06/12/2019:  A contract was recently signed with Construction Specialty of Lee Vining to replace the 4" metal water line for Upper Pinecrest Dr.(between Hawthorne and Tip Top). This line has been pretty rusty for some time and has required flushing on a regular basis. Replacement work will begin sometime after July 4. A notice will be placed on the website once the start date is known. Water service work-arounds will be provided on an as-needed-basis. Once work has been completed and the road surface compacted, new road base material will be provided.

Just a reminder:

There will be a "Celebration of Life" event for member Mark Stoltz, who passed away unexpectedly in early January while skiing at Mammoth, on Saturday June 15 at 10:00 A.M. at 189 Tip Top Lane, Virginia Lakes. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. Bring a beach or folding chair for sitting. Parking will be at the bottom of Tip Top just off of Virginia Lakes Road and near the pump houses and Summit Drive. Parking area signs will be posted.

06/08/2019:  Check out the "Pictures" page for some pictures taken 6/5.

06/07/2019:  Water system start-up will begin on Saturday June 15. Once all systems are up and water tests submitted and approved it is estimated water service will be available Wednesday June 19 once approval to serve is received from Mono County Health Department. Any updates will be posted on the web site.

05/31/2019:  There will be no water system start-up the weekend of 6/1 to 6/2 due to snow condition still on subdivision roads and around equipment areas. A start-up period will be posted on this site once snow conditions are favorable to access storage, valve and equipment areas by vehicle. Check out the "Pictures" tab for some recent pictures of the subdivision roads.

05/27/2019:  Happy Memorial Day to all veterans. Thank you for your service.

NOTICE OF CELEBRATION OF LIFE EVENT

There will be a "Celebration of Life" event for member Mark Stoltz, who passed away unexpectedly in early January while skiing at Mammoth, on Saturday June 15 at 10:00 A.M. at 189 Tip Top Lane, Virginia Lakes. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. Bring a beach or folding chair for sitting. Parking will be at the bottom of Tip Top just off of Virginia Lakes Road and near the pump houses and Summit Drive. Parking area signs will be posted.

05/20/2019:  The water system start-up has been cancelled for May 25-27 due to the amount of snow still on the subdivision roads and surround facility areas making it difficult to get around and also able to check for water leaks. There have been several recent snow storms which have left some additional snow with the possibility of more this week.  Temps at night last Thursday and Friday were 20 degrees. Snow has been melting but not at a rate to clear subdivision roads in the near future. A review of the snow melt will be done later this week to determine if a start-up can begin on 6/1 to 3 or later.  Keep an eye on this site for an update.

05/10/2019: The annual member letter and assessment was mailed out today the 10th.  Remember to get your assessment payment in by July 31 to avoid a late fee of $50.

Water system start-up process is planned to begin between May 25-27 if all goes well according to plan, weather and snow conditions.

Once water, system lines, tanks, are treated and flushed, water samples completed and submitted for testing, approval to serve members has to be received from the Mono County Health Department due to California State Water Resources Department requirements.  Once approval is received the system will be available for member use and a notification will be posted on the web site at such time.

05/09/2019:  VL Road was finally clear all the way from Trumbull Lake Camp Ground entrance to Big Virginia on Friday 4/26.

Many thanks to Cory and his crew from the Mono County Road Department for getting the road open and cleared.

Opening day on Saturday was a beautiful day with about 30 folks in the morning going up to around 40 in the early afternoon. There was good activity with mostly 8 - 12 inchers being caught.  Worms seemed to be the hot bait but power bait and lures were working as well.

The ice and snow depth for drilling holes was around 6 feet in most areas. Sunday was also active with around 25-30 folks as well. Come Monday, there was around 15-20 folks which is more than normal after the weekend.

The ice had not melted away from the shore edges as in years past and the  inlet coming down into Big V from Blue Lake was still covered with snow and ice.  There was only one very small ice crack on the surface area of the lake which normally has several large ones. There were some strong winds on and off but weather was mostly pretty nice.

Recent reports tell of good ice on Big Virginia and the fishing has not been too bad - but mostly the 8 - 12 inchers.

Member Steve Linn did catch a 4 1/2 lb rainbow on opening day which was the only big one that we saw - but there may have been others.

Check out the "Pictures" tab for a look at Steve's fish and some other pictures.

The Conway Summit - Cal Trans District 9 cameras at 395 and VL Road are off line until they get funding to replace the cameras.

04/23/2019:  Virginia Lakes Road was plowed and open 2 lanes to Dunderberg Meadow Road by the end of Thursday 4/18. From there, the remaining road was 1 lane to Rand Road but was not open until Friday or so. Crews are still working on the road from Trumbull Lake campground entrance to Big Virginia and should have that section open by opening day the 27th. Road surfaces have been very icy in the early morning due to snow melt runoff - so drive carefully.

There is still tons of snow in the subdivision from 4 to 6 feet depending on shading and snow drifts. All subdivision roads are not drivable by wheeled vehicles.

Temperatures from 4/14 thru 4/18 were in the mid to low 20s at night and mid 30s to low 40s during the days. This helped to soften up the snow during the day but solid it back up at night time.

