and appears to contain lots of moisture.

The annual assessment billing will be sent out on May 5. Payment is due by July 31, 2023. A late payment fee of $50 will be applied if payment is not postmarked July 31 or prior.

Water system turn-on is unknow at this time due to snow levels. Back in 2017, our last big snow year, the system start-up began 6/18 and we were able to begin service on 6/22. It is very possible we will have a late or even later start-up than we had in 2017. Information will be updated here on the web site and snow conditions and melt continues.

04/24/2023:  VL Road has not been plowed as of today. Snow depth and drifts still remain high in the subdivision. No news on the snow depth at the Virginia Lakes and if fishing will be available due to snow levels.

A few pictures of cabins and areas in the subdivision from around 4/11 have been posted on the "Pictures" tab.

04/07/2023:  395 at Mono Lake is now open!

04/05/2023:  Some pictures of the road area on 395 at Mono Lake have been added to the "Pictures" tab.

04/04/2023:  Road closure update:

04/04/2023:  Some Recent pictures from 04/02 and 04/03 in the subdivision have been posted in the "Pictures" tab. Recent winds have moved a lot of snow around and covered some areas that were not a covered just a few days ago.  Weather conditions may be changing with warmer days and nights. The possibility of 395 at Mono Lake being opened to two is in the near future. Any news of full opening will be updated when available.

04/01/2023:  VL Road from 395 to the lower parking lot has been plowed but still has limited parking and areas to turn-around in. The last snowstorm dropped tons of more snow. Drifts in the subdivision are high and the snow on the ground can be up to 15 feet or more in normal areas. Some pictures were taken on 3/25 by a property owner in the Forest Lease cabins down by Big Virginia and then some pictures of the parking lot area from 3/31 by one of our cabin owners. 395 at Mono Lake still is not cleared for two-way traffic but they have been doing escorting on the one lane in the morning and early evening. Latest word is they may have the highway open by next Friday the 6th. Check out the "Pictures" for the recent pictures.

03/24/2023:  Looks like there will be a couple CHP escorts from Lee Vining to Highway 167 today via a one lane opening. Progress is being made on the avalanche area but they are still working to get the area completely open to two lane traffic.

Caltrans District 9: 3/23/23:

03/16/2023:   Recent info from around 4:30 today:

ATTN DRIVERS: Caltrans District 9 has reopened two highways in Northern Mono County:

• U.S. 395 is now open between State Route 167 and Bridgeport. Please be aware the highway is limited to one lane in each direction in some spots over Conway Summit.
• State Route 167 is open from U.S. 395 to the Nevada State line.
• U.S. 395 between Lee Vining and State Route 167 remains closed due to avalanches. State Route 182 remains closed from Bridgeport to the Nevada State Line due to roadway issues on Nevada 338.
• please check - quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest on road conditions.

Also are included area couple pictures of the Conway Summit area and the subdivision taken by an airplane today by one of our members.

There is approximately 12 plus feet of snow up at the subdivision with drifts that are even higher in some areas. As of Sunday the 12th a picture was provided of VL Road at 395 showing that VL road to the parking lot was not plowed and limited if any parking at 395 area. Word also received today was that the road up to the parking lot is still not plowed.  We also have a picture of a yurt on Tip Top that was taken Monday the 13th with tons of snow covering most of it with wind drift snow. There is currently no one in the subdivision that can provide us with any current conditions for the area.  Also we received information about road closures and who they are letting through etc. It is recommended that you check with Caltrans District 9 or Mono County Sheriff Web sites and/or their offices to check on road conditions and road closures etc.

This is what we were told around 1PM today:

395 @ Walker Canyon cleared, They are only letting locals through (with local ID required). Same with Hwy. 167 out of Hathorne NV. Caltrans website is currently indicating highway closures in all directions leading to Virginia Lakes.

Please check out the "Pictures" tab for a couple new pictures.

03/02/2023:  Snow storm has stopped for now. Some power outages remain to the north from the avalanche along 395 at Mono Lake. Check out the "Pictures" tab for some pictures from the subdivision taken today.

02/28/28:  Lots and lots of snow in the subdivision. Last report for 2/27 was 120 inches with more to come in a day or two.  Check out the "Pictures" tab for some recent pictures provided by various members. Avalanche across 395 over roadway down by Mono Lake. 395 is closed with cautions of many roads closed and no alternate routes available for the entire area from Crowley lake to Bridgeport.

02/05/2023:  Check out the "Pictures" tab as some additional pictures from around 1/27to 1/29 that have been provided by Peter V. one of our members.

02/03/2023:  There continues to be considerable snow in the subdivision. one can expect around 7-8 feet with some drifts much higher. The road from 395 to the lower parking lot area has been plowed. However, there is limited parking.  \

If you are parking in the lower parking lot, it has been requested that you place a tall pole of some sort at the portion of your vehicle facing the road. The snow plows/blower does not want to hit your vehicle if it is covered and hidden with snow. There was one incident were a snowmobile on a flat trailer was buried and hit by the snow removal equipment.

The entire road from the lower parking lot to the subdivision is closed to vehicle traffic but is passable via snowmobile, UTV, snow shoes etc.  An avalanche came down just south of Rand Rd. a week or two ago hitting one cabin. Check out the "Pictures" tab for some recent pictures of the area.

01/21/2023:  Just updated some pictures from 01/19 of VL Road with about 8 plus feet of snow. Check out the "Pictures" tab for the pictures.

01/17/2023:  Lots and lots of snow! As of today there is around 118 inches or more of snow in the Virginia Lakes area with some more to come. Highway 395 had been closed a few times over the past few weeks due to the snow storms. The lower parking area and road to it have not been plowed for the last 1-2 weeks. There have been evacuations in local town areas due to potential avalanches. VL road is closed at the lower parking lot area and will not likely be plowed till the April time frame. Snow is the subdivision is thick and deep. There was a small avalanche to the north of Glacier and Easy St but it did not make it down into the subdivision. The is one picture of it - so please check out the "Pictures" tab for it and a few other pictures that have been taken and provided by members in the last few weeks.

12/24/2022:  Holiday greetings! Virginia Lakes Road remains closed. Big snow storm and heavy winds coming in next week beginning Tuesday the 27th with the potential of several feet if not more. Sierra Snow Cat folks have been grooming VL Road and a few snow machines have been traveling it.

12/12/2022: Lots of snow fell with somewhere around 30 plus new inches. Virginia Lakes Ridge weather station reports a total of 42 inches. Check out the "Pictures tab" for a picture of VL Road between Lodgepole and Tamarack area. from 12-11-22

12/08/2022:  Check out the link below to see the Bridgeport Avalanche Center Org (also put in the links Tab) they also installed a avalanche beeper tester down at the lower parking lot::

https://bridgeportavalanchecenter.org/

12/08/2022:  There will be a Regional Planning Advisory Committee meeting on December 14, 2022 at 6:30 P.M. with one of the topics discussing road closures on Lundy and Virginia Lakes Roads. Those interest should review the attached link.:

https://monocounty.ca.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/mono_basin_rpac/meeting/32691/0_mb_agenda_12-14-2022_.pdf

12/08/2022:  There is a good possibility that VL Road will get closed at the lower parking lot due to drifts from snow fall coming in Friday and Saturday per Mono County Road Department. It is unknown if a closure would be temporary or permanent at this time. VL residents and visitors should be prepared to relocate their vehicles to the lower parking lot just in case the road becomes closed . Any road update will be posted here on the website or can also be checked st the Mono County road closure link located on the “links” tab here on the web site.

