Press release

Come Celebrate the 5th Annual Alabama Hills Day, April 9th, 2016!

Over forty different sponsors and exhibitors will be lending their support to celebrate the scenic landscape of the Alabama Hills on April 9th, 2016.  This day-long event promotes the jaw-dropping beauty of this semi-primitive area and educates the public about the wide variety of groups and activities that take place there.

The event will start at 9:00am with opening ceremonies at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center (at Highway 395 and Highway 136 in Lone Pine) along with exhibits and information. There will then be ongoing tours, talks and activities taking place in the Alabama Hills, including rock climbing, mountain bike tours, birding, nature and junior exploration hikes, along with a tour of the natural arches and several seldom visited sites in The Hills. The Museum of Western Film History (701 S. Main Street, Lone Pine) will also host a variety of exhibits, films and lectures for the general public to enjoy and be educated about this fantastic area.

The day will wrap up at 4:00pm at the Museum of Western Film History with special guest speaker Peter Croft, the world-class rock climber, mountaineer and ambassador of Eastside climbing and stewardship.

The Alabama Hills Stewardship Group and the Bureau of Land Management would like to invite the public to participate in this special event. Adults and children are welcome and attendance is free! Bring your family and friends and come out to show your support for the Alabama Hills and enjoy a unique learning experience!

The AHSG, Inc. is committed to the stewardship of the Alabama Hills and partnering with the BLM to protect the area with continued access for such diverse groups as hikers, motorists, photographers, rock climbers, campers and fisherman as well as allowing important economic activities like commercial filming, cattle grazing and hunting to continue. Balancing all these needs is what makes the Alabama Hills so special to so many people and necessitates its protection.

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Introduction, April 9-10, 2016
9:00 am Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center (located one mile out of Lone Pine).
welcomes everyone with a Flag ceremony by Troop 82.
EVENTS FOR SATURDAY (April 9, 2016)
Dave Kirk will be in the Hills and at the Visitors center and several others from the BLM Helping to make this a Great Day.
*8:00 am – 12:00 pm Mountain Bike and Fat Tire Bike Tour (SEE NOTE BELOW)
*9:30 am – 1:30 pm: Bugs and Buds Tour (SEE NOTE BELOW)
9:30 am – 4:00 pm: CLIMBING IN THE HILLS with Kurt Wedberg and Amy Ness
9:30 am – 1:30 pm: Birding Tour with Mike Prather
9:45 am- 11:30 Junior Exploration Hike with Jeff Mahoney, Jennifer Roeser and others
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Live Radio Interviews
11:00 am – Kathy Jefferson Bancroft guest speaker (Cultural Discussion @ Film Museum)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Awards Ceremony
1:00 pm – Chris Langely/Bob Sigman (Lone Pine Tales @ Film Museum)
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Junior Exploration Hike
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Arches Tour- Doug Thompson
4:00 pm – Peter Croft (East Side Mountaineering Tales @ Film Museum)
6:00 pm: Events move to the Lone Pine Smokehouse Building
10:00 pm – 1:00 am: Star Show
Bike Tour:
Mountain bike and fat tire bike tour. Begins at 8:00 am on Saturday.
Location to meet: First dirt road on the right after the dip past Lone Pine Campground .If you reach the old Forest Service sign foundation GO Back several hundred feet.
Bugs and Buds Tour: 9:30 am -1:30 pm
Location on Map: Whitney Portal Road and Movie Road Parking lot

EVENTS FOR SUNDAY
8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Work Projects
8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Hike through the Hills
All meet at the Interagency Visitor’s Center, except the Bugs and Buds Tour Participants and Bike Tour Participants. SEE MAP FOR MEETING LOCATION. ALSO, SEE DESCRIPTION OF EACH EVENT ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES.

Sunday Events (April 10, 2016)
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Get your gloves, sunscreen, and water bottle and join one of the work parties.
*Option: Take a hike about 5 miles downhill (LIE) from the Arch Trail to the Kiosk.
This hike will follow the trail that many have worked on in the sections. We get many questions such as, “Where is the trail?”. We will walk the trail and use mapping software to record the trail (Hint: Bring your smart thing with a mapping app). This hike will go up in a few sections- I promise- “No one will be left behind”. We will move very slowly in the first section and it should be very cool in the early morning.

ALABAMA HILLS DAY 2016
DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS FOR SATURDAY
9:00am: The welcome flag ceremony by Troop82 will be opening the 2016 Alabama Hills Day. Opening comments from the Bureau of Land Management, The US Forest Service, and AHSG Board President Kathy Jefferson Bancroft will also take place during this time.

In addition, a short introduction of The Hills and our partnership with the BLM will be a part of the event. Each group will make a short introduction during the course of the day showcasing what they do. The many parts that make up the stewardship of the region, that is, government agencies, NGO’s, dedicated volunteers, and visitors from near and far are all welcome to join.

8am-12pm: Mountain Bike and Tour: This tour will begin near Lone Pine Campground, approximately 7 miles west of town. Bikers will ride through the Alabama Hills on a multiuse trail system. Bike options include mountain bike or fat tire. There will be no extra bikes provided; bikers are required to bring their own. There is something for everybody on this course, as there is an easier section for beginners and a more difficult section for advanced riders. All will finish at 12:00pm, in time for the awards ceremony.