No word on when the water system will be up and running at this time. There is still too much snow to melt before a tentative date can be determined. Historically, Memorial Weekend is when the system is up and running - but that changed a couple years ago until the first part of June due to heavy snows on 2017. Any updated on the system start will be posted here on the web site.

Check out the "Pictures" tab for a few recent pictures of the road and surrounding areas.

03/29/2019:  Recent information received from Mono County is that they have begun to clear Virginia Lakes Road. They first started from the parking lot to the small bridge just up the road a ways making it two lanes. Then they will be going to the 1 1/2 mile mark, two lanes and close the road at that point. After that they will work their way up a little at a time making the road two lanes as they go and closing the road at areas that have been cleared to two lanes. They should have the road open to big Virginia Lakes by fishing opener on 4/27. Check out the Mono County Road Closure web site for further details at: https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads/page/county-road-closures

The area also picked up some additional snow on Wednesday of around 12-13 inches leaving a total of around 81-83 inches on the ground. Some settling has occurred since then. 

There was some beautiful weather during a nice trip between 03/16 and 3/22. We picked up around 4-5 inches of new snow the first couple of days. Then it was on and off with clear blue sky or overcast. There was around 6-7 feet of snow in the subdivision with some areas higher due to wind drifts. Virginia Lakes Road was closed at the lower parking area and travel to the subdivision was pretty bumpy over the snow by either walking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing/skiing, or snow cat.  Check out the "Pictures" tab for a few pictures.

03/09/2019:  We received a couple pictures taken by High Sierra Snowcat & Yurt folks on there way up Virginia Lakes Road on the morning of 03/08. Beautiful! Check out the "Pictures" tab.

03/05/2019:  Check out the "Pictures" tab for a picture from the Cal Trans camera of the intersection of VL Road and 395 from this morning.

03/04/2019:  Lots of snow in the subdivision and surrounding areas. We received some pictures from 02/23 and 02/26 of the area and parking lot area off of 395. Snow storms keep coming and going. Latest reports there is approximately 6 to 7 feet of snow or more depending on wind drifts. Check out the "Pictures" tab for some recent pictures.

02/09/2019: Check out the pictures tab for some recent pictures. 1/31/19 pictures compliments of Bill Frick. 02/08/19 pictures compliments of High Sierra Snowcat & Yurt - Mike Deacon!

02/07/2019:  Lots of snow arrived from the last snow storm that ended earlier this week around the 4th. The snow depth recorded at the Virginia Lakes Ridge Weather site was 91 inches. This evening the snow has settled down to around 76 inches. The parking lot just up from 395 and VL Road up to it was cleared of most the recent snow yesterday per Mono County. The main VL Road is closed from the parking lot to the west but is open to over the snow travel. Temperatures have been pretty cold lately with the lows at night in the 4-8 range and daytime in the mid teens. Today was an exception getting up to around 31. There is another storm coming in Friday through Sunday with the potential of 2 to 4 feet. No pictures from anyone so far - but have asked for a few if they have the opportunity.

01/16/2019:  There is around 3 plus feet on the ground in the subdivision. Winds have been high, Here is the latest VL Road information from Mono County:

"FYI, snow removal operations will be suspended on VA Lakes Road tomorrow, January 16, at 3:00p.m.

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."

01/14/2019: UPDATE:: Recent information that was received from Mono County Public Works Department this morning:

"As you may know, Virginia Lakes Road is currently open to the Trumbull Lake Campground intersection. The County has been able to devote the staff and equipment necessary to keep it open, provided the lack of significant snows in the Bridgeport Valley.
The forecast storm for Wednesday-Thursday could change that. Although the County has not yet made a formal decision, I am writing to give you a heads up that the County expects to suspend snow removal operations on Virginia Lakes Road during the storm and depending on what happens with snow, wind, and (most of all) additional storms, it may result in a lengthy closure.
When snow removal operations are suspended, the “Road Closed” sign will be placed at the bottom parking lot, and the road will be opened 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.
Once a formal decision has been made, we will update the website (County) and issue another email to this list."
County Road Closures are shown online at: https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads/page/county-road-closures

Thanks to Tony Dublino - Director of Pubic Works for reaching out to us to let us know about the snow removal plan.

The storm is expected to come in tonight the 14th and bring between 4-6 feet of new snow before it mostly ends around Thursday. Small amounts of snow may continue into the weekend as well. Residents in the subdivision have moved their vehicles down to the parking area on VL Road just off 395. If you need to check out road conditions, please check out the Mono County Road closures site at: https://monocounty.ca.gov/roads/page/county-road-closures

To check out current NOAA weather predictions for the area - check out this site at:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-119.21711796874996&lat=38.06808007465082#.XDzFq_ZFxet

Also the Virginia Lakes Ridge NOAA weather station site can be viewed for current temperatures and snow levels at:

https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?sid=VGAC1&table=1&banner=off

Cal Trans also has three cameras at their Conway Summit facility to show road conditions in that area. One camera has a good view of the entrance to VL Road at the 395 intersection. The site also has the cameras for the 395/203 intersection at Mammoth, Coso Junction and Benton Hwy6. Sometimes the cameras are out of order. Check out the site at:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/d9/cctv/index.html

These links are also available on our Web site page "Links" tab.