12/06/2022:  Several feet of snow has hit the subdivision. Check out the "Pictures" tab for a couple pictures from 12-05-22 of Virginia Lakes Road in-between Tamarack and Lodgepole. The road was plowed today 12-06-22. Also check out some pictures from the lower parking lot from 12-02-22.

12/01/2022:  Snow storm coming in today and the next few days with the possibility of several feet of snow. Mono County Road Department sent a notification that VL Road could end up being closed at the lower parking lot if drifts come in and cover areas of the road. The County did plow the road this morning.  Also, the trash dumpster that is located at the VL Road and Tip Top entrance was emptied this morning. Service for the trash will be stopped once they are not able to empty it and that should be towards the end of December or early January. A notification will be posted. Please take your trash home with you - so room can be left for full time residences. Check out the links page to check on road closures in Mono County and for VL Road.

11/08/2022:  Trash service was not picked up on Thursday 11/03 due to snow on Tip Top Dr.  As a result, the dumpster remains at the Solar shed area and could not be moved to the winter location near the VL Road & Tip Top intersection location.  Also due to the storm coming in today, estimated to be up to three (3) feet of snow it is likely the trash pickup will not occur on this Thursday 11/10. If this occurs trash service could possibly end for the remainder of the year and into 2023. As a result of this, dumping of trash in the dumpster will have to be limited to only necessary house waste (no boxes and large items etc.) for those that are full-time residents until further notice. Please take your trash home with you if visiting the subdivision. If the trash situation changes a notice will be placed on the web site.

Bear activity has stopped hopefully due to the cold weather. The water system shutdown was begun on Friday 10/21 due to pending bad weather coming in and was completed on 10/23. Winter water is available at note in the 10/16/22 update below. "Please check out the "Pictures" tab for some pictures of bear damage and other activities in the sub division the last several months.

10/18/2022:  More bear incidents: Sometime between Friday and Monday there where three bear incidents. One on upper Pinecrest Dr. where the bear tried to get in the front door and tore off the door trim while people were inside. The bear was described as medium size, black in color and no GPS collar or ear tags. The second was on Hawthorne Road where a bear tore off the front window and back door window screens , poked claw holes in another screen and tried to get in the front door by ripping off the double door center molding and weather stripping - but no entry was made. The last also on Hawthorne, the bear tore off the door and side window shutters, then tore off half of the front windows shutters and broke out the lower portion of the window. It made entry and went through some cabinets, bent the stove grate, and got into the closed refrigerator , bent a shelf and took out food items. Fish and Wildlife was notified of the recent incidents. It was also heard that a bear broke into 1-13 cabins along the stream at the Virginia Lakes Resort earlier in the week.

10/16/2022:   The winter water shut down process will begin Saturday 10/22 at approximately 12 noon and completed on Sunday the 23rd. Winter water will be available at the spring overflow adjacent to the solar pumping shed or along Virginia Lakes Road at the various orange yard hydrants at street entrances. All water used after shut-down  is considered non-potable water as no water tests are completed during the shut-down period. All water should be boiled if used for drinking water. A key is required for the yard hydrant and is available for $5.00 via request on the "Contact Us" tab.

There will be a Board meeting on Saturday October 22, 2022 at 10:00 AM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend. Due to COVID-19 concerns Social Distancing and face masks will be required for all attending if meeting is held inside. There will be no refreshments provided.

Agenda notices of the above meeting will be posted 10/18 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda(s) sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

Bear activity has appeared to have slowed as no new incidents have been reported in our subdivision. It was heard that there was some activity at the VL Resort cabins along the creek last week around the time they shutdown on Tuesday the 11th but that has not been confirmed.

10/07/2022:  On the morning of 10/06, Fish and Wildlife representatives removed a large male bear that had been captured in one of their bear traps that was placed on Glacier Dr. The bear was a chocolate brown/cinnamon color bear. It had a large laceration (possibly from glass when breaking in through cabin windows) on its neck area and they were not able to install a GPS tracking collar due to potential infection. They did install a large white tag on the right ear and a smaller yellow tag on the left ear. The bear was relocated to another area that was not disclosed. They are also going to install some game/trail cameras in our area to see if any other bears are around of if this one returns.

Temps in the subdivision have been getting into the mid 30s at night but in the low 80s during the day. fall colors on the aspens are coming out.

Winter water shutdown is still scheduled to begin Saturday 10/22 depending on weather/temperature conditions which could result in an earlier shutdown.

10/03/2022:  Two new bear break ins at cabins on Easy Street 10/2 evening or 10/3 early morning. Both entries through windows. with one cabin having two window shutters ripped off. Things had been quite for a while! Also found an old break in on Hawthorne that might be a week or two old based on faded cardboard on deck. Entry there through ripped off shutter and broken kitchen window. Food debris all over the floor and outside. Fish and Wildlife folks notified once again. Bear cages were removed over a week ago.

09/28/2022:  No new bear activity in the subdivision has been report. Word was received that Lundy Lake cabins are now being hit. Perhaps our bear issue has moved on to new territory.

Water shut-down is still scheduled to begin 10/22 pending weather conditions prior to that date.

09/26/2022:  From all reports there has not been anymore bear activity that anyone is aware of in the subdivision. A second bear cage was brought in on 9/21 but no bear(s) were caught in either of the two bear cages. The cages were pulled out on Friday 9/23. Should there be any new bear activity please notify us via the "Contact Us" tab.

Work on the Easy Street waterline project was completed on Thursday 9/22 with the final shut-off boxes installed and hydrant work at the very end. A total of nine (9) services and two hydrants were connected as well as around 560 plus feet of 4 inch pipe installed.

09/20/2022:   No bear activity last day that we are aware of.

Easy Street water line replacement work is 95% plus completed with only valve riser G5 cement boxes to install on 6 locations and finish up hydrant at the street end. Back order of parts has caused the project to be longer than planned. Water test was good and water service was turned on to all users. Users should flush their line when turning on their own shut-off/on valve.

09/19/2022:  Water line work on Easy Street is progressing and almost completed. A water sample was submitted this morning for testing and results will be back Tuesday morning around 10 AM. If results are okay, water service will be turned on to Easy Street. If not, an additional sample will be submitted on Tuesday.

There had been no bear activity until; 9/18 late evening. A big bear showed up at a cabin front stairs on VL Road around 11:45PM 9/18.  A sweep of cabins on 9/19 found a cabin on Hawthorne Road had been broken into via a front window next to the front door. This cabin was okay on 9/18 when checked along with others. However, the cabin had previously been visited by bears twice before with only outside damage of a window screen, door plaque. picnic table and side door shutter pulled off but no entry into cabin those two times.

On Friday evening 9/16 or Saturday morning 9/17 a bear did enter the bear cage but kept a foot outside preventing the cage door from closing. The bear cage was not activated evenings of 9/17 and 9/18 due to lack of Fish and Wildlife personnel to monitor the cage. The cage is to be activated the evening of 9/19 and checked morning of 9/20.

