Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Chris Long of the Mountain Lake Conservancy recreation staff explores one of the boulders exposed by the receding waters of the lake. With lake levels down, the conservancy has created a recreation management plan encouraging locals to visit Mountain Lake Hotel and the 2,600 acres surrounding it.

Visitors and hotel staff members pass one of the new Frisbee golf holes near the stables at Mountain Lake.

Nature tends to move in cycles, with heat waves and cold spells, rainy seasons and droughts. With Mountain Lake experiencing a cycle of particularly low levels, the folks who manage the 2,600-acre resort property of the same name have had to look for new ways to attract and keep people interested.

"The lake's just not there right now," said Ashley Smith, recreation programming coordinator with the Mountain Lake Conservancy. "We're trying to bring attention to all of the other activities people can do at Mountain Lake."

The Mountain Lake Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the land and educating the public about the lake's environment. This year the group took over coordinating recreational activities for the Giles County lake from the Mountain Lake Hotel.

Smith estimates that at 50 feet deep in spots, Mountain Lake is only at about half its ideal water level. Because there really isn't enough lake to push water sports or swimming, the new focus has shifted to highlight the many land-based aspects of the property.

"We've got 20 different trails and an enormous amount of ecology," Smith said. "There are all kinds of frogs and salamanders and interesting plant life. There's so much from a naturalist aspect."

The conservancy offers guided trail hikes and, in an effort to encourage more use by locals, has added a new rail access parking lot to accommodate "drive up" guests. The lot may be used with a $3 per car donation or by purchasing a $30 year-round trail access sticker from the visitors' center, East Coasters Bike Shop in Blacksburg or Tangent Outfitters in Pembroke.

"We want locals to feel welcome here," Smith said. "It's not just a place that out-of-town guests can enjoy. And with gas prices as bad as they are, it's good to have a place nearby with so much to do."

Along with the hiking trails are more than 20 miles of biking trails including 3.5 miles of new single track. Parking for the bike trails is $3 per car and $20 for the year. The fees help pay for trail upkeep and improvement, as well as the construction of a mountain bike skills park.

"The trails range from very technical and advanced to moderate and beginner," said Ian Million of East Coasters. "There's a wide array of trails up there to accommodate any skill level."

Million, who has nearly 15 years of mountain-biking experience, has ridden the lake's newest trails, Toejammer and Moonstomper, and he gives them his overwhelming approval.

"They're great, and it's so beautiful up there, especially when it's hot because everything is about 10 to 15 degrees cooler. It's a good thing for cycling."

For those more elevation-inclined, Mountain Lake offers rock climbing led by professional guides from Montgomery County Parks and Recreation. Bouldering (shorter climbs without rope) has become an option as well since the lower lake levels have left a number of giant rocks exposed and accessible.

"I like to take guests around, and we'll climb all over the boulders," said Greg Zielske, recreation guide. "We always have a blast."

Zielske and the rest of the rec staff lead New River Sampler canoe trips to give guests a taste of the area's whitewater action.

"You can't force it on people," Zielske said, "but we do try to get people to come out and they are generally happy to be encouraged. We just don't want you to come here and sit around the whole time disappointed about the water level."

Zielske does his best to always put a positive spin on the situation.

"I always tell people that the fish are still in there and they don't have as much water to hide in so you'll catch more."

Of course, the conservancy's primary mission to "forge bonds between people and nature" would be lost if there were no programs that involved the guests in conservation efforts. Enter the "Treasure Hunts around the Lake," a cleanup effort that has become one of the lake's most popular activities.

Capitalizing on the old adage that one man's trash is another man's treasure, staffers will lead groups around picking up discarded items that become exposed as the water level dips. Some of the pieces that turn up are astonishing.

"We have found everything from cameras to dishes, old bottles and even old boats," Smith said. "Some of it's pretty gnarly."

Smith said that many of the items are in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 years old. She thinks that some of the discarded articles are the result of an old myth that if you threw things into the lake they would clog up the leaks that caused the levels to drop. Unfortunately, that is neither effective nor environmentally friendly.

Still, like Wall-E in the latest Pixar movie, people find gems hidden in the junk. Zielske, for example, cleans and sanitizes the old bottles he finds for use in his home brewing projects.

To keep residents informed about the new activities and the success of the programs, the staff members maintain a blog at mlcrecreation.blogspot.com. In it they detail trips with members, post pictures from the treasure hunts and promote upcoming events.

"It's a good, informal way for us to let people know what's going on," Smith said. "They can go to the blog and get a clearer picture of some of our programs."

Mountain Lake is one of two natural fresh-water lakes in Virginia. Smith hopes that the new programs will help sustain the interest in Mountain Lake and that the low-water cycle naturally ends soon so that man-made solutions to the keep the lake filled won't have to be introduced.