9:30am-1:30pm: Bugs and Buds Tour (Bugs and Flowers, the Marriage of the Ages): Participants will meet at the Whitney Portal and Movie Road junction. The tour will be led by Richard Potashian and Nancy Padlock. Limit 20 people. We will car pool to several locations to discover what is in bloom and who is visiting. We will discuss plant and insect uses and benefits. The morning will end with some plant/bug art to take home. For this trip bring your curiosity, binoculars, hand lenses, hat, sunscreen, water, and dress for the weather.

9:30am-4pm: Climbing in The Hills: Climbing in The Hills will take place with International renown guide Kurt Wedberg, owner of SMI Guides in Bishop, CA, and local guide Amy Ness will introduce climbing basics. Everyone will be given the opportunity to experience safe and supervised climbing. Alongside, ropes will be in place for other climbs with belay and instruction.

9:30am-1:30pm: Birding Tour with Mike Prather: Along with The Friends of the Inyo, Mike Prather will lead a tour of The Hills and surrounding area to showcase the many birding sites. The tour will be a capsule of what the two day birding event will be at the end of April (2016 Owens Lake Bird Festival – April 22-24, 2016). This tour will begin at the Interagency Visitor’s Center. Contact Mike Prather for more details at 760-876-5807 or by email at [email protected].

9:45am-11:30pm: Junior Exploration Hike: This event will take place in the Alabama Hills and it will consist of exploring the area (the mazes, tunnels, and caves). The hike should take about an hour or so, which means there will be time for the participants, or kids, to do other things as well.

This will be a kid’s hike, or obstacle course, but adults are more than welcome to join. During this time questions about the geology, paleontology, archeology, native peoples, plant life, and history of the area will be answered. If your child plans on participating please do not allow flip-flops to be worn. Attire should include closed toed shoes, a hat, long pants, water, clothes suitable for the weather and a layer of sunscreen.

10:00am-12:00pm: Live Radio Interviews: Live interviews with guests and exhibitors.

11:00 am: Cultural Discussion @ Film Museum (Kathy Jefferson Bancroft): Kathy Jefferson Bancroft, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Reservation, will provide an Indigenous look at the history and significance of her people and homeland, Payahüüpü. The presentation and following discussion will provide insight into the value of cultural preservation in a modern world and our struggle to protect this Valley.

12:00pm-1:00pm: Awards Ceremony: The Awards Ceremony will take place at The Interagency Visitor’s Center. Awards will be given for work and commitment to the Alabama Hills.

1:00pm: Lone Pine Tales @ Film Museum (Chris Langely/Bob Sigman): Bob Sigman, the director of Museum of Western Film and Chris Langely, will show a presentation regarding the movie making in the Alabama Hills and the early significance of the Anchor Ranch. A film is to be shown before the end. Afterwards, there will be an optional Museum tour for all who are interested. (Note: Tour taking place is based on amount of people interested).

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Junior Exploration Hike: This event will take place in the Alabama Hills and it will consist of exploring the area (the mazes, tunnels, and caves). The hike should take about an hour or so, which means there will be time for the participants, or kids, to do other things as well. This will be a kid’s hike, or obstacle course, but adults are more than welcome to join. During this time questions about the geology, paleontology, archeology, native peoples, plant life, and history of the area will be answered. If your child plans on participating please do not allow flip-flops to be worn. Attire should include closed toed shoes, a hat, long pants, water, clothes suitable for the weather and a layer of sunscreen.

1:00pm-3:30pm Arches Tour: Meeting place for this activity will be at the Interagency Visitor’s Center. The event will start off with a short hike on the Mobius Arch Loop Trail, led by Doug Thompson, and will continue to several seldom visited sites in The Hills. The tour will introduce the new map produced by the Bureau of Land Management. Note: car-pooling will be an option. At the end, when the hike is finished, everyone will return by 4:00pm and enjoy guest speaker Peter Croft, the ambassador of climbing.

4:00pm: Eastside Mountaineering Tales with Peter Croft (@ The Film Museum): Guest speaker Peter Croft has climbed many mountains around the world and is considered the pioneer of modern free-soloing. His history-making ascent of Astroman on Washington Column in Yosemite brought a new era to rock climbing in the 1980s that remains a landmark in free climbing. He has also brought his experience to the Eastern Sierra where he makes it his home, honoring the climbing community and the region with his humbleness and stewardship. Peter will discuss the Eastside mountaineering community and how it’s become a world-class climbing destination for sport, trad, bouldering and challenging alpine climbs, along with harrowing tales and a Q&A.

6:00pm: Lone Pine Smokehouse Building: As the day at the Interagency Visitor’s Center and the events in the hills slow down, the party moves to Lone Pine Smokehouse, a BBQ restaurant. Once there everyone can relax and share the experiences of the tours and events the day has given them. Fiddling Pete will be playing during this evening starting at about 6:00pm, so don’t leave just yet! Stay and enjoy some great food and music. Carl Schroder and his wife will offer a special for the evening.

10:00pm-1:00am: Star Show: A world class star show with Richard Rynne and others will take place in a special area of the Alabama Hills, with the night sky on display. The Star Shows are always a big hit and the experience is guaranteed to be remembered. Scopes will be in place and helpful viewing tips will be offered. Participants will be able to view miles and miles of stars in an undisturbed place.