09/16/2022:  Easy Street water line replacement is progressing and almost finished. Some material shortages have occurred and slow the project. The entire water line and 9 associated services have been installed as well as a new hydrant at the end of the street. Road base was installed today but still needs some additional work on member driveway area where dirt was stored. Valve boxes for the street sot-and-waste vales are back ordered and not yet installed. Please be careful when driving on the street as there are white 4 inch rises where the valve boxes will be installed. The water line was filled with water late this afternoon and chlorinated and must cook for a minimum of 24 hours to disinfect the pipe and associated fitting.  The line will be flushed on Saturday  or Sunday several times and a water test taken in Monday morning. If test results are okay on Tuesday water service will be turned on to each lot. Until test results are back no water on the line should be used. Potable water is available at the beginning of Easy Street at the orange hydrant on the west side of the road. An update will be provided when water service is available.

09/15/2022:  Three bear incidents this morning around 4AM all on Tamarack Lane. One (1) cabin broken into with shutter ripped off and entry through a window.  minimal damage inside but looks of debris from food packaging. Another cabin next door to the previous one that had screen door torn apart and the bathroom window screen torn off as well. No entry. Then a trailer had the main door destroyed, inside screen door damaged and entry made but things just knocked around as no food was inside. These last three incidents make a total of 23.

09/14/2022:  More bear incidents the evening of 9/13 or early morning 9/14. On e(1) cabin broken into via living room window, one (1) storage shed door ripped in half and one (1) trailer window broken out but entry by bear could not be determined. This is a total of 20 known incidents. Fish and Wildlife did bring up a bear cage the evening of 9/13 but the bear did not visit the site near the dumpster area. They will be resetting the cage up evening of 9/15 as they currently lack personnel to setup for 9/14 evening. They may also bring up an additional cage if one becomes available. Owners of property hit by bears are being notified if they have current contact information on file.

09/12/2022:  Another cabin was broken into by a bear on the evening of 9/11 or morning of 9/12. Entry was made through the front door. This makes 17 incidents. California Fish and Wildlife has provide a couple of resources for electric bear mats and how to build a bear mat. See the link below and pdf:

Tahoe Bear Busters

https://www.tahoebearbusters.com/

Unwelcome bear mat and how to make electric bear mat

https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/unwelcome_matvdgif.pdf

09/10/2022:  A bear trailer break-in was discovered on 9/9 on Glacier Dr. The trailer was ok on 9/8. The side window was ripped off with entry inside. A storage panel on the outside was also ripped off and food and contents were removed from it as well in the inside. Fish and Wildlife has been notified once again. They plan to bring a bear cage up this next week if available. This recent incident is #15.

09/08/2022:  Bear break-ins continue to increase. Two (2) more cabin break-ins on Summit Drive and two (2) front door screen door damages also on Summit Dr. This makes a total of 14 incidents.

It is very important that members have their contact information current with the water company so that they can be contacted should there be a need!

09/07/2022:  Bear activity continues in the subdivision. We are now up to ten (10) know incidents. The most recent are: one (1) cabin break in on Summit, One (1) cabin external damage on Hawthorne, and one (1) truck break in on Tamarack. Dogs have been barking been bears are around in late evening and early mornings. It is imperative that owners keep their dogs inside at night and early morning hours to keep noise levels down and also protect the dogs.

Fish and Wildlife representatives are aware of the bear incidents in the subdivision and plan on installing a bear trap/cage by next week if  one becomes available. Bear activity from Mammoth to Bridgeport has been very active with many incidents happening with home/cabin break-ins.

The Easy Street water line replacement started this morning. Equipment was deliver yesterday and early this morning. Work will continue thru this week with hopeful completion of line replacement by Friday if all goes as planned. Unknowns are large boulders, availability of material, and etc. Road base will be installed after the line is installed. Any delays will be noted on the website.

08/27/2022:  The Easy street water line replacement will begin on Tuesday September 6. Access will be limited during the 5-7 day project.

08/26/2022:  More bear activity in the subdivision. To date there have been 7 known instances: 1 shed; 3 trailers, 1 cabin window screen torn off. 1 front door screen door torn off with people inside and one cabin with 2 plywood window covers ripped off with entry by a bead. Bears are going after food left in cabins and trailers. It is recommended that you not leave food in your vehicle at anytime. When you are not here no food should be left in trailers or cabins  All windows should be securely closed or boarded up.. Do not leave any food, dog food or trash outside. All trash should be taken to the dumpster. California Fish and Wildlife have been notified about the bear issues but have not yet responded locally. These bears appear to be smart and find ways to open windows and etc.  They have not been aggressive towards humans so far.

08/19/2022:  Easy St. water line replacement is scheduled to begin on Tuesday 9/6 or Wednesday 9/7. The road will not be accessible when work begins but the entrance area will be somewhat available after work continues down Easy Street after a day or two depending on progress. There is be backhoe and excavator activity on the road during this work period and may restrict vehicle access. If any Easy Street member is at their cabin and needs water, please contract Ross at 58 Pinecrest Dr. or Eric at 50 Tamarack Lane and it will be determined if a water work-around can be completed to provide temporary water service. It is estimated that the work will take 5-7 days. If the above schedule changes due to contractor availability or lack of material a notice will be posted here on the web site.

08/06/2022:  Lots of rain recently which is helping to water trees/plants and keep dust down. There has been bear activity with one (1{) shed and two (2) trailers broken into by bears within the last week or so. Just a reminder to keep all windows closed and locked as it appears the bears have been opening the windows with ease. Do not keep any food outside or trash outside to attract the bears to your area. The two bears seen are one big one and one little one. They have been scared off by yelling and dogs.  pot and pans clanking has not seemed to work. Bears have not be aggressive towards people so far.

07/27/2022:  There has been some bear activity in the subdivision with at least one very large bear trying to get into a cabin. Members should make sure that their cabins are secure and that no trash is left outside as well as the trash dumpster is kept closed and locked.

A reminder that water assessments are due by July 31 to avoid the $50 late fee.

The Yosemite fires have caused smoke in the subdivision and seems to vary from day to day. Recent days have been better but are unpredictable due to wind directions. Check the "Purple Air" link to check on air quality in the area. https://www.purpleair.com/map?opt=1/mAQI/a10/cC0&select=65423#6.98/37.56/-119.089

07/15/2022:  The Annual Member meeting was held on Saturday, July 2nd with a great attendance. President Jay Wheaton elected to not run for reelection after having served on the Board for 13 years (since 2009). We thank Jay for his many years of service and wish him well in his future years as a volunteer. Member Bruce Rinehart Jr. was nominated and elected to the board and will service as a Member-At-Large. Vice-president Eric Lindquist will move up to the President position. The Vice-President position will not be filled and replaced by a Member-At-Large position.

Water assessments are due by July 31. To avoid the late fee of $50, assessment payments must be postmarked or received by or prior to July 31. An reminder email was sent out today to those, with emails on file, who have yet sent their assessment. Members without emails will be contacted by phone.

06/27/2022:  The Annual Member meeting will take place on Saturday, July 2 at 2:00 PM at the pump house location - 67 Tip Top Lane. Please bring a chair for comfort. Please maintain a safe distance between all members and wearing of face masks at this time is optional. Some packaged refreshments will be made available. 

There will be a Board meeting on Friday July 1, 2022 at 3:00 PM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend. Due to COVID-19 concerns Social Distancing and face masks will be required for all attending if meeting held inside. There will be no refreshments provided.