01/13/2019: Happy New Year! A trip to the subdivision from 12/26 to 1/1/19 was a fun time with some new snow on the 27th of about 4-6 inches. Leaving a total of about 2 feet on the ground. Some areas had higher snow levels due to shading and snow drifts. Temps were typically around 4- 10 degrees F at night and around 10 to 20 during the daytime. Sometime between New Year's eve to New Year's day morning the temperature dropped to -5.5F! That was pretty cold! Some pictures from that period of time will be added soon. VL Road was open and had some areas of ice. County crews came up several time to keep the road clear of any new snow.

12/01/2018:  Snow hit the area again this week Wednesday the 28th.  Around 2 plus feet fell with some areas higher due to snow drifts.  We moved the trash dumpster out to VL Road and Tip Top Lane for easier pick-up for Mammoth Disposal to empty on Thursday the 29th. Unfortunately, they were unable to due to sliding off VL Road into a ditch. They plan on one more pickup this season when weather clears. Once the dumpster is emptied it will be locked up and available only for the year-round residents until May 2019 time frame. If you are up to your cabin during this period of time, you will need to take your trash home with you.

Weather was beautiful beginning Saturday 11/17 with blue sky and no wind or snow. Come Wednesday the 21 there was a very slight wind and snow in the morning.  However, that night it began to snow and come morning there was around 10-12 inches on the ground. Night time temps were in the low 20s with daytime temps in the low to mid 40s. Snow continued some and winds picked up ending with around 14 inches of snow on Friday. Saturday the 24th there was blue sky again and a slight wind. Check out the pictures tab for a few pictures of the area.

10/26/2018:  The water systems were shut down beginning on 10/22 with the low tank system and ending on 10/23 with the high tank and gravity systems. Winter water is available at the spring overflow or from the orange yard hydrants  at various road aprons along Virginia Lakes Road. If a member needs a key for the winter hydrant please go to the "Contact Us" Tab on the home page to request a key. There is a $3.00 charge for a key that is mailed and $2.00 for a hand delivered key. A list is maintained of all winter hydrant keys issued. Water service will not be started until May/June 2019 depending on weather conditions

At the Board meeting held 10/21, Eric Lindquist was nominated to replace Director and Board Vice-President Don Meier who passed away on July 23. A vote of the Board appointed Eric as a Director and Board Vice-President. Congratulations Eric!

Temperatures at night between 10/19 and 23 were in the mid to high 20s and the mid 40s to low 50s during the afternoon. A previous low of 17 was recorded the week before. Fall colors have been beautiful along Virginia Lakes Road and other local areas.

Trash service will remain until snow prevents pickup by the trash company.

10/11/2018:   The water systems will be shut down on Monday 10/22 beginning in the morning.

Temperatures the last week have been in the 23 to 28F range during late evening and into late morning causing freezing conditions with water lines at cabins and in the pump houses. If you have not shut your cabin down, now is a good time before any damage is done to your cabin/property water lines. Daytime temps have varied from the low 40s to the 70s (yes 70s - crazy!!) in the afternoon. Winds have been very light if any at all. Some light snow on 10/6 evening which mostly melted off the next couple of days. There was a very very light sprinkling of snow the morning of 10/11 but nothing to be concerned about.

Fall colors in the aspens is looking nice but some trees are already loosing their leaves. Lots of picture-takers along Virginia Lakes Road trying to catch the colors before they are gone. Many fishermen up at the lakes but no reports available on how they have been doing.

There will be a Board Meeting on Sunday, October 22, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at 32 Lodgepole Drive. Any member is welcome to attend the meeting.

The meeting agenda was posted on 10/11 in the Bulletin Board enclosure on the north side of the solar pump shed next to the trash dumpster. If any member would like a copy of the agenda sent electronically, please complete the "Contact Us" form via the tab on the left.

09/04/2018:  There will be a Celebration of life Memorial gathering on Saturday, September 22, 2018 for Don Meier, Virginia Lakes Mutual Water - Vice President, who passed away on July 23rd. The celebration will be non-religious and informal. The location will be at: Tamarack Junction Casino & Restaurant, 13101 S. Virginia St. Reno, NV 89511, 775-852-3600. If you are interested and will attend the celebration, please fill in your information on the "Contact Us" tab and make a notation in the comments section regarding the celebration for Don. Your information will be forwarded to the family so they can have a head count of people attending. Thank you.

09/02/2018:  The weather is changing! A recent trip between 8/23 & 8/29 found night time temps between 39 and 45 and daytime temps between 78 to 87. Skies were mostly clear and blue with some afternoon light smoke occasionally getting blown in from the fires on the western side of the Sierra's. However, the smoke tended to clear out by evening as there was typically a light breeze. There was not any bear activity as far as anyone could tell. Water systems are all up and running. The recent liner install for the low storage tank has halted the water loss from that tank! That is great news - and our solar pump can now keep up with the demand and at times stops pumping when the tank is full. Activity in the subdivision was pretty heavy and then lightened up just before Labor Day weekend. I would suspect that many members were headed back up for the long holiday weekend. Water system shut-down in October will depend on weather conditions and temperatures. Typically the system is shut down around October 20 thru 26th. Once a determination is made for shut-down a notice will be posted on the web site.

