Home | Scree | Back Issues
Scree for April, 1996
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This is the EScree - the Electronic version of the Scree newsletter from
the Peak Climbing Section of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club.
It should be viewed or printed with a fixed-pitch font such as Courier.
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This publication may not be posted on any public news group.
April, 1996 Vol. 29, No. 4
Deadline for submissions to the next Scree is 4/29/96.
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Next meeting (PCS meetings are the second tuesday of each month)
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Date: Tuesday 9 Apr 1996
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Pacific Mountaineer
200 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto
Program: Skiing Peaks in Western Yosemite
Join Butch Suits for a slide show of several ski trips
to Sierra peaks from Yosemite Valley and Badger
Pass. Here are clues to the peaks featured: one with
"good views," one formerly referred to as "the
obelisk," one named after the chief of the Ahwanichi,
one with a granite rainbow near the summit, another
that always gives you the "thumbs up" signal, and
one often wreathed in clouds.
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I'm a Seoul Man
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Mt. Paegun-dae (836m), February 3, 1996:
While on a two week business trip to Seoul, South Korea,
I had the opportunity to summit the highest peak in
nearby Mt Puk'an-Sansong National Park. Not having
known in advance that there were any peaks to climb I
had not brought any cold weather gear with me. So on a
bright sunny cold (18 degrees) Saturday morning I hopped
the local subway and began to make my way across town
attired in running shoes, every t-shirt I had brought on the
trip, my softsided briefcase (to carry food and water) and
my trench coat. After climbing out of the subway near the
Sejong Cultural Center I took bus #6 for about 45 minutes
out of the heart of the city to the edge of the foothills at
the terminus of the line in Uidong.
The terminus for the bus is a few km from the Toson-sa
Temple. At this point you can wait for the bus that runs to
the temple or walk up. The walk takes about 30 minutes,
initially through a group of shops specializing in hiking
supplies. There are also a few small restaurant that sell
takeaway snacks like fried chicken legs and tempura
vegetables. The bus takes around 10 minutes and costs
W100 (approximately 800 Won to the dollar). Put your
money into the donation box next to the temple when you
disembark from the bus.
The terminus for the temple is in a small plaza with a
Buddha statue in the center. To the left if this is the
entrance to Tosan-sa Temple, and directly ahead is an
entrance to the national park. Don't take this entrance.
Instead, go into the temple grounds, and have a look
around the temple. The multi-building complex is very
impressive with many rooms in which people perform
prayers and the monks(?) who live there go about their
business. I went inside several of the buildings to try to
build up a little warmth. This proved fruitless though,
since one must remove one's shoes before entering the
buildings. Upon exiting the buildings one loses all newly
acquired warmth through the tedious process of re-finding
one's shoes in the stack, as one stands in one's socks in the
snow and ice.
Within the temple grounds, to the left and below the main
temple complex, is another entrance to the national park
(about W400). You can begin your climb here. (You will
not be issued a map, and I do not know if any are
available. I climbed without one.) The hiking trails are for
the most part fairly clear, and there's no real danger of
becoming TLI (Temporarily Locationally Impaired). In my
particular case a few days earlier there had been the single
day largest snowstorm in Seoul in five years and the resulting
dump covered most of the trails.
But, since many people had climbed up before me that day the
path was manifest. The main thing is to keep bearing right.
Within about 30 minutes you should reach the fortifications
and the Dragon's Cliff Gate. At this point continue bearing
right and climbing upwards until you reach a fork in the path
which gives you a choice of ascending either of the two peaks.
The path to the right leads to Paegun-dae (the highest peak in
the park) and is the best option - it has steel cables embedded
in the mountain (ala many European trails).
These cables were the only thing that enabled me to summit.
For the last 800 feet or so the climb is mostly on bare rock
and this happened to be covered by various and sundry sheets
of ice. Most everyone summitting that day had at least instep
crampons on their boots. Many people descending took one
look at me in my sneakers and tried their best to convey the
sense of danger.
The last ascent to the summit of Paegun-dae is a reasonably
stiff climb, and I had to pull myself up hand over hand on the
steel cable (alas I had not brought gloves with me, so my
palms suffered somewhat during these 30 minutes). Just
before reaching the summit two girls came around the corner
on their descent and broke out in gales of laughter, pointing at
me in my trenchcoat and briefcase and saying, "You
English?" I nodded yes and they took their picture standing
next to the ridiculous American before continuing their
descent still giggling.