Agenda notices of the above two meetings was also posted 06/27 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda(s) sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

05/25/2022:  Water system start-up was begun on Saturday 5/21. All systems are up and running and approval has been received from Mono County Heath Department to begin serving members on Thursday 5/26. Start-up process took approximately 48 manhours. Many thanks to Eric, Roy, Frank, David, and Ross for getting the system up and running. All water tests were good and spring flow is normal when compared to past years.

05/05/2022: The subdivision water system startup will begin on Saturday May 21.  Once system startup procedures, water testing and approvals from Mono County Health Department are complete it is estimated we will begin serving members with potable water around Thursday the 26th or Friday the 27th.  An update will be provide when the date is known.

Road conditions in the subdivision still have some snow on roads especially in shaded areas. However, Pinecrest is drivable to Tip Top with some snow on road surfaces and Summit is drivable to the top. Other road surfaces still have snow but should be accessible within the next week or so if temperatures remain warm.

Ice conditions on Big Virginia Lake opening day was around 3 feet thick with no open shore except for a small area where water enters from Blue. There were approximately 35-45 hardy fisherman on the lake. A couple trucks were parked at the Little Virginia resort driveway but heard the lake had some open areas. Trumbull had no vehicle parked at the entrance gate and lake surface was not observed. Weather condition were clear sky and a very slight wind during the morning and early afternoon, however it got windy and cold in the late afternoon.

Several large rainbows were observed caught around the 3.9 pound range that had been tagged  by Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Foundation (BFEF). One 3 pounders tag was dated 2021 with the fish being 18 1/4 inches long.

Fishing on Sunday was also busy with similar weather. Come Monday the wind had picked up and was pretty strong with few folks on the lake. Wednesday very few fisherman were on the lake and the lake surface had soft snow slush due to warmer weather. However the ice depth was still around 3 feet with some new open water at the outlet area. Shore line did not have any open water areas except at the inlet and outlet areas. Some darker areas on the surface were appearing towards the southwest areas of Big Virginia.

Check out the "Picture" tab for a few pictures.

On Friday, May 29, Mono County installed 25 MPH Zone Ahead and 25 MPH signs at the East and West ends of the subdivision along the Virginia Lakes Road. This should help in keeping the vehicle traffic speed down. A speed study was completed a year or so ago and it is assumed the new speed signs area result of that study.

04/25/2022:  The annual assessment billing was sent out today April  25. Payment is due by July 31, 2022. A late payment fee of $50 will be applied if payment is not postmarked July 31 or prior.

Weather conditions have been warm lately but there was 8 inches of new snow received last week.
Summit Drive is somewhat drivable but the remainder of the subdivision roads are not. Ice conditions on the Virginia Lakes is questionable for opening day on Saturday April 30th. Should the lake ice be soft caution should be taken or remain completely off the lakes. An updated report will be provided on Thursday or Friday of this week on ice conditions.,

04/02/2022:  Big Virginia Lake still has ice and snow on it. With opening day 4 weeks away there is a possibility the ice may not be safe to walk on unless weather conditions change. Check out the pictures tab for a few pictures of the lake and roadway from 4/1/22.

03/31/2022:  Virginia Lakes road is open all the way to Big Virginia Lake. Drive safely as there is still some snow and ice on the roadway in several areas. Subdivision roads are not drivable. Check out the "Pictures" tab for some recent pictures.

03/28/2022:  Last week Mono County began plowing Virginia Lakes Road on Monday the 21st. By Thursday they had made it to Dunderberg Meadow Road. No plowing was done on Friday the 25th. Today, Monday 3/28 they made it into the subdivision area. Some areas were full two lanes and others were one lane. A road closure sign is posted in an area to show that is not safe to legally drive beyond the sign.

Two vehicles had driven up to Trumbull Lake campground entrance area on top of the hard packed snow on Tuesday the 22nd. They got stuck up at the Trumbull area and had to dig down to the road base, a good 3-4 feet, to get the vehicles out and moving. However, they got stuck again around Lodgepole. High Sierra Snow Cat folks helped to get one of the vehicles out but the other one was still stuck in the middle of VL Road as of today 3/28. That particular vehicle a Jeep Cherokee had some damage done to it when trying to extract it from being stuck. It was heard that the vehicle occupants spend at least 3 nights in their vehicles. Some pictures will be posted shortly to show the effort they went to get out.

The annual member assessment letter and billing will be sent out the first part of May - Please keep an eye out for it and get your assessment payment in as early as possible so this summer projects can be fully funded.

Snow level in the subdivision was still around 2-3 feet with some drifts higher. Recent temperatures have been high during the day but still cooler at night.

It is anticipated that the water systems will be turned on in late May timeframe depending on weather, snow and temperatures. An update will be provided once that date is known.

03/17/2022:  No recent snowstorms just a few small showers of a few inches now and then. Current snow level varies from 2-3 feet with some higher drifts and in shaded areas. Virginia Lakes road remains closed at the lower parking area. Snow conditions on Virginia Lakes road are getting iffy with some road areas bare. Cross county travel is pretty much impossible due to lack of snow. The bypass area just west of the bridge is lacking of snow in some areas but somewhat passible.

Mono County is planning to begin clearing VL Road starting next week, hopefully Monday the 21st. They have already deployed a snow blower and grader to the parking area to start the clearing.

Temp have been cool at night in the 20s but getting into the 40 during daytime. The hard pack snow is softening up during the day resulting in post holing when walking around. Winds have been high at times in the 60 plus range but no trees have been observed down with a limited review.

01/22/2022:  Virginia Lakes road remains closed at the lower parking lot. The road in however is passible by foot, ski, snowmobile etc. on hard packed snow that is somewhat rough. Snow depths vary along the road depending on snowdrifts and sun exposure from 1 foot to three feet or more. There are a few open road areas but mainly along the sides.

In the subdivision snow depths are generally around 3 to 4 feet but some areas have snow drifts from prior winds. The snow is fairly hard and dense.

Temps have been in the low 10s at night to the mid 30s during the daytime.

Big Virginia Lake has drifts on it but some area of the parking lot are bare.

Check out the "Pictures" tab for a few recent pictures.

01/03/2022:  Happy New Year! Snow level in the subdivision is high according to several sources. Wind drifts are everywhere! Snow level in some areas are 8 to 10 feet.

High Sierra Snowcat & Yurt put in a track on VL Road to Rand road this last weekend and cut a track through the bypass area (just past and to left of the bridge) below the helo port to avoid the huge snow drift above the bridge area at the top of the incline. Travel on VL Road should be much better for snowmobilers etc. Road is closed at the lower parking lot - but the parking area has been plowed.

Storms around Christmas time were pretty heavy with snow too deep and soft to run a Polaris Ranger with snow tracks with out bottoming out. Be careful on lower Pinecrest, near VL Road, if you go up as the Shaff's Ranger is parked to the side and stuck for the time being. Winds were pretty high during the snow storm and there has not been a report of any downed trees. But - keep an eye out as some could be down or hung up!

Schat Internet service is currently offline due to equipment outage at the Baggett cabin. Power is fine at the cabin but Schat equipment is not working. Schat techs plan on going up this week sometime to determine what the cause is.

No photos have been received from those that have been up - so can't post anything to show what it looks like up there.