08/15/2018:  Overdue - Second Notices are being mailed out today to members who have not paid their 2018 assessment billing. Payment was due by July 31, 2018 and as such, a $50 late fee has been added to the billing. Any payment not received by December 31, 2018 will also have interest of 6% added. Assessments constitute a lien upon the membership. Unpaid assessments may be enforced by recording of a notice of lien against the subject property with Mono County, suspension of voting rights, suspension of water service, personal action against the member and any other legal means.

08/12/2018:  There has been lots of smoke from the fires in Yosemite and other locations. Some mornings the subdivision was crystal clear blue skies and other times it was partly smokey. It tended to get a little smokey in the afternoon when wind directions changed from the south and would then clear out early evening.

There was a bear roaming the subdivision who has mastered the ability to open vehicle doors. Several members found their vehicle doors open in the morning with signs of a bear having been inside. One unfortunate member or member guest had a bear get inside their vehicle and the door closed behind the bear. The bear did a lot of damage to the inside of the vehicle trying to get out until the member or owner opened the vehicle door. Just a reminder to make sure not to leave any food items inside your vehicle, make sure all windows are rolled up and that the vehicle doors are locked. Check out the "Pictures" page for a couple bear pictures. One is from Jul 5 by a cabin and the other the bear at our trash dumpster on 8/6.

On 8/9 there was information that a dead bear had been found down in the meadow at the east end of the subdivision and south of VL road. It appeared that the bear may have been hit by a vehicle and wondered off where it died in the meadow. Fish and Game was to be notified. No further information is available at this time on this incident.

07/28/2018: It is with a sad heart that we share with you that our Vice-President Don Meier passed way on Monday July 23. Don has been Vice-President since 1995 and was recently re-elected at our annual member meeting. He cared passionately about life at Virginia Lakes and was instrumental in getting many improvement projects completed.  He will be sorely missed.

His obituary from the Reno Journal-Gazette and Mason Valley News is at the following link: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rgj/obituary.aspx?n=don-edward-meier&pid=189724807

Other news: Work was completed on the low tank liner installation on Monday 7/23 after approximately 24 1/4 hours of work. Volunteers that helped out were: David Berger, Bill Frick, Chris Keller, Eric Lindquist, Judy Olsen, Ross Oswald, Ron Reck, and Jay Wheaton. Mark Shaff also assisted by picking up some needed material in Carson City on his way to the subdivision. The liner improvement will greatly assist in providing cleaner water but also in stopping the water loss from the tank walls. 

07/18/2018:  Work will start on installing the liner in the low storage tank today. Prep work will begin to modify the input water line. It is anticipated that the liner will be ready for install by this Saturday. We may need a couple member volunteers to help out with the install. If a member would like to help out, please go to the "contact us" tab and provide your information as well as a contact number. We will get back to you once we determine what our progress has been and what our manpower needs will be for the install. We will try and provide at least one days prior notice.  Thank you.

Water service for those on the low tank will be switched to the high tank until the low tank Work in completed. Be aware that the water pressure may be higher for those on the low tank. Per water installation requirements, members should have the appropriate pressure regulator to provide safe water pressure into their cabin.

06/29/2018:  The Annual Member meeting will be held on Saturday, July 7, at 2:00 p.m. at the pump house area at 67 Tip Top Lane. There will be refreshments after the meeting. See you there! Also, There will be a Board Meeting on Wednesday, July 4, at 10:00 p.m. at 32 Lodgepole Drive. Any member is welcome to attend the meeting. 

The meeting agendas, for both meetings, will be posted on 06/30 in the Bulletin Board enclosure on the north side of the solar pump shed next to the trash dumpster. If any member would like a copy of the agenda (s) sent electronically, please complete the "Contact Us" form via the tab on the left.

06/26/2018:  Weather has been nice at the subdivision lately except for the fire smoke that has been coming over the mountains from the western side of the Sierra's. There is a big bear that has been roaming the subdivision - - SO make sure your vehicle windows are rolled up tight and there is no food inside the vehicle.

Bridgeport is having their 156th Annual 4th of July celebration beginning on June 30 with the parade on July 4 at 10:00 a.m. - check out the schedule here: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/bb0160b1-7862-48a9-a2f4-a9089bed1ebc/downloads/1caoivlct_918621.pdf

05/30/2018:  Water system turn-on was started on 5/23. Water tests were taken in on 5/25 and test result returns were good on 5/26. All water systems are operational. Trash service was started on 5/24 for the season, Trash pick-up day is Thursday in the morning. If you find the dumpster lock unlocked Thursday morning please do not lock it up as the trash company driver sometimes forgets to bring his key. All subdivision roads are open except for the top of Summit Drive where the snow berm/drift is and just west of the low tank area on Summit Drive. Some road areas are muddy due to snow melt and underground water flows.

