Lake Update and Race Announcement

The 2nd Annual Mountain Top Trot trail run event will be on Saturday, September 29th at Mountain Lake!! Let's hope the weather is a bit more on the "fair" side this year (compared to the snow flurries last year on Oct. 1!). This year we'll have both a 5-mile and 10-mile race, and raffle prize drawing for all registered participants!! The event website and information is here: https://mountaintoptrot.wordpress.com/. If you are interested in volunteering before or during the race, please let us know! It'll be super fun, and volunteers will get free technical race t-shirts and yummy chili and cornbread lunch! Email Jess at MLC@MountainLakeHotel.com

Lake Update

Lake level photo taken July 31, 2012

The lake is currently receding, a trend observed over the past 3 seasons at Mountain Lake. The water level peaked in late July and has been increasing receding since. This time of year there are several factors that decrease the amount of water retained in the lake bed: increased rate of evaporation from the lake due to higher temperatures; an overall lack of precipitation; and an increase in uptake of groundwater by trees and vegetation, meaning less inflow of water to the lake bed. High-altitude divers have been exploring the lake obtain more information and visuals of the dynamics of the lake bed floor. The link below will show you some really neat images that the divers and researchers have gathered.

PDF File with images from current study

The first two images identify significant features of the lake bed including the major depressions (wherein lie many "piping holes" or actual pin-point locations of outflow of water). As noted in the title, these images are from October 2011, the second most recent occurrence of the lake going extremely low (puddle status). The third and fourth pictures are sonar images created while boating on the water's surface last August, 2011. The lake is currently at a lower level now (Aug 8, 2012) than it was on August 16, 2011. The last two images are still shots from a video taken by divers during a dive on July 9, 2012. You can actually see the sediment flow down in to the hole when the diver stirs up the sediment next to the "pipe". We plan to share the video once the researchers have edited it, along with some of the more comprehensive summaries of the hard work they've been up to! 

Stay tuned to the MLC blog for the latest news on the unique lake geology, studies, and discoveries!

ATTN ALL TRAIL USERS

 NOTICE: Please be aware that due to recent wind storms there are many tree blow-downs and debris obstructing many of the trails within the MLC trail system. Please use caution, especially when biking, while on the trails and side-step any obstacles when possible.

If you are interested in volunteering by helping us inventory the trail statuses and/or clearing minor or major (chainsaw) debris, please contact us at MLC@MountainLakeHotel.com. 

We appreciate your patience while we work to keep the trail system cleared!

Summer Season Kicks Off & Lake Update

Greetings! It's been quite a while since our last post and we are back on the blog for the summer season. Yet again, we are reminded of why Mountain Lake is such a wonderful place to be during this time of year. Cool mountain breezes, waist-high, fern-lined trails, and family & friends relaxing and enjoying quality time spent together!

Lake Update

We saw an initially slow rise during the spring season of water in the lake, and are now seeing fluctuating water levels that are very responsive to rainfall and temperatures. Currently, the lake is still low and several feet from the floating "T-dock" down by the water. A team of scientists from Radford University has been studying the lake since last fall with a geological engineering perspective. We had mentioned how they implemented a tracer dye test this past winter and early spring in hopes of determining exactly where the outflow of water through the bottom of the lakebed is going. This test yielded telling results - the fluorescein dye did not show up conclusively in any of the major surface streams near the mountain top, including Pond Drain (originally thought to be the main outflow of water from the lake). What this means is that the water may be held up underground for some period of time, perhaps in a reservoir of sorts, or that the water may flow through the fissures in the lake bottom further down under the mountain and surface streams. The scientists hope to repeat the dye test again in the future, surveying for the dye in underground streams and points near the foot of the mountain.

Lake level on June 27, 2012

As part of the ongoing study, over the next several weeks a team of high-elevation divers will be exploring the lake bottom and main depressions where the larger crevices are. We hope to be able to share any of the under-water photographs they obtain. Also, a live-feed camera will be installed and allow for real-time views of the lake! Stay tuned to the websites, blog, and Facebook - we'll post the link you can follow as soon as it's active!

Please remember to use caution and respect when exploring the lake and lake bed. The pontoon boat has been outfitted for the scientists, divers and their equipment. DO NOT DISTURB ANY RESEARCH EQUIPMENT OR BOATS. Although the lake is low, the water is still very deep, up to 40 feet in some areas. Swimming in the lake is AT YOUR OWN RISK, and we do not encourage swimming or fishing at this time.

The geological engineering research and diving teams have outfitted the pontoon boat for their work. Please, DO NOT DISTURB!

Flags marking the water level dropping - first flag marks water's edge on June 20, 2012, second flag marking June 25, 2012. Currently dropping fast with no real rains in the past week.

Exposed circular nests of the bluegill sunfish in the lake.