High Sierra Snowcat & Yurt folks will be back up this coming weekend and will continue maintaining a track on VL Road.

If you have any recent photos of the area. - please send to ross@virginialakeswater.com and I will review and post appropriate photos received.

12/22/2021:  Great information was received from Mike Deacon of High Sierra Snowcat & Yurt. They put in a snowcat track on VL Road yesterday the 21st from the lower parking lot to their yurt site at the upper campground area (along VL Creek) just above Dunderberg Meadow Road.. Also after this new storm cycle they plan to improve and maintain the track on the road.

12/20/2021:  Virginia Lakes Road was closed last week by Mono County at the lower parking lot near 395 due to a snow storm that came in last week. A new storm is coming in this week which may keep the road closed longer or for the remainder of the season. You can check the road closure at the Mono County Road Status link at: https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads

Trash service ended for the season on Thursday !2/9. Please take your trash home with you when visiting your property/cabin to make the dumpster space available for full-time residents. Trash service will not resume until the May/June time frame in 2022 depending on road and snow conditions.

Check out the "Pictures" Tab for some recent pictures that have been provided by members of the road and surrounding areas.

10/23/21:   The water systems have been shutdown for the winter season. Winter water is available at the overflow pipe by the solar shed. It is also available at the yard hydrants at the bottom of streets along Virginia Lakes Road. A winter water key is required to opened the yard hydrants except at Glacier Dr. keys are $5 for members only and available per request via the “contact us” tab. Check out a couple pictures at the
Pictures Tab"

10/20/21:  Due to a change in current and future weather and temperature conditions, the water systems will be shut down earlier than 10/23 & 10/24 as previously planned. The new schedule is a follows:

• High tank system will be shutdown Wednesday 10/20 by noon.
• Low tank system will be shutdown Thursday 10/21 by noon
• Gravity system will be shutdown Friday 10/22 by 10:00am.

10/15/2021:  There will be a Board meeting on Friday October 22, 2021 at 1:00 PM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend but no guests. Due to COVID-19 concerns Social Distancing and face masks will be required for all attending. A notice of this meeting will also be posted 10/15  on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

The subdivision had freezing temperatures 4 days ago resulting in the the pump house and pumps system freezing up. As a result, the pumps will remain shutdown for the remainder of the season. Current water levels in the high and low tanks should be sufficient to last until the season shutdown is started on Saturday October 23. Should the tanks water supplies run out prior to shutdown they will not be refilled. Check out a couple pictures at the "Pictures Tab" of the pump house area from 10/12 of the freeze!

If you have not shut your cabin or lot water system down it is suggested you do so before another freeze comes in.

09/26/2021:  The water system shut-down for the winter will begin on Saturday October 23 and will finish on Sunday October 24. It is anticipated that the high tank system (Summit Dr.) will begin on the 23rd and the Low tank system and gravity on the 24th. Winter water will be available from the overflow at the Solar pump shed area and at the yard hydrants along VL Road as in previous winters.

09/03/2021:  Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest has closed or restricted some areas. For further details please check out their site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/htnf/news-events/?cid=fseprd949552

08/19/2021:  On 08/17/2021, due to extreme fire dangers, Mono County Supervisors approved an "Urgency Ordinance" Prohibiting Open Fires on Private Property and County-Operated Campgrounds within the Unincorporated areas of Mono County. The ordinance was effective immediately. As such - Outdoor fires, including campfires, bonfires, pit firs, stick fires or an other open flame fire (but excluding propane or charcoal barbecues used for cooking) are hereby prohibited on all private lands within the unincorporated area of Mono County and within all County-operated campgrounds ({i.e., Lundy Campground. We have placed temporary notices on the dumpster, log cabin and solar pump shed bulletin board until we can obtain copies of the sign Ordinance.

07/27/2021:  A set of keys with a key fob were found at Lodgepole and Virginia Lakes Road. If you have lost your keys - please check out the ""Pictures" tab to view a picture of the keys. If you can identify the various keys and markings on them they will be mailed to you - but you will need to pay the postage. - If they are yours - sent a note via the "Contact Us" tab and you will be contacted.

Very high fire potential in all areas on Mono County. No outdoor fires are recommended anywhere in the subdivision - you don't want to be liable for starting a fire!!

07/16/2021:  The Purple Air quality sensor at Virginia Lakes is back on line. To check the air quality - go to the "Links" tab and click on the "Virginia Lakes Subdivision - Purple Air Sensor" link.

A reminder: Yearly water assessment payments are due by July 31. To avoid the late payment of $50 your assessment must be paid or postmarked by July 31.

06/28/2021:  The Virginia Lakes Road (VLR) Slurry project has been completed and the road has been stripped. Some signage has been replaced but the speed limit signs are pending installation. The County recently completed a speed study on VLR this spring  in the subdivision area beginning at Glacier Dr. so it is possible the existing 25 MPH speed may increase to a new level as traffic speeds have tended to be higher.

Reminder: The annual Member meeting is Saturday, July 3 at 2:00 p.m. A meeting agenda will be posted at the solar shed bulletin board. Any member wishing a copy of the the agenda via email can go to the "Contact Us" tab and request a copy be sent to them via email.

06/20/2021:  Happy Father's Day!

Beginning Monday 6/21, a slurry mix will be placed on Virginia Lakes Road over the existing asphalt paving. It is understood that this will take approximately one week. There will be traffic escorts on the road by the contractor to move vehicle traffic around their work areas. Please drive slowly to ensure safety of yourself, other traffic, pedestrians and the workers. We currently do not know if road stripping will take place immediately after the slurry mix had dried.

The Annual Member meeting will take place on Saturday, July 3 at 2:00 PM at the pump house location - 67 Tip Top Lane. Please bring a chair for comfort. Please maintain a safe distance between all members and wearing of face masks at this time is required to ensure safety of all in attendance. Some packaged refreshments will be made available. This meeting may be longer than prior meetings as we will also be presenting information that would have been given during the 2020 meeting that was cancelled due to COVID-19.

As a reminder, Yearly water assessments are due and/or postmarked by July 31 to avoid the $50 late fee. Feel free to bring your assessment payment to the meeting if you have not already sent it in.

All current Board Members are willing to serve for this coming 21-22 period. Any other member(s) wishing to be a candidate for a board position should be prepared to present their qualifications and be nominated.

06/13/2021:  There will be a Board meeting on Friday June 18, 2021 at 10:00 AM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend but no guests. Due to COVID-19 concerns Social Distancing and face masks will be required for all attending. There will be no refreshments provided. A notice of this meeting will also be posted 06/13 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

05/25/2021:  Water system start-up has been completed. Authorization from Mono County Heath Department has been received to begin water service beginning Wednesday May 26. Luckily there were no broken service pipes or valves left open to member lots this start-up. All water tests have been completed. Please remember to conserve water. Thank you to board members Eric, David, Ross, and volunteer Steve Peters for getting the system up and running after our winter shutdown.

05/07/2021:  The water system start-up will begin on Saturday May 22. Once the start-up process is completed, water samples submitted for testing, and approval is received from Mono County Health Department to begin serving potable water to members, an update will be posted on the website. The anticipated date to begin service to members is Thursday May 27.