05/15/2018:  The water system start-up process is planned to begin on May 23rd if all goes well according to plans, weather and snow conditions. Once all the system lines, tanks, and water have been treated, and flushed and water testing completed, approval to serve members has to be received from the Mono County Health Department due to California State Water Resources Department requirements. Hopefully this will be by Saturday the 26th.

05/12/2018:  Per reports received from several folks, opening day was fairly good. The fishing was okay with trout in the 8-12 inch range, especially the brooks in the 13 to 15 inch range.. There were +60 folks on Big Virginia lake. There was around 4 feet of ice on Big V. I did not make it up on Opening day and was only able to fish on 5/2. On that day, there were only two of us fishing in the afternoon on Big V as the weekend crowd had departed. Big V and surrounding lakes were still frozen with lake edges not melting out. Received about 4-6 inches of new snow on Monday 4/29 but by Friday 5/4 most of the new snow had melted. There was still plenty of snow in the subdivision with some snow drifts in the 3-4 foot range making the roads impassible except for Tip Top up to Hawthorne.  The big snow berm/drift up on Summit Dr. was 6-8 feet. In most areas there was 1 to 2 feet of snow with some bare areas from sun melt. Temps started out cold at night down to 17 F with day time temps in the high 20s to low 30s. Come Friday 5/4, night temps rose up to 27 F and day time temps were in the 50s to 60s. Snow was really beginning to melt. Recent storm 5/11 brought some snow - but weather reports are questionable saying 6 to 8 inches - but not personal verifiable reports. Temps have dropped back down to the mid 20s at night and mid 40s during the day.

The annual member letter and assessments were mailed out on 5/3. Payments are already coming in. Remember to get your assessment payment in by July 31 to avoid a late fee of $50.

Water system turn-on has not been scheduled yet and will depend on temperatures and snow coverage - but hopefully by Memorial day. A notification will be posted on the web site once it is known.

Check out the "Pictures" Tab for a few pictures taken on 5/2 of Big V.

04/26/2018:  Two days until opening day for fishing season. The weather has been warm in the 50-60s the last few days with the snow melting and subsequent runoff. We received a couple pictures of Big Virginia taken today near the inlet area on the north end. Snow on the lake is soft. Ice depth was reported between 2-4 feet a week ago - but depth today has not been reported. Conditions may not be to good on the lake come 4/28. If more info is received it will be posted. Check out the "Pictures" tab.

04/21/2018:  VL Road is "Officially" open to Big Virginia Lake per Mono County.  Big V, Little V and Trumbull Lakes are all frozen. Around 4-6 inches of snow fell on Monday 4/16. There was about 3 feet of snow on the ground in most places with some drifts much higher as well as in areas of shade. The snow base was pretty firm after having rains the prior week. Subdivision roads are not drive able due to snow coverage except for the first portion of Tip Top that was cleared by a property owner. Trash service has not been started and probably will not be until Memorial Day time frame - so please take your trash home with you. Water system start-up will depend on snow coverage and temps and is expected to begin around Memorial Day period as well.

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

04/12/2018:  The word is that VL Road is open to Big Virginia Lakes, but there has not been an update on the Mono County road closure site to that. There is still around 3 feet of snow in the subdivision or more depending on drifts. Recent snow fall yesterday left around 4 inches of new snow. Temps this morning were 17° clear with bright sun and a low of 11°. There is a possibility of more snow this afternoon then more coming in Sunday night and Monday.

04/05/2018:  The latest on VL Road closure: 2:15 p.m. today.

Virginia Lakes Road - OPEN: Virginia Lakes Road is open to the Trumbull Lake Campground with no restrictions. County staff will continue to work at opening the parking area for Big Virginia for fishing opener. Please do not park in front of the Road Closed barricade and obey the NO Parking signs.

The Road Division Weather forecast for Virginia Lakes can be seen HERE

Morning post below:

Virginia Lakes Road - CLOSED: The Virginia Lakes Road closure will be moved from the lower parking area to the Dunderberg Road intersection today, April 4, 2018 at approx.. 3:00 p.m. Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice. Snow removal operations are taking place and we hope to have the road open by the end of the week April 6-2018.

Due to current snow removal operations, minimal road width and lack of parking, visitors are asked to please not drive past road closure or block Virginia Lakes Road at the Road closure so residence, snow removal and support equipment can access and egress as needed. The current Weather forecast for Virginia Lakes can be seen HERE

04/02/2018:  On Thursday 03/29 the County began to clear VL Road from the lower parking lot area ending up at Dunderberg Meadow Road that day. It was approximately one lane wide. No clearing was done until today 4/2 when they went to approximately the Trumbull Lake campground entrance. VL Road is two lanes to that point.

There have been a few small avalanches in the surrounding mountains from the previous snow storm but nothing really big. We were sent one picture taken in the morning of 3/23 of the Castle Peak area above the subdivision where we typically have an avalanche issue. The slide did not make it down to the properties on Glacier, Easy or the end of Tip Top.

Also a few pictures have been provided of the VL Road area and sub area from 03/26 and 27.

There is a storm coming in the later this week that may bring rain or snow, but initial projections do not indicate any significant amounts of snow.

