Field trip difficulty ratings
Keep in mind that we are at elevations above 6,000’, where the sun is more intense, and the air is thinner—an “easy” walk at sea level may be “moderate” in the mountains.
Very Easy: Low level of exertion, short walking distance (< 0.5 mi.) on flat compact surfaces without obstacles, mostly birding close to vehicles over multiple stops. No off trail walking. Places to rest are available. No elevation gain.
Easy: Low level of exertion, short walking distance (< 1 mi.) on flat compact surfaces or mild trails without obstacles. No off trail walking. Places to rest are available. Little to no elevation gain.
Moderate: Moderate level of exertion, walking distances 1-4 miles on potentially steep and/or uneven trails with possible off trail walking, which may require stepping over rocks, fallen debris, or navigating above or below obstacles such as fences or gates. Places to rest may be unlikely. Possible elevation gains up to 500 ft.
Difficult: High level of exertion, walking distances of up to 4 miles on or off trails that may have steep, loose, unstable, and uneven sections. Ability to step over rocks, debris, vegetation, navigate over or under fences and gates may be required. Possible elevation gains of up to 1,000 ft.
Very Difficult: High level of exertion, long hiking distance on rough, loose, unstable, and/or steep terrain, potentially off trail. Ability to step over rocks, debris, vegetation, navigate over or under fences and gates may be required. Possible elevation gains of up to 1,500 ft.
Spontaneous: Trip locations may change at the leader's whim, and they may not be able to anticipate the difficulty level—assume this trip is moderate to difficult.
![]()
Recent News
Space available in Chautauqua trips and programs
There is still space available in many of the wonderful trips and programs at the Twenty-first Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. If you haven’t yet registered, you can still put together a full itinerary of fascinating and fun events. To see which trips and programs still have space, check the available trips page.
If you have already registered be sure to take a close look at your confirmation email to make sure everything is as you expected—in particular, be sure to double check field trip selections for each person in your group. If you’d like to make any changes, please reply to this email or call (760) 647-6595.
![]()
T-shirt pre-order deadline is May 15
Don’t miss out on the Twenty-first Annual Chautauqua T-shirt featuring a Calliope Hummingbird by Caro Nilsson. The deadline to pre-order T-shirts is May 15. If you’ve already completed registration but want to add more shirts, reach out to us via email and we can add them to your order.
Payment issues during registration
We are aware of a PayPal issue during registration that has prevented many registrants from paying. Please know that your trip requests are saved. You will receive instructions for how to pay your registration balance in the coming days. Thank you for your patience.
Donate to Experience Ambientalia during registration
We encourage your support for the Experience Ambientalia International Exchange Program during registration this year, an initiative launched by Fundación Líderes de Ansenuza and WSHRN in partnership with the Mono Lake Committee. This program seeks to better connect students to their home ecosystems, introduce them to sister saline lakes across the Western Hemisphere, and cultivate a sense of real-life environmental stewardship. Over the last seven months, students from Mono Lake and Laguna Mar Chiquita in Argentina have engaged in environmental conservation activities, leading up to an international exchange. From June 16th-24th, Argentinean students will visit Mono Lake, followed by Mono Lake students' trip to Laguna Mar Chiquita from July 15th-23rd. Your support would contribute to the educational growth and leadership development of young environmental stewards, and foster connections and understanding across communities.
The 2024 program is now online
Chautauqua organizers are planning for the 21st Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua for June 21-23, 2024 in Lee Vining and the full program is now available online. Registration opens on April 15, 2024 at 6:30am Pacific.