05/04/2021:  The annual assessment billing will be sent out on May 5. Payment is due by July 31, 2021. A late payment fee of $50 will be applied if payment is not postmarked July 31 or prior.

There is a possible opening on the water board for the coming 2021/22 season. If you as a member are interested in becoming a board member - please submit your name along with info/experiences/qualifications etc. that would make you a good candidate for the board opening via the "Contact Us" tab. All candidates would need to be present at the annual member meeting on July 3rd to present themselves for nomination should the board opening become available. More info will be provided closer to the meeting.

Opening day 4/24 was windy and cold! There were around 40 plus folks on the lake but winds were very high and cold. Most fish caught were pan size but a few bigger ones were caught and lost.

During trip to the subdivision 4-20 to 4-29 the snow in the subdivision varied from zero feet in open sun areas to 4 feet in shaded areas. Temps were from 13.1 at night to 46.7 during the days, with some windy, cloudy and clear days. The projected snow fall of 6-12 inches never happened with only 1/4 inch one day and 1/2 inch another. The only subdivision road drivable was from VL Rd. on Tip Top to just a little above Hawthorne. Snow on the lower portion of Summit Dr. was melting quickly and by 4/29 was almost drivable to the snow drift.

Check out the "Picture tab" for around 23 new pictures.

04/18/2021:  Latest word yesterday from Caroline from the resort that there was 4-5 feet of snow and ice on Big and Little Virginia Lakes. No info on Trumbull Lake. VL Road is plowed all the way to Big Virginia. Roads in the subdivision are still covered with snow and are not drivable yet. The snow drift up on Summit drive is much less that previous years and is melting out fairly quickly. Some additional cinders are going to be placed on the snow there to help the melt. check out the "Pictures" tab for a few recent pictures.

04/07/2021: Per email from members at the sub-division VL Road is cleared all the way to Trumbull campground.

04/05/2021: Note today from Kevin Julian - Road Operation Superintendent - Mono County:

Please forgive the delay in sending this email out.  I have communicated with a number of you individually, but for the group – we are starting our clearing of Virginia Lakes Road today.  I cannot give you specific details on how much we can clear each day, but we will have it opened by the 24^th.   We plan on moving the closure to the closest safe place behind where our work ends for the day so you will see a moving target in that regard.

04/01/2021:  Latest word is that Mono County will start plowing Virginia Lakes Road beginning Monday 4/5 in preparation for clearing the road for opening weekend of fishing season.

03/13/2021:  Recent snow storm brought in about 4-6 inches of new snow in the last couple of days. There is between 3-4 feet of snow with drifts in windy areas much higher. Virginia Lakes Road remains closed with parking down at the lower parking area just in a way from 395. Check out the pictures page for a picture from today - 3-12 looking south from Tip Top down to Summit Dr. and a couple taken from a commercial aircraft on 3-5 of the Big V area.

Yearly member letter and water assessments will be going out the first part of May - so keep an eye for for that. Also all new members will receive their new member letter and member certificate at the same time.

02/01/2021:  The recent storm dumped a lot of snow in the subdivision and surrounding areas. It was reported that there was 8 feet up on Summit Dr. As of yesterday: Lower parking not yet cleared by Caltrans. Snowcat came all the way down to 395. Snow drifts 4’-5’, but also bare asphalt in spots. check out the "Pictures" tab for some pictures on VL Road just above the bridge crossing and below the Helo pad area.

01/25/2021:  A winter storm is coming in this week. Prior to this, weather has been pretty nice and VL Road open. However with this coming storm there is a possibility that VL Road will be closed at the lower parking area near 395. To determine if VL Road has been closed - check out the "Road Closure:" link at https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads  - - Please see the message below:

Good morning Virginia Lakes Home Owners:

We have enjoyed some pretty calm weather patterns so far this season which has made it possible to keep VL Road open.  However, with the combination of wind and snow fall predicted for this week (Wed night – Thursday especially)  we can expect significant drifting at the road cuts – so please be prepared for temporary to permanent closure at the lower parking lot.  Tomorrow (1/26/21) the “Road Closed” sign will be placed at the bottom parking lot, and the road will be open to over-snow travel. Residents are encouraged to relocate wheeled vehicles to bottom parking lot prior to the closure. The closure determination will be revisited every weekday thereafter, and snow removal operations will resume when weather, avalanche conditions, and resources permit.  

Please share this message with others as my contact list from last year may be incomplete.

Kevin Julian

Road Operations Superintendent

Mono County

C: 760-616-4365

D: 760-932-5449

kjulian@mono.ca.gov

https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads

01/05/2021:  Happy New year! There is approximately 1 to 2 feet of snow in the subdivision with some areas having more due to drifts and shading. Approximately 8 inches of new snow fell around December 27/28. Subdivision roads are not drivable however some folks have tried! Temps during the holidays varied from a low of 4.5 to a high of 34.7. Winds were low most of the time. Some storms have been predicted for heavy snow fall recently but have not happened as of yet. Mono County has kept Virginia Lakes Road plowed during weekdays but do not plow on the weekends.

Trash service has been stopped for the winter. Last pickup was on Thursday December 31. Service will not be resumed until the May timeframe depending on weather/snow conditions. It is important for all members to take their trash home with them during the winter  when visiting so that room in the dumpster remains for the full-time residents during the winter.

Check out the "Pictures" tab for a few recent pictures.

12/01/2020:  Received some picture taken Thanksgiving day from member Niel Fischer. Check out the "Pictures" tab for a view. Snow level is low and temp have been cold at night.

11/25/2020:  Wishing everyone a safe Thanksgiving holiday.

A check today with Mono County determined that all burn permits are suspended - no outside burning is allowed in Mono County.

11/18/2020:  The water systems were successfully shut down on 10/20 & 10/21 just in time for the cold weather that came in about a week later. Winter water is available at the spring overflow by the solar pump shed or along Virginia Lakes Rd at the gravity hydrants at Pinecrest, Tamarack, Lodegepole, Easy or Glacier. A special key is needed for the hydrants. If you (members only) need a key they are $5.00 and can be obtained by filling out the "Contact us" page.

Winds have been high in the subdivision beginning around Friday 11/13 with winds ranging from 50-75 mph. One cabin on Summit Dr. had a side door blown open and a roof skylight blown off.

A portion of a tree came down early evening 11/13 on Tip Top on the northside by the pump house. Branches were cleared from the roadway and is drivable. Another tree came down 11/17 which blocked the old road portion to the east just off Tip Top and VL Road. That tree has not been cleared and may remain for some time due to its size. Check out the "Pictures" tab for a couple pictures of the trees.

Frank Chop made a round of the subdivision on 11/17 and did not see any cabins damaged by down trees.

Some snow came in on 11/7 and 11/8 for a total of 4 to 6 inches. Mono County kept the road cleared of snow.

Temps got down to -0.1 to -2 during the period 11/7 to 11/13. Daytime temps varied from the mid 10's to 40 for the same period.

Some additional pictures are posted to show the various areas of the subdivision for the 11/7 to 11/13 time frame.

10/15/2020:  There will be a Board meeting on Wednesday October 21, 2020 at 1:00 PM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend but no guests. Due to COVID-19 concerns Social Distancing and face masks will be required for all attending. There will be no refreshments provided. A notice of this meeting will also be posted 10/16 on the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House. If any member would like a copy of the agenda sent electronically, please complete the form on the "Contact Us" tab.