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

Below is latest road closure information from Mono County dated 3/30/2018:

County Road Closures

Information current as of: 3/30/2018, 5:00 p.m.
County Roads with Current Closures or Travel Restrictions:
Cottonwood Canyon Road - Winter closure from north of Dobie Meadows Road intersection to Bodie State Park
Crowley Lake Dr. - has been reopened with no restrictions.
Lundy Lake Road - is now open with no restrictions
Rock Creek Road - The road is closed at the first gate after the snow park.
​Upper Summers Meadow Road - Continuing closure during bridge construction; abutments completed, pre-fabricated bridge platforms delivered and installed. Remaining tasks include concrete pours for bridge surface, guardrail installation, finish approach grading and signage. The overall completion is anticipated in Spring 2018.
Twin Lakes Road - This road has been reopened with no restrictions.
​Virginia Lakes Road - CLOSED: The Virginia Lakes Road will remain closed until further notice. Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice. Residents and visitors are encouraged to be prepared for over-snow travel. The Road Division Weather forecast for Virginia Lakes can be seen HERE
Actual road closures and activity will be updated periodically – please consider these notices as warnings, and plan accordingly.

03/25/2018:  VL road is closed and will hopefully be opened the first of the week. Approximately 5 feet of snow fell in the subdivision area on 3/22 and 3/23. There is a good 7 plus feet with some areas much higher with snow drifts. Winds have been in the 50 mph range. Check out the "Pictures" page for about 5 new pictures.

Here is the latest update from Mono County regarding road closures/restrictions:

Information current as of: 3/23/2018, 8:30 a.m.

County Roads with Current Closures or Travel Restrictions:

• Cottonwood Canyon Road - Winter closure from north of Dobie Meadows Road intersection to Bodie State Park

• Crowley Lake Dr. - has been reopened with no restrictions.

• Lundy Lake Road - With the forecast of heavier storms and high winds this week, The Roads Division will be closing Lundy Lake Road at the first gate, Wednesday, 3-21-18 at 3:00 P.M. The Road will remain closed until further notice. Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice. Residents and visitors are encouraged to closely monitor the weather and snow accumulation, and be prepared for road closure and over-snow travel. The Road Division Weather forecast for Lundy Lake can be seen HERE
• Rock Creek Road - The road is closed at the first gate after the snow park.
• ​Upper Summers Meadow Road - Continuing closure during bridge construction; abutments completed, pre-fabricated bridge platforms delivered and installed. Remaining tasks include concrete pours for bridge surface, guardrail installation, finish approach grading and signage. The overall completion is anticipated in Spring 2018.
• Twin Lakes Road - This road has been reopened with no restrictions.
• ​Virginia Lakes Road - With the forecast of heavier storms and high winds this week, The Roads Division will be closing Virginia Lakes Road Wednesday, 3-21-18 at 3:00 P.M. The Road will remain closed until further notice. Moving vehicles down to the parking area to facilitate travel on highways is recommended. Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice. Residents and visitors are encouraged to closely monitor the weather and snow accumulation, and be prepared for road closure and over-snow travel. The Road Division Weather forecast for Virginia Lakes can be seen HERE

Actual road closures and activity will be updated periodically – please consider these notices as warnings, and plan accordingly.

03/20/2018:  Per Mono County at 1:12 p.m. today.

Virginia Lakes Road - With the forecast of heavier storms and high winds this week, The Roads Division will be closing Virginia Lakes Road Wednesday, 3-21-18 at 3:00 P.M. The Road will remain closed until further notice. Moving wheeled vehicles down to the parking area to facilitate travel on highways is recommended. Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice. Residents and visitors are encouraged to closely monitor the weather and snow accumulation, and be prepared for road closure and over-snow travel.

Note: Heavy snows are coming in tomorrow with up to 3 - 5 feet by Friday. See the weather link below from 3/14 post for current weather info for the Virginia Lakes area.

03/17/2018:  11:22 a.m.: There is around 50 inches of snow in the subdivision with some areas higher due to drifts. The County just brought a snow plow up VL Road and is trying to open up the road. County Road Closure site says road is open but has not been updated since 3/14. More snow coming in later this week around Tuesday.

Per Mono County email of 3:14 p.m.:  Virginia Lakes road was re-opened late this morning. We will update the County website Monday.

03/16/2018:  Mono County has closed VL Road as of 3 p.m. today - See below:

Virginia Lakes Road - With the heavy snowfall throughout the day, The Roads Division has closed Virginia Lakes Road as of 3:00 P.M. today. Over snow travel on the closed road is permitted, and should be expected. Moving wheeled vehicles down to the parking area before nightfall to facilitate travel on highways is recommended. Closure determination will be reviewed tomorrow morning and every weekday until further notice.