Celebrating the Spring Equinox & Lake Update

Today marks the official first day of spring! Although, it has felt like spring for some time now here in the New River Valley. The wood frogs and spring peepers have been calling for several weeks already, and the birds are singing loudly across the property. If you didn't catch it on Facebook last month, check out this video of the wood frogs calling from the wetland on a foggy morning!

Along with unseasonably warm temperatures, we've seen plenty of rain on the Mountain recently. The water level in the lake is slowly and steadily rising, very similar to spring trends of previous years. The water is not far from the floating "T" dock, and we hope to see a continuing rise to get that dock floating in the next few months!

Current lake level, photo taken March 19, 2012

The water is approximately 15 fee from the floating dock

The arrow in this picture points to the ring of grasses that delineate the water's peak level last year

We have several volunteer groups, including students from Virginia Tech, up to hike and clear the trails throughout the next few weeks. One pro to the lack of snow this winter is that our trails didn't get nearly as wrecked as they usually do! The weather is fine all week long, and it's a great time to be out walking the forested trails at Mountain Lake!

Banff Film Festival: MLC is non-profit partner for Blacksburg show!

BANFF FILM FESTIVAL: WORLD TOUR

Wednesday, March 14th

 - Doors at 6pm, Film at 7pm -

at the Haymarket Theater on Virginia Tech campus

>> Banff Film Festival Information

>> Blacksburg, VA Event Information

Sponsored by Blue Ridge Mountain Sports!

The Mountain Lake Conservancy is very excited and proud to be this year's community non-profit partner for the upcoming showing of the Banff Film Festival in Blacksburg! A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the MLC - what a great way to support the Conservancy while experiencing an amazing multi-film event showcasing spectacles of the outdoor adventure culture! We'll be at the show promoting MLC membership, 2012 events and programs, and more. There will be several raffle giveaways throughout the show, including a pair of tickets to the BrewRidge Music Festival on May 5th!

Tickets sell out for the Blacksburg showing every year - so please make sure to get your tickets early!

Vacation Giveaway, 5th Annual BrewRidge, and Lake Update

Vacation Giveaway 

with Blue Ridge Mountain Sports!

Six (6) lucky winners will win a FREE 2-night stay for 2 people to be used at the Mountain Lake Conservancy & Hotel in the 2012 season!!

- Click here to find out more information and to enter -

Tickets Now on Sale!! BrewRidge Festival

May 5th, 2012

We have been working hard to get all of the details set for the 5th Annual BrewRidge Festival during opening weekend this season. The festival hours have been extended this year and the event will run from noon to 5pm that Saturday. We are currently confirming and finalizing the featured musicians and microbreweries. Visit us on Facebook to tell us who YOU would like to see jammin' and on tap! 

Festival and ticket information available here.

Lake Update: February 13

Recent snowfall has added some water to the lake, but levels remain low and similar to the past few seasons. There is a current layer of ice on the top, but with mild temperatures ahead this week we will expect that ice to thaw out. We are working on neat, new display for the Conservancy Visitor Center that will feature two slices of trees taken from past stumps in the lake bed. The tree samples are donated by retired Biologist Bruce Parker, who studied the lake in-depth over the past several decades. The wood from the two stumps was carbon-dated as part of past studies, and reveal some really cool insight to the history of the lake cycles in relation to forest biology and tree growth. More on this new display coming soon! Many thanks to Dr. Parker for providing the tree slices and facts for the display.

Photo taken February 13, 2012

Snow on the Mountain - Photo taken from the Salt Lick Spur Trail on February 9th

Tracer Dye Test and Frozen Lake

Research on the lake has continued for Virginia Tech Geological Sciences Masters student Luke Joyce, along with Engineering Geologists Skip Watts and George Stephenson from Radford University. Exciting developments include the implementation of a tracer dye test to determine outflow of water from the lake - how much water is flowing out and where exactly does it go? Earlier this week, one pound of harmless Fluorescein dye was injected into each of the large holes in the lake floor (see image below). About 3 inches of solid ice on top of the lake had to be hacked through! Coal traps have been set all around  and down the mountain at water outlets and streams to try and "catch" traces of the dye that originated at the lake bed. After about a week's time the traps will be collected and replaced with fresh ones. It will be several weeks before results are configured. "The dye seems green to orange to red to invisible depending on how diluted it is and what background it’s on when you see it" says Dr. Watts. Residents of the mountain will be on the look out for where the dye shows up, and any instances will be recorded for the project. Very cool stuff! If you are in the New River Valley area mid-March, consider attending a presentation "HYDROGEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS INTO WATER LOSS AT MOUNTAIN LAKE" as part of the Radford University Museum of Earth Sciences Public Lecture Series. The above mentioned scientists will be presenting an overview of their work thus far at Mountain Lake on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 7:00 pm. The lecture series flier with more information can be viewed here.

Luke setting the charcoal traps

Locations of dye release