10/04/2020 : One weather station, one air quality (Purple Air Sensor} and one web cam have been added by a couple members in the subdivision. The weather station and web cam are in the area of Summit Dr. and Tip Top lane. The web cam is looking south and shows Summit Dr. The Purple air Sensor is at the top of Summit Dr. at a cabin. It is believed the web cam only updates every 30 minutes and is off (dark) at night time. Owners of the installations have allowed us to post the links on our web site. The links will be listed under the "Links" tab and are posted below in this message:

Weather Station:  https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALEEVI12

Web Cam:  http://vl.sightly.net/

Purple Air Sensor:  https://www.purpleair.com/map?opt=1/mAQI/a10/cC0&select=65423#7.28/38.872/-119.184

An issue has been corrected with the web site. The "Contact Us" tab was not forwarding the information filled out in the form to the web master. That is now corrected.

Added some pictures from the Upper Tamarack/Tip Top/Beaver Run water line replacement work done in August 2020. Check out the "Pictures" tab.

Also, all pictures prior to 2020 have been moved to the "Old Photo History" tab. This makes life much easier when posting new pictures.

09/30/2020: The water system shutdown for the season will begin on Tuesday October 20th. If you have water storage tanks be sure and fill them up before this date. Once the system is shut down water will be available at the spring overflow outlet just behind the solar pump house. The gravity main line will remain on to ensure good spring flow but street laterals will be turned off with water available at the hydrants along Virginia Lakes Road at each street entrance.

09/09/2020: Mono County issued an emergency ordinance yesterday 9/8 prohibiting open fires on private property due to the extreme fire hazard conditions. This includes campfires, pit fires and etc. However covered BBQs and propane cooking is permitted. As such this includes our subdivision. A notice is also being posted at the solar pump house bulletin board and trash dumpster.

08-22-2020: Schat.net has been installing internet service via a dish to several cabins in the the subdivision lately. Schat has installed re-transmitters at two cabins which can then provide internet service to other cabins. If your cabin is able to get a signal from the Baggett cabin up on Summit Dr. or from the cabin high on the ridge south of the subdivision you might be able to get service. You will need a power source to obtain service. WiFi calling is much better through their internet service than through cell phone service up there. If you are interested, you might want to give them a call at their office in Bishop at: 760-873-4377 for more information.

08/17/2020: The Annual member meeting that was rescheduled from July 4th to September 5th has been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns and the prohibition of group gatherings by Mono County.

Overdue assessment notices were mailed out today and include the $50 late fee. If the assessment is not paid by December 31, 2020 an additional 6% will be added.
The waterline replacement on Upper Tamarack and a portion of Tip Top was completed Thursday 8/13. Road base has been added to the area.

07/31/2020:  Water assessment payments are due today to avoid the $50 late fee. Payments must be postmarked prior to or on July 31 to avoid the late fee. A second notice including the late fee will be sent to those who have not paid. Those assessments not paid by December 31, 2020 will also incur a 6% interest charge.  Without timely assessment payments it makes it more difficult for us to complete water improvement projects.

07/24/2020:  Waterline replacement on Upper Tamarack Lane and Tip Top Lane (east of Tamarack) will begin on Monday August 3rd and continuing for about one week. There will be no water service on Tamarack (above Beaver Run), Beaver Run, and Tip Top (east of Tamarack) during this period of time. Road access to these areas will also be limited if not at all. Water service work-around  may be available for some cabin locations. Please contact Ross at 58 Pinecrest Dr. if you are up and need water at your cabin location. Water is also available at the Spring overflow located next to the solar pump house.

There will be a Board meeting on Sunday August 2nd. at 1:00 PM to be held at 50 Tamarack Lane. Members are welcome to attend but no guests. Due to COVID-19 concerns Social Distancing and face masks will be required for all attending. There will be no refreshments provided. A notice of this meeting will also be posted in the bulletin board at the Solar Pump House.

Water assessments are due July 31. No avoid the $50 late fee get your assessment in and postmarked no latter than 7/31.

The refrigerator was taken to the Mono County dump site in Bridgeport on Sunday 7/19. Who dumped it at the old gravel pit is still unknown. If you have any information on who dumped it please let us know through the "Contact Us" tab.

07/14/2020:  Someone dumped a Crystal Cold propane refrigerator, a bird feeder, and Styrofoam packaging from a new refrigerator in the old gravel pit just off Virginia Lakes Rd and Dunderberg Meadow Rd. This area is not a dump and such items should be taken to one of Mono County's public dumps. Who ever dumped this refrigerator and associated items should remove them immediately. You should be ashamed for dumping such items! See the "Pictures" tab for the pictures.

06/10/2020:  The Annual Member meeting for July 4th at 2:00 PM has been cancelled. Mono County is only in Expanded Stage 2 and gatherings with people who do not live in your household are prohibited until in Stage 3. The Annual Member meeting is tentatively rescheduled, pending further COVID-19 developments, for Labor Day weekend on Saturday, September 5th at 2:00 PM at the pump house location - 67 Tip Top Lane Virginia Lakes - Subdivision. Further updates on the Annual Member meeting will be posted here on the Website, on the solar shed bulletin board, and via an Email listing of members who have provided an email address. The above notice was also sent to the Email listing and will be posted on the bulletin board..

06/03/2020:  The Annual Member meeting scheduled for Saturday, July 4th at 2:00 PM may be cancelled due to prohibitions of group gatherings at this time due to COVID-19 guidelines in effect for Mono County and the State of California. Mono County is currently in Stage 2 and group gatherings are not authorized until Stage 3 is entered. The following link from Mono County ( MONO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Public Health Officer Order: Prohibition of Non-Essential Public Gatherings) is available to review and is still current. https://webapps.mono.ca.gov/COVIDDocs/Directives/Health-officer-order-prohibiting-gatheringsMar172020.pdf

You can also go to the Mono County COVID-19 website for further information: https://coronavirus.monocounty.ca.gov/

Any update to the cancellation of the annual member meeting will be posted here on the website.

05/22/2020:  The water system start-up has been completed. Approval from Mono County Health has been received to begin serving our members.

Weather has been in the mid 50s to low 60s during the day but in the high 20s to low 30s at night. Trash service is active with dumpster pickup on Thursday morning.

05/14/2020:  All subdivision roads are drivable at this time. Please drive slowly and be cautious of some soft spots that still remain from the snow melt. Also when driving up Summit Dr. towards the top to use 4 wheel drive to slow down the damage done to the road surface when in 2 wheel drive. The road surface in that area, from just south of the peak near the Keller cabin and down to the Andersen cabin below, was re-graded towards the end of last year to smooth out the majority of the wash boarding conditions on the road. A sign in that area has been installed as reminder! Check out the "Pictures" tab to see the picture!

05/11/2020: The annual member letter and assessment statement has been mailed out. Remember to get your assessment payment in by July 31 to avoid a late fee of $50.

The annual member meeting will be held on Saturday, July 4th, at 2:00 p.m. at the pump house location (67 Tip Top Lane). Please bring a chair and a mask if social distancing is still required. If you can not attend, please return your proxy statement with your assessment payment so that we can have a quorum for the meeting. Thank you!