03/14/2018:  Per local reports  - snow of 8 inches last night with 5 inches today. More expected the rest of the week. Latest VL Road info from Mono County at 1:30 p.m. today:

Virginia Lakes Road - Currently open. With the forecast of heavier storms and winds this week, the road may close at the bottom parking lot. Residents and visitors are encouraged to closely monitor the weather and snow accumulation, and be prepared for road closure and over-snow travel. . Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice. The Road Division Weather forecast for Virginia Lakes can be seen HERE: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.048&lon=-119.2652#.Wqm1k0xFyM8

03/13/2018 @ 2:17 p.m.:  Received notification from Mono County that VL Road will be closed this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. due to pending snow storm. There is a possibility of more than 3 feet of snow coming in between today and Saturday. Please see the info below:

Virginia Lakes Road - With the forecast of heavier storms and winds this week, The Roads Division will be closing Virginia Lakes Road today 3-13-18 at 3:00 P.M. The Road will remain closed until further notice. Over snow travel on the closed road is permitted. Moving wheeled vehicles down to the parking area to facilitate travel on highways is recommended. Closure determination will be reviewed every weekday until further notice.

03/12/2018:  Storms are coming in this week beginning Tuesday with the possibility of up to 2 feet of snow at higher elevations by the end of the storm. Currently VL Road is open however, it is subject to closure depending on snow fall. The latest update on Road Closures from Mono County is as follows: https://www.monocounty.ca.gov/roads/page/county-road-closures

County Road Closures

Information current as of: 3/09/2018 9:00 a.m.
County Roads with Current Closures or Travel Restrictions:
Cottonwood Canyon Road - Winter closure from north of Dobie Meadows Road intersection to Bodie State Park
Lundy Lake Road: is closed at the second gate (just past Lundy Dam Road).
​Upper Summers Meadow Road - Continuing closure during bridge construction; abutments completed, pre-fabricated bridge platforms delivered and installed. Remaining tasks include concrete pours for bridge surface, guardrail installation, finish approach grading and signage. The overall completion is anticipated in Spring 2018.
Rock Creek Road - The road is closed at the first gate after the snow park.
​Virginia Lakes Road - Is open again and will remain open with the possibility of heavier storms in mid-March forcing a road closure. Residents should be prepared for a storm closure of this road.
Actual road closures and activity will be updated periodically – please consider these notices as warnings, and plan accordingly.

03/08/2018:  The snow level has settled down since the last storm and currency is around 30 to 36 inches. The County has been plowing VL Road and hopefully it will be open soon for normal travel. A storm is coming in tonight and Thursday with about 80% chance of some additional snow. Snow amounts may be limited - but will be updated when info received from those in the subdivision. Another storm is head in next week as well - so maybe we will get lucky with some addition snow. Subdivision roads are not drivable except for a small portion of Tip Top just off VL Road. The County Road Closure site has not been updated since 3/2.

03/03/2018:  VL Road is currently closed at the lower parking lot area just off of 395. There is approximately 4 feet of new snow that is very fluffy and hard to get around in. Snowmobile travel is rough if at all possible due to sinking down in the new snow. Temps have been in the teens. We are hoping for a few pictures to come in so we can post them on the site. 

03/01/2018: As you can see, the Web Site has recently changed in its format and your webmaster just now has been able to add to the site information. What a process compared to the old!! As the learning process is completed - posts and navigation may become more user friendly..

Currently VL Road has been clear to the Trumbull Lake campground entrance, However, there has been some ice on the roads. Roads in the subdivision and mostly closed but a few may be drive able a short distance depending on snow pack and ice below the snow.

NOTICE - ROAD CLOSURES

From Mono County - February 27 at 5:00 p.m.

Due to the severity of the winter storm and winds forecasted for Thursday March 1 and continuing into Saturday, March 3, we anticipate the following winter road closures to occur no later than 5:00 p.m. Thursday:

Rock Creek Road: Will be closed at the Snow Park.

Lundy Lake Road: will be closed at the first gate.

Virginia Lakes Road: Will be closed at the bottom parking lot (Jordan Basin Road).

Actual road closures and activity will be updated periodically - please consider this a warning and plan accordingly.

Here is the link to the County Road closure site: https://www.monocounty.ca.gov/roads/page/county-road-closures

01/23/2018:  Mono County is having a public meeting at the Lee Vining Community Center on January 30 at 5:30 P.M. to discuss avalanche risks in the County and how the County operations are impacted as well as the ways in which local and non-local property owners can stay informed about conditions. The County has also mailed a flyer to all Virginia Lakes property owners and other areas, to their address of record.

Here is the flyer info:

MONO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS POST OFFICE BOX 457 • 74 NORTH SCHOOL STREET • BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA  93517 760.932.5440 • Fax 760.932.5441 • monopw@mono.ca.gov • www.monocounty.ca.gov 

Parks • Community Centers • Roads & Bridges • Land Development • Solid Waste Building Maintenance • Campgrounds • Airports • Cemeteries • Fleet Maintenance 
AVALANCHE TERRAIN RISKS, THREATS, and OPERATIONS 

PUBLIC MEETING 

January 30TH, 5:30 P.M.  Lee Vining Community Center   

 Agenda  

1. Risks to life and property within avalanche terrain 2. Forecasting methods 3. County Operational Decisions 4. How to stay informed 5. Comments and Questions   

How do I stay informed of developing emergencies? 
Avalanche threats, like other emergencies and natural disasters, frequently arrive at a moment’s notice and require immediate action to protect life and property. Traditional notification methods like land-line ‘reverse 911 calls,’ emergency sirens, road closures, announcements, and knocking on the front door of a home are all effective – so long as the person is physically present to see or hear it.  
When an emergency situation arises when a Mono County resident is away on vacation, or a second home owner is not present, the risk to their life safety is eliminated but the risk to their property remains. Fortunately, there is a method to stay informed, which is to subscribe to Code Red Emergency Notifications.  
This is a free service to all residents, visitors and property owners. The Mono County Sheriff’s Department subscribes to this service and oversees the implementation of notifications.  
How does it work? 
1. Sign up. Enter your name, identify one or more addresses (place of business, residence, rental, etc.) where you want to receive notifications, and provide one or more contact phone numbers for the address. It takes about 5 minutes.  2. When a disaster/emergency occurs that requires notification, the Sheriff’s office determines what area is impacted, and initiates Code Red Alerts for that area. If your address is within that area, the number you provided will receive a phone call notifying you of the emergency.   

Sign up for Code Red by visiting this site: https://public.coderedweb.com/cne/en-US/09531DC35832 

Another way to stay informed of developing situations in the County is to check the County Road Closures page, at https://www.monocounty.ca.gov/roads/page/county-road-closures. This page is updated regularly, and provides basic information on County Road Closures that are currently in effect. Closures may be due to flooding, snow removal, avalanche risk or other factors, and may impact access to and from private lands within the County. 

01/08/2018: HAPPY NEW YEAR! The website has not been accessible to update since early December due to updating of the format and platform by Go Daddy. This process is still ongoing but your web master was just able to gain access to the old site to be able to do current updates until the new platform is on line.

On 1/7 there was around 7 inches of snow on Virginia Lakes Road at the subdivision area. The road had not been plowed by Mono County this past weekend from the recent storm.

This morning the 8th, the weather had changed and wet moisture was hitting the ground turning the snow into mushy snow on the road areas. VL Road is clear at lower elevations.

The weather is supposed to change to snow this afternoon and continue into Tuesday with the potential of a foot or more. Weather to clear on Wednesday or so.

The last trash service pickup was on 12/25. This has been the latest yearly pickup since trash service was started. The dumpster has been locked off with a special lock to only allow year-round residences access to the dumpster until trash service is re-started in May-June 2018. Please take your trash home with you until the trash service is re-started.

On 12/15 twelve (12) "No Trespassing/Private Property/Unauthroized Parking - Tow Away" signs were placed on "A" type barricades at the various driveway entrances into the private property areas along the north side of VL Road and also at Rand Road. In addition, Three (3) "Private Property/No Trespassing" signs were placed on the north side of the subdivision at the end of Tip Top, Glacier, and near the high water tank were the subdivision private property boundaries are located.

Also, once more snow is on the ground, additional vertical "Private Property/No Trespassing" signs on 8 foot orange poles will be placed along VL Road and Northern private property boundary areas to supplement the "A" barricade signs. The sign and poles will be moved up as snow depth increases.

Hopefully the signs will advise recreational skiers and snowmobilers where the private properties are and to notify them of areas not to enter or cross.

Mono County Sheriff's office has advised that they will respond to calls of trespassers on private property. Also, unauthorized vehicles parked on the private property areas have the potential of being towed per California vehicle code (CVC) 22658(a)

Check out the "Pictures" page for a look a few signs.

11/17/2017:  Here are a few pictures that were taken this morning in the subdivision, Several feet of the white stuff!! No other details available. Check out the "Pictures" tab.

On a side note: If you would like to contribute to the purchase of some no trespassing, resident parking only, and private property signs and some "A" type barricades that will be used at the various street entrances during the winter months - please send a note via the "Contact Us" tab. We are trying to determine the make up of the sign verbiage and the number of barricades needed. We already have the poles and other No Trespassing signs that will be placed along VL Road in the subdivision - which have already been paid for by a couple members. Once we have the cost of the additional signs and barricades, we will notify those that would like to contribute. Any amount would be helpful. Please note: This is not a Virginia Lakes Mutual Water project and therefore not an expenditure from its funds. This is a member project to protect our subdivision from unwanted use of our private parking areas and trespassers across sub private properties during the winter.  THANK YOU.

11/16/2017:  Snow level around 7:30 PM tonight was 1 1/2 to 2 feet in the subdivision with snow still coming down with an estimated of 7-9 inches more to come. Snow is dense plus winds and drifts. VL Road was plowed twice today. Storm tapers off Friday morning and then returns Sunday with chance of snow into Wednesday.

11/12/2017:  The operational change to plow to Trumbull Lake turnoff vice Rand Road (until the County is able to keep the road open) along with the other Snow Removal Road priorities was approved by the Mono County Supervisors on November 7th. Virginia Lakes Road still remains a class IV road. If for some reason that there are plowing issues, snow buildup, etc. the fall back location will be Rand Road. We are hoping that is not necessary. We had three members that spoke before the Supervisors: Jack Copeland, Ross Oswald, and Mark Stoltz. Also in attendance was Frank Chop. We want to thank all those that sent in emails, letters, or made phone calls to the Mono County Supervisors or other County Staff members. It was overwhelming to say the least of the amount of support that was sent/called in!!! THANK YOU!!