The views from the summit are quite impressive: both of the
sprawl of Seoul and of the outlying mountainous countryside.
I asked a couple of teenage boys to take my hero shot and they
invited me to descend with them. One of the other
summiteers took pity on me and gave me his glove liners to
wear on the way down (the thermometer read six below zero
on the summit, but that included wind chill effects). The two
boys took great delight in trying out their English with such
phrases as, "Do you know Air Jordan?" and "Do you like
Sylvester Stallone? He very bad boys." During the hour long
skating, sliding, boot skiing descent I was queried as to my
personal knowledge of just about every major NBA player as
well as many Hollywood stars.
For the descent, bear left at the bottom of the rocky summit
and go under an old gate. This path heads straight down to
Toson-sa Temple. Or as an alternative, turn left at the summit
fortification and descend past a hiker's hut and small camping
village before making a right at a fork and climbing back over
a small ridge to the entrance to the national park (at the
Buddha statue).
In either event there is plenty of food and water (and
videotapes of the temple) at the base parking lot. There are
many other hiking trails within the park as well as at least 20
summitable peaks (including several that are class 5). I would
rate this peak a class 2 in summer, and class 3 in winter.
- Victor Anderson
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Starting The Year With A Virgin
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I arrived at the trailhead for Moapa on Saturday afternoon at
about 2:00 p.m. There were two cars already there but no one
was about. Just about dark the Mormon trekkers arrived. We
set up the typical DPS type feast in the desert. We debated
where the owners of the two cars had gone. We decided, or at
least hoped they were backpackers and not dayhikers as it was
well after dark at this point.
About 8:00 p.m. after most of the food and much of the
sobriety was gone, four weary figures appeared out of the
darkness. It was Debbie Bulger & friends. We had never met
each other but had seen each others names around. Debbie
looked over all of the cooking gear with apparent amazement.
She said she had heard about DPS feeds but had never
experienced one before. She asked us if there was supposed to
be a Burro baking somewhere.
She told us they had just climbed Moapa Peak. They had
started at 8:30 a.m. that morning and had just returned. This
means they were at it 11-1/2 hours. The DPS Peak guides
estimates 6 hours round trip. Vic Henney who had done the
peak twice before thought it had taken them about six hours.
We asked if they had gotten off route but Debbie said they had
followed ducked ledges up to the summit. They declined to
join us in favor of camping closer to the highway in order to
get an early start in the morning.
Sunday we left for the peak at 7:35 a.m. We followed the
tracks of the previous party as they followed the correct route
all of the way to the peak with a couple of minor differences.
We summited at about 11:00 a.m. and were back to the cars
at 2:35 p.m. We could not determine why Debbie's group got
back so late. It is still a mystery to us.
Sunday night was New Years Eve. We repeated the previous
night's festivities with some slight changes in the menu. A
bottle of Champagne appeared sometime during the night to
celebrate the New Year. Early Sunday morning the group
broke up. Vic & Sue Henney decided to forego their planned
peak in Death Valley and Headed for Home. Phil & Evelyn
Reher went home to tend to a sick dog. Tom Sumner & I
headed for the Virgin mountains to the Southeast.
After about an hours drive we arrived at the recommended
trail head marked by an old push-type lawnmower of
mysterious origin. (Grass does not grow around here.) This is
a straight forward hike. We ran up to the peak and were back
at the cars about 11:30 a.m. The DPS peak guide for this peak
is incorrect. The gain from the 4WD parking place is about
3800'. The guide says 2200'.
We then headed for the barn. We hit Las Vegas traffic
heading back to L.A. The news reporter were making fun of
this phenomenon on the radio. It wasn't funny from where I
sat behind the wheel. Over two hundred miles of stop-n-go
traffic. Never again will I hike near Vegas on a New Years
Weekend! I left Vegas at 12:30 a.m. Monday and arrived
home in Orange County at 6:05 a.m. the next day. I guess it's
true. A Virgin does fetch a high price.
- Charlie Knapke
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Official (PCS) Trips must be submitted through the Scheduler. (see back page)
Trips not submitted to the Scheduler will be listed as PRIVATE, without recourse.
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*** Ohlone Wilderness
Peak: Rose Peak class 1 - 3,817'
Date: Apr 6 Sat
Leader: Vreni Rau 510-583-5578
Leader: Cecil Magliocco 408-358-1168 CecilM@ix.netcom.com
Carpets of wildflowers are promised along the one-way 20
mile hike from Livermore to Sunol. 4000+ feet of gain. Call
leaders for meeting place and carpool information.
*** Will You Sing, Gale?
Peak: Gale, Sing class 2
Dates: Jul 20-21
Map: Merced Peak 15 min Quad
Leader: Warren Storkman 415-493-8959 Dstorkman@aol.com
We go over Chiquito Pass in Southern Yosemite Park. Call
leader for more information.
*** 20th Annual Mount Shasta Climb
Peak: Mt Shasta snow/class 2 - 14,161'
Dates: May 25-27 Memorial Day Weekend
Leader: Bob Gross 408-241-6149 75013.1420@compuserve.com
OK, it's time to get out of the easy chair and prove that you
aren't over the hill. This is an event for climbers and skiers to
ascend and descend Northern California's premier volcano by
the standard route (Avalanche Gulch). Ice axe and crampons
required, and possibly skis or snowshoes. We will be camped
on snow at least one night at 10,400' to prepare for an early-
morning trip to the summit. Very strenuous. Co-listed with Ski
Touring and Sierra Singles.
(taken from http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rwgross)
This is a Sierra Club sponsored event. To sign up for this trip,
you must furnish your current Sierra Club membership number. You
must contact the leader well in advance. He will mail you an
information packet (by U.S. mail). After you have read the
detailed trip description, you may return a trip application
to the leader. Assuming that you have the necessary
experience and have jumped through all the right hoops,
then you will be contacted prior to the trip. The leader will
offer carpool suggestions and suggestions of which other
participants you may choose to team up with for tents,
stoves, or other gear. Some climbers will do this as a
cross-country ski trip from 7000 to 10400, then go to the
summit with ice axe and crampons.
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PubComm Charter Vote
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A charter for the Publicity Committee will be voted on as
an operating rule at the April PCS meeting. PCS Members
at the March meeting approved this text for publication,
and the PCS Officers have endorsed it.
The PCS Bylaws require a standing publicity committee
(PubComm) "which publishes the Section newsletter and
announces meetings". In the recent past, the PubComm
has not been explicitly staffed, but we have had a
newsletter editor and various assistants producing the
Scree. This proposed Operating Rule clarifies the
operation of the PubComm.
Operating Rule 9601, Publicity Committee Charter:
The PubComm will have at least a Chair at all times, and
this person will be responsible for all PCS publicity,
including (within the limitations below) publishing the
PCS Newsletter (the Scree) both in hardcopy (ready for
printing) and electronic (plain text) formats.
The PCS Chair appoints the PubComm Chair for a one-
year term, and the PubComm chair in turn selects the rest
of the PubComm members. A PubComm representative
will be included in all PCS Officer's meetings.
The goal of the PubComm is to maximize awareness and
participation in activities which further the goals of the
PCS. Placement and content of promotional materials is at
the discretion of the PubComm.
The PubComm Chair has control over the format and
content of the newsletter, but accepts advice from the
officers and the membership in an effort to meet the
PCS's needs.
PubComm activities may include presentation of slide
shows promoting the PCS, lobbying Chapter and National
entities on issues related to climbing activities, and
distribution of PCS information to:
- internet email lists
- world wide web sites, including the PCS Page and others
- hiking and climbing stores
- other hiking and climbing clubs
- prospects and members at Sierra Club gatherings
Other PubComm efforts require prior approval from the
PCS officers.
(end of Operating Rule 9601)
FILLER BOX:
A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely
rearranging their prejudices. -- William James
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Notes and Requests
Please notify the Editor when your entry should be removed.
Old entries may be deleted if not renewed monthly.
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*** Trader Jim
Have used black pile pants (med), want large size. Have
used red "CB Thermotech" lined ski pants (size 32), want
larger size. Have North Face Tadpole tent fly, want $20.
- Jim Schollard 415-892-9033.
*** What a Tangled Web They Weave...
The political directory, viewable at the URL
http://members.aol.com/LAlawMed/private/Politicians.html
now contains all publicly available Internet (e-mail and
WWW) addresses of California State Senators and
Assembly Members, in addition to the politicians
mentioned in the last message.
In the future, I plan to index each politician
geographically and by District Number. In addition, key
Senators and Governors will be added, especially those
who sit on environmentally significant committees and
those who serve SW and West Coast states. Feedback
(especially if constructively critical) is greatly appreciated.
- Lew Amack LAclimber@aol.com
*** Make Every Minute Count
Maybe I'm the only one, but for some time now I wished I
had an easily accessible source for data on sunrise/set and
moonrise/set times that I could use for long range
planning of hikes. I found one at the URL
http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/srss.html
It will even tell you the phase of the moon and percent
illumination. Just thought others might find this useful.
- Tony D. Weathers weathtd@mail.auburn.edu (from rec.backcountry)
*** He Sells Snowshoes by the Seashore
I have like-new 30" Tubbs snowshoes for sale or will
consider trade for 25".
- Rich Calliger calliger@infolane.com
*** The Human Race
Concerned about the fate of the Human Race? We are too!
The Loma Prieta Chapter is participating in the Human
Race this year for the first time.
The Human Race is a community fundraising event that
will take place on May 11, 1996 in San Jose at Cadence
Design Systems. The event, which has been raising funds
for local non-profit groups for many years, draws
participants from all over Silicon Valley and the
Peninsula. The Loma Prieta Chapter is looking for people
who are interested in walking or running in the Human
Race and raising money to support the Sierra Club's
conservation efforts and activity programs.
Getting started is easy, just call the Chapter Office at
(415) 390-8494 to get a registration form, and then collect
pledges from your friends, family members, and co-
workers. The fun part is walking or running at the Human
Race on May 11th.
The Human Race is a great project for work or school
groups to participate in; you can have fun and raise money
for a good cause at the same time. For questions or more
information, please give us a call.
- Kristi Timmings Loma Prieta Chapter Coordinator
loma.prieta.chapter@sierraclub.org 415-390-8494
*** Navigation Class and Field Trip
Interested in going cross-country in the wilderness? Lost
your way and took forever to find camp? Which way is
north? Find the answers to these and other questions on
May 21st, Tuesday evening, 7-9pm, followed by a
Navigation Field Trip the first weekend in June. Watch for
more information in the May 'Scree'!!
- Debbie Benham
*** Request for Ranier Partners
I am interested in climbing Mt. Rainier following the
'regular' route of Camp Muir to Ingraham Glacier from
June 15-19th.
- Debbie Benham 415/964-0558 dmbenham@aol.com
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Unofficial (Private) Trips may be submitted directly to the Scree Editor,
but are not insured, sponsored, or supervised by the Sierra Club.
They are listed here because they may be of interest to PCS members,
not because they are endorsed by the PCS.
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*** Please Pick Homer's Nose
Peak: Homer's Nose snow/class 1 - 9,040'
Dates: April 13-14 Sat-Sun
Contact: Steve Eckert 415-508-0500 eckert@netcom.com
Co-Contact: Bob Suzuki 408-259-0772 bSuzuki@aol.com
If you do only one spring season climb this year, pick this
one! Or do it to get ready for the next one. A southwestern
Sierra peak, Homer's Nose may involve mixed rock and
snow on Salt Creek Ridge, but at least the first part is trail
from the South Fork of the Kaweah River. Ice axe and
crampons required "just in case", but no extreme
conditions are anticipated. Moderately strenuous, but
could get tough if the snow conditions are bad.
*** Williamson, By George
Peak: Mt Williamson snow/class 2 - 14,375'
Dates: April 19-21 Fri-Sun
Contact: Tony Cruz 408-944-2003 cruz@idt.com
It is my intent to climb Mt. Williamson, the second highest
peak in the Sierra. This will be my second attempt via the
George Creek route, which is technically easy but
arduous. If the April 96 attempt fails, then I will try again
later in Spring or early summer via Shepherd pass (the
George Creek access is closed during most of the year). I
am looking for a few good PCRers to join me for a
"classic" of the Sierra. The terrain is rated class 2 but is
very tough. Knowledge and use of ice axe and crampons
will be required. The first day will involve hiking 10 miles
from 6,000 plus feet to 11,200. We will need to carry full
winter gear, while packing as lightly as is prudent.
*** Rockhouse Basin Area
Peaks: Crag, Smith, Owens, Pilot, etc
Dates: May 4-6 Sat-Mon
Contact: Bob Suzuki 408-259-0772 bSuzuki@aol.com
Co-Contact: Steve Eckert 415-508-0500 eckert@netcom.com
Bad snow stopped us last winter, but we're back in spring
to knock off as many as we can. Crag (knife edge class 3,
9455') and Smith (class 2, 9515') are the main targets,
which we'll try to finish by Sunday evening. If we have
spare time on Monday, we'll drive toward Isabella Lake
and do Owens (class 2, 8475') and Pilot (class 2, 6212').
*** 14'ers, Old and New
Peaks: Barnard, Trojan, Versteeg, Williamson
Dates: May 9-12 Thur-Sun
Contact: Steve Eckert 415-508-0500 eckert@netcom.com
We'll go up George Creek and establish a high camp
around 12000', then run a ridge loop to Barnard (now
shown as 13,990, but used to be listed as 14,000) and
Trojan (13,950), with a possible side trip to Versteeg
(13,470). The next day we'll try to bag Williamson (14,375)
and hike out. This is a very strenuous ice axe and
crampon trip. Even though we'll spend two acclimatizing
days pushing camp as high as possible, we should be able
to get more peaks than the usual trip up George Creek (so
it's worth the pain). This will be an official California
Mountaineering Club trip, but the leader is listing it here in
case you are interested in joining the CMC. Membership is
required for participation.
*** Crevasse Rescue Practice
Peak: Oak Trees, Rancho San Antonio Park
Date: May 18 Sat
Contact: Kelly Maas 408-279-2054 maas@idt.com
If you're planning a trip to the Cascades or Alaska, or just
don't have anything to do on May 18th, come on out for an
afternoon of simulated crevasse rescue practice. It's one
thing to read about it, but quite another to actually do it.
Topics include prusiking (or jumaring if you prefer) and
pulley systems. Bring a full pack too for a really authentic
experience. Suggested pre-reading is Selters' "Glacier
Travel and Crevasse Rescue" or at least "Freedom of the
Hills." Call or email for details.
*** Shasta
Peak: Mt Shasta snow/class 2 - 14,161'
Dates: May 25-27 Memorial Day Weekend
Contact: George Van Gorden 408-779-2320
Climb the Hotlum-Bolam ridge route instead of the same
old standard route. Ice axe and crampons required, but
the snow difficulty should be moderate.
*** Tower Peak and Ice Axe Practice
Peak: Tower Peak snow/class 3 - 11,755'
Dates: May 25-27 Memorial Day Weekend
Contact: Kelly Maas 408-279-2054 maas@idt.com
The guidebooks consider Tower Peak, on Yosemite's
northern border, to be the northern end of the
mountaineering-worthy Sierra. On this trip we'll attempt a
climb of this 11000 ft peak, and also brush up on our ice
axe and crampon skills if time and conditions permit. Co-
leader wanted.
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Issue of the Month
Please notify the Chair if you have a suggestion for an issue which should be discussed here.
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The results of the last Issue Of The Month survey were not a
resounding vote for much of anything (i.e. not many opinions
submitted, and those were mixed). But in one last attempt to
discern the pulse of the organization, we are getting down to
basics, and offer up this month's version.
- Charles Schafer, PCS Chair
*** Who Are We And What Do We Want From The PCS?
1. Do you attend PCS meetings? Yes / No
2. If no, why not?
A. Live too far away, but would like to come.
B. Busy on Tuesday nights.
C. Meetings are too much rigmarole, and don't like them.
D. Other: ______________________________________
3. Why do you subscribe to SCREE/ESCREE?
A. Want to keep abreast of PCS happenings.
B. Want to find out about upcoming trips.
C. Like to read about mountaineering in general.
D. Other ______________________________
4. Is there anything that you would care to comment about
that you think would improve the PCS?
_______________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the four numbered questions, either on a copy of this
page or via email, and send it to the Editor as indicated on the back page.
Please include your name so we know that you are a PCS Member. This is a
survey, not a ballot!
*** Results of Last Month's Survey
EDITOR'S NOTE: We had only 5 or so responses until I
sent out an email broadcast noting the poor "voter
turnout". The note from Charles (above) was written
before the second wave of email responses arrived, but we
have less than 10% of your opinions even now. If you did
not vote, you cannot complain about the results! Only 3
non-email responses were received. If a significant
number of new votes are received on the old questions, I
may run another summary next month.
1. Should the PCS use subscription fees ONLY for
printing the newsletter, and hold fund raisers or ask for
additional donations for all other expenses?
- YES - 9
- NO - 6
2. Should the PCS print a better quality newsletter than
the current Scree with photos and offset printing, or
should we charge less for subscriptions and keep using a
cheap printer like this issue?
- CHEAPER - 13
- BETTER - 2
3. What kind of fund raisers would you suggest? (if any)
- NONE - 8
- donation hikes listed as fund raisers - 2
- passing the hat at meetings / request donations
- Begging for $$ when needed, I think.
- What do we need money for,anyway?
- calendar, instruction, vidoes
4. Should we measure success by the number of trips lead, or
number of people who summit on those trips, or the number of
subscribers, or the number of members? Enter your proposed
measure of success here (does not need to be one of the choices
above, be we don't want an essay answer to this question):
- do I climb with pcs members at least a few times a year? - 1
- the happiness/contentedness of the current subscribers - 2
- variety of trips - 2
- # of trips - 5
- # of subscribers - 1
- # of members - 2
- # of people who participate in meetings - 5
- # of people participating on trips - 7
- # of injuries or fatalities - 1
- Success & growth are yuppie predilections. This is
allegedly a Sierra Club organization.
- I don't believe this is a productive inquiry.
- What's a "good" climb? It's like art--very
subjective...and who cares to justify their tastes? Are we
losing sight of our goal here? I think perhaps so.
- Why do we need to measure our success. Isn't the
existance of the club success enough?
5. Regardless of your favorite measure of success, is
"more" also "better"? Is there an ideal size for the PCS?
- GROW - 7
- STAY - 6
- I can't think how to determine an "ideal size".
- Let"s make it easy for people of like mind to find and
join us. Growth will take its own course.
3. Should we try to increase participation within our
existing membership, or try to bring in new people?
- BOTH - 10
- EXISTING - 2
- NEW - 1
- NEITHER - 2
4. Should we have a training program to advance existing
members or to attract new and possibly unskilled people?
- EXISTING - 1
- BOTH - 14 (over a page of comments were ommited)
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Eastern Sierra Permits
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The following is a copy of an announcement I received
from the Mt. Whitney Ranger District (dated 3/14/96).
- Bond Shands bshands@ix.netcom.com or bshands@worldnet.att.net
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At last, the information you've been waiting for!
Wilderness reservations will be taken by the Wilderness
Reservation Service for the Inyo National Forest starting
April 1, 1996.
All quota trails on the Inyo National Forest will be 100%
reservable. Reservations will be accepted until two days before
entry on the trail. Permits will be mailed to the party leader. If
requested, or if the reservation is made within a week of entry,
the permit will be sent to the Ranger Station chosen by the
reserver. Any unreserved permits will be available starting the
day before entry at the ranger station. Permits for non-quota
trails will also be reservable.
Mt. Whitney hikers will be required to have a special stamp
on their permit to enter the Mt. Whitney Zone no matter what
their entry trail is. The zone boundaries are: to the east, just
above Lone Pine Lake; to the west, at the outlet of Timberline
Lake; and to the north, along the Sequoia N.P. Inyo N.F.
boundary to Mt. Russell (on the west side of the boundary
line). See zone map for more details. Day hikers will also
need a permit to enter the zone. Hikers wishing to hike Mt.
Whitney during the full moon without camping will be able to
use a day hike permit with a special full moon stamp. Next
year an overnight permit will be required. All Whitney
permits are reservable.
Reservations will be taken by phone, fax or mail
(postmarked no earlier than April 1) at the following:
Wilderness Reservations
P.O. Box 430
Big Pine, CA 93513
(610) 938-1136
Fax & TTY: (619) 938-1137
Hours: 8 am - 4:30 pm 7 days a week.
There will be a toll free "800" number available April 1
for callers in the U.S.A. (888-374-3773)
The reservation service will be located in Big Pine in the
office of the Big Pine Chamber of Commerce and Visitor
Center located at 126 S. Main St. (Hwy 395). They will be
open during business hours for walk-in business.
The reservation fee schedule is:
- Overnight permit (quota trails): $3.00 per person
- Mt. Whitney Zone stamp (on overnight permits): $1.00 per person
- Mt. Whitney Day hiker: $2.00 per person
- Non-quota trails: $3.00 per person
Payment will be accepted by credit card (Visa,
Mastercard, American Express, Discover Card and
EuroVisa), check or money order. Checks and money
orders must be received at least seven days before entry
date if reservations are made by phone.
Expect the telephones to be very busy during April.
Mailing or faxing applications may be a more certain way
of contacting the service. Questions about trail conditions
or other details should be directed to the Ranger Station.
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(Note: Due to space constraints, only part of Bond's email
message is included here. - Ed.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Cross Alternatives
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The two organization I've heard very good things about
for wilderness first aid training are:
Wilderness Medical Associates
RFD 2 Box 890
Bryant Pond, Maine 04219
Phone: (207) 665-2707
Fax: (207) 665-2747
SOLO - Wilderness & Emergency Medicine
RFD 1 Box 163, Tasker Hill
Conway, NH 03818
Voice: (603) 447-6711
Fax: (603) 447-2310
I know that WMA offers courses all over the country,
ranging from weekend first aid courses to 20something
day wilderness EMT courses. I'll be taking a 9 day
wilderness first responder course from them up in Oregon
at the end of April.
Other organizations that I don't know as much about
include:
WMI - Wilderness Medicine Institute, Inc.
P.O Box 9
Pitkin, Colorado 81241
Telephone: (303) 641-3572
Earthbound Medical Rescue
390 N. 12th st.
San Jose, CA 95112
Phone: (408) 275-9542.
Finally, courses are available at both UCSF and Berkeley:
Outdoors Unlimited: 415-476-2078
http://marlin.ucsf.edu/ou.html
Cal Adventures: 510-642-4000
- Jim Waters waters@genmagic.com
FILLER BOX:
A Freudian slip is when you say one
thing but mean your mother. Oops
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BACK PAGE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scree is the monthly journal of the Peak Climbing
Section of the Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter.
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Elected Officials
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Chair:
Charles Schafer / charles.schafer@octel.com
408-354-1545 home, 408-324-6003 work
115 Spring Street, Los Gatos CA 95032-6229
Vice Chair and Trip Scheduler:
Roger Crawley
415-321-8602 home
761 Nash Avenue, Menlo Park CA 94025-2719
Treasurer and Membership Roster (address changes):
Jim Ramaker / ramaker@vnet.ibm.com
408-224-8553 home, 408-463-4873 work,
188 Sunwood Meadows Place, San Jose CA 95119-1350
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Appointed Positions
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Scree Editor, Email Broadcast Operator:
Steve Eckert / eckert@netcom.com
415-508-0500 home/work, 415-508-0501 fax
1814 Oak Knoll Drive, Belmont, CA 94002-1753
PCS World Wide Web Publisher:
Aaron Schuman / schuman@sgi.com
415-933-1901, http://reality.sgi.com/csp/pcs/index.html
223 Horizon Avenue, Mountain View CA 94043-4718
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Hardcopy subscriptions are $12/year. Checks payable to "PCS"
should be mailed to the Treasurer so they arrive before the last
Tuesday of the expiration month.
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If you are on the PCS email broadcast, you have a free EScree subscription.
Send Email to to sign up for the broadcast
(one-line message "subscribe sc-peaks YourFirstNameHere YourLastNameHere"
or "INFO sc-peaks"). EScree-only subscribers must contact the Treasurer
to become voting PCS members at no charge.
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Rock Climbing Classifications
The following trip classifications are to assist you in choosing
trips for which you are qualified. No simple rating system can
anticipate all possible conditions.
Class 1: Walking on a trail.
Class 2: Walking cross-country, using hands for balance.
Class 3: Requires use of hands for climbing. A rope may be used.
Class 4: Requires rope belays.
Class 5: Technical rock climbing.
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In Upcoming Issues:
(if you sent something that is not here, please send it again)
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Backcountry Food Storage Box Locations (trip planner!)
At Rest Above the Atacama (death on Ojos del Salado)
Trip Reports: Telescope, Russell, Bull Run, Roundtop, Corkscrew
World's 60 Highest Mountains
Searching for Small Worlds to Conquer
Going Light When Backpacking
Product Report: SuperScreamer QuickDraw
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Deadline for submissions to the next Scree is 4/29/96.
Meetings are the second Tuesday of each month.
This publication may not be posted on any public news group.
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(End of April 1996 EScree)