05/10/2020: The water system start-up will begin on Tuesday May 19. Once the start-up process is completed,, water samples submitted for testing and approval is received from Mono County Health Department to begin serving potable water to members, an update will be posted on the website.

Also check out the "Pictures" tab for some recent pictures from 5/7 and 5/9.

05/03/2020:  The snow in the subdivision is melting at a fairly quick rate lately. The drift on Summit has been clear by Art Baggett and Frank Carey with the plow on their snow cat. We do not have a report on the subdivision roads as to whether they are drivable yet. Some pictures of the upper area of Summit have been provided. Check out the "Pictures" tab for a few recent pictures.

We still do not know when the water system will be started back up for the summer season. This will depend on further snow melt, access to all the areas of the water system equipment, valves etc. and off course night time temps. Once a date is known it will be posted here on the web site.

04/22/2020:  Added a few pictures from 4/16, 4/18 & 4/22. Check them out at the "Pictures" tab.

04/21/2020:  Opening of Fishing season delayed: See the below announcement that was made late this afternoon:

CDFW News

After Coordination with Local Government, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Delays Trout Season Openers in Three Counties
April 21, 2020

As requested by county officials, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham delayed the start of the trout opener in Alpine, Inyo and Mono counties. The director made this decision in consultation with California Fish and Game Commission President Eric Sklar.
The trout season was scheduled to open in these three counties this Saturday, April 25. The delay to the opener in these counties expires May 31, 2020.
“After talking with the county representatives, we agreed this was a necessary step toward being responsive to local needs in this public health emergency,” said CDFW Director Bonham. “These counties asked for our help, and we responded.”
Specifically this means all waters in these three counties not currently open to fishing will remain closed to fishing until May 31. After local government coordination in Alpine, Inyo and Mono counties, CDFW is also making minor adjustments to bag and possession limits in waters that are currently open for fishing to protect and conserve the existing fisheries that may be affected by increased angling pressure or harvest. These modifications will also expire May 31. Pursuant to the emergency regulation approved by the Commission, CDFW will provide accurate information for the angling public online or by phone at (916) 445-7600.
Today’s decision does not affect the trout season in any other county.
Early this week, CDFW had discussions with county leadership regarding trout fishing, which typically draws a high tourism influx to these counties. Local officials are concerned that people traveling to these areas to fish would exacerbate the transmission of COVID-19 and put a strain on their healthcare systems. Further, all non-essential businesses in these counties including lodging, dining and camping options are closed in compliance with state and local public health officers’ orders.
On April 15, the California Fish and Game Commission authorized CDFW to temporarily delay, suspend or restrict recreational fishing if the director of CDFW, in consultation with the president of the Commission, finds that such action is necessary to protect against the threat from COVID-19 based on state, federal, local, and tribal public health guidance and public safety needs.
At the request of counties or tribes, CDFW will consider action to address needs regarding fishing seasons amongst the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are a county or tribal representative with questions or would like to provide input on potential angling related delays or restrictions, please contact Roger Bloom, Acting Branch Chief, Fisheries Branch, by email at Roger.Bloom@wildlife.ca.gov.
###
Media Contact:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 654-9937

04/10/2020:  A good of foot or more of snow has come down in the past few days. Art Baggett sent along some nice pictures to show what has come down. Check out the "Pictures" tab for a view.

04/05/2020:  The "Pictures" tab section has been updated with approximately 46 pictures covering the period August 2019 to Feb 2020. Some of the pictures show the waterline replacement work on Upper Pinecrest Dr. and Tip Top Ln. done in August and September. Others show the low amount of snow at the end of last year and the first part of this year.

04/04/2020:  A nice storm is coming in this weekend which might bring several feet of snow. Member Art Baggett sent a couple of pictures from the area on Summit Dr. that he took 4/4 or so. Check out the "Pictures" tab.

04/03/2020:  Snow levels have remained low this year. Currently there is approximately 28 inches of snow. Subdivison roads are closed. Snow drifts are high in some areas. Due to the recent Corona Virus event travel has been very limited by members. The yearly member letter and Assessment Billing is planned to go out the first part of May as usual. Assessments will remain the same amount for 2020 as they were in 2019. The following notice wil also be included in the member letter.

“Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors on October 23, 2019 has levied an assessment, for calendar year 2020, of $250 Non User; or $300 Gravity User; and or $400 Pumped User per membership upon the memberships of the corporation payable to Virginia Lakes Mutual Water Corporation 621 Myrtle Avenue Glendora, CA 91741 on or before June 1, 2020. Any memberships upon which this assessment remains unpaid after July 31, 2020 will be delinquent and subject to a $50 late fee. Unless payment is made prior to delinquency, the said memberships or as many of them as may be necessary, may be forfeited to the corporation. Ross Oswald, Secretary, 621 Myrtle Avenue Glendora, CA 91741”

At a recent Mono County Supervisor meeting on 4/1 the follow was an agenda item:

Recommended Action: Hear update from Staff and receive public input regarding the upcoming fishing season/stocking in light of COVID-19 and the Governor's "Stay-At-Home" Order.  Consider and potentially approve proposed letter to the Governor and the California Fish and Game Commission requesting that fish stocking and/or fishing opener be delayed, consistent with the Stay-At-Home Order, for the protection of public health and safety. Provide any desired direction to staff.

It is believed that a letter is being forward regarding his agenda item.

Water systems remain off for the season. It is anticipated that system turn-0n will be towards the end of May as usual pending weather conditions and now possible futher developments regarding the Corona Virus.

Any further updates on water start-up and turn-on dates will be posted here on the Web Site.

"STAY SAFE and STAY HOME"

01/24/2020:  Virginia Lakes road is open to Trumbull campground entrance. There are some ice areas on the road and a couple narrow areas but generally two lanes.

01/16/2020:  Virginia Lakes road to be closed today at 12:00 PM due to the storm that is coming in. Reopening will be re-evaluated after the storm based on conditions. See the note below from Mono County Road Operations:

Good morning Virginia Lakes Home Owners:

As mentioned in my previous correspondence, this storm is promising to bring intense snowfall with strong winds over a short duration this afternoon into this evening.  With that said, we have decided to CLOSE VIRGINIA LAKES ROAD at 12:00PM today. We will re-evaluate next week based on drifting and future storm foecasts to decide if this is a tempoary or permanent closure for the winter.

Thank you,

Kevin Julian

Road Operations Superintendent - Mono County

https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads

01/13/2020: Happy New Year to all!  There is around two (2) feet of snow in the subdivision with drifts from wind up to 3-4 feet in some areas. Summit Drive has drifts that are much high just above the Keller cabin.

Virginia Lakes Road may end up being closed this week from down at the lower parking area due to winds and snow storm coming in. Please see the attached not from Kevin Julian - Mono County Road Operations Superintendent:

Good afternoon Virginia Lakes Home Owners:

 We have enjoyed some pretty calm weather patterns so far this season which has made it possible to keep VL Road open.  However, with the combination of wind and snow fall predicted for this week (Wed night – Thursday especially)  we can expect significant drifting at the road cuts – so please be prepared for temporary to permanent closure at the lower parking lot.  We will monitor the situation as the storm rolls in and I will send out an update if we do in fact need to close the road.  Thank you for your understanding.

 Kevin Julian

Road Operations Superintendent

Mono County

Check out the Mono County Road Closure web page at the "Links" tab to obtain current info on area road closures: