In This Issue:
4-VICTOR is published by the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, 34701 Mill Creek Road, Mentone, CA 92359. A non-profit organization in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest. The goals of the partnership are to educate the public to preserve and conserve our natural resources. 4-Victor newsletter
edited by Teri Cappuccio and Ann Robinson Portions of this newsletter may have been edited to present material applicable to the general viewing public. |
APRIL 2001 Services provided by the SGWA are supported by the U.S. Forest Service, your National Forest Adventure Pass, Alpine Meadows Camp and Conference Center, and public donations
Our
Thanks to American Business Web American Business Web (ABW) has been hosting the SGWA web site for several years now, at no cost to our organization. We extend our sincere appreciation to ABW owner Jim Guiltinan. It is great to have a partner who appreciates and supports the work our volunteers do in and around the wilderness. ABW is designed for small to medium sized businesses needing a reliable and speedy web site. Fifteen email addresses using your own domain name are included. ABW's pricing is economical for businesses but not so low to the point of undermining the quality of their services. ABW's support policy is simple: Go the Extra Mile. ABW offers personalized technical support and responds to email messages quickly. They strive to put the "Service" in "Internet Service Provider," and they remember who their customers are and what the customers' histories of issues have been. ABW is your inside track to a winning web site. Please feel free to call, 213-688-7739 or email ABW from their web site at http://usbusinessweb.net/ if you have any questions.
Thank
You Joe & Cindy! First, we would like to thank Cindy and Joe McGregor for being Adopt-a-Highway Coordinators for the last 8 years. You'll be missed on the highway. If you ever feel the need, come and join us (and bring doughnuts). Our first Adopt-a-Highway/Adopt-a-Trail will be on Sunday, April 29. Before picking up trash, we will be doing some trail maintenance work on the Whispering Pines Trail. We'll meet at the Whispering Pines Trailhead at 9:00 a.m. Bring gloves, water, and a sack lunch. Hope you can come out and join us. Please note: There was an error on the scheduling letter for June's Adopt-a-Highway. It will be on June 16 instead of June 10. We'll meet at Hwy. 38 and the road into Heart Bar Station at 9:30 a.m. Again, bring gloves, water, and lunch. Be sure to wear long pants for your protection. If you have any questions, please call Mary Hart at 714 526-7361.
Many who know the great value of our forest and wilderness areas may not have the time, but have the monetary resources to help the SGVA continue to "Serve, Protect, and Educate." Recent contributing members to whom forest visitors and we owe many thanks are: Regular Contributing Members ($20 or more annually)
Trail Partners ($50 or more annually)
President's Club ($100 or more annually)
SGWA
Joins PINE As a PINE member the SGWA will assist UCR in making our members aware of UCR Extension’s natural sciences courses. In return, UCR will provide greater public exposure of the SGWA and SGWA members will receive a 20% discount from the normal tuition fee for any of the UCR outdoor field nature study courses. There are currently about 30 such courses being offered. For more information about these wonderful courses, which include trips to observe natural resources all over California, please call 909-787-5804, email sciences@ucx.ucr.edu or visit www.unex.ucr.edu/ns/. This is a great partnership in keeping with one of SGWA’s primary goals – furthering nature education. We hope our volunteering and contributing members will have a chance to enjoy this outstanding opportunity offered by UCR.
Volunteer Michael Gordon continues to do an outstanding job in managing our SGWA web site. The web site continues to provide excellent information for people visiting in and around the San Gorgonio Wilderness. And the Back Country Store on the site continues to provide much needed funds for the volunteer program. Calendar year 2000 sales increased 56% in number and 51% in dollar amount over 1999. One of the most recent notes of praise received from web customers was from Anthony J. in February 2001. Anthony said, "I'm looking forward to getting the items as I'm glad to help out the association. The web site and message board are a great help to hikers and backpackers and I wish more areas had such a site. Keep up the good work." Thank you, Michael, for all that good work. You are a very important part of our team.
A
View From the Top Got Snow??????? Silly question. The San Gorgonio Wilderness has PLENTY of snow! With the many winter storms we have already had, the higher elevations of the Wilderness have looked somewhat like the Alps. Hopefully, the trees that have looked unhealthy the past many months will reap the benefits of this winter. The heartiest of hikers are finding the trails of the Wilderness areas still appealing and some even make it to the upper elevations to enjoy snow camping. Snowshoes, cross country skis, and proper winter gear are a must. If you want to try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, but you don't want to go too far, the Barton Flats and Angelus Oaks areas have many dirt roads and trails that are ideal. Call ahead to check on conditions and, as always, carry tire chains, extra clothing, water and first aid when coming to the mountains. Fortunately we have had few accidents on the roadways and on the sledding areas. It says something for the public, in that thousands have visited this area in recent weeks. One thing I have noticed--the snow-playing public leaves much more trash and litter than the summertime visitor. Monday mornings, the berms and snow fields are littered with normal picnic trash, along with broken snow saucers, large pieces of cardboard, tarps, mud flaps, jackets, single gloves, hats and more. Apparently the public thinks the falling snow will cover everything never to be seen again! Some of the strange sights this winter: a lady in high heeled shoes in the snow play area in Forest Falls, a snow-boarder sliding down Highway 38 below Onyx Summit; a lady driving MILES on the wrong side of Highway 38 in the snow. When asked what she was doing, she said, "My chains don't make as much noise on that side of the road." Makes sense to me!! Come up to the snow, but be prepared when you do.
San
Gorgonio Wilderness Journal March 10-11, 2001 - Vivian Creek Trail Party of four traveled by snowshoes (which were needed right from the start of the trail because of all the fresh snow) all the way to High Creek on the first day. Deep snow all the way. We had to do some route finding between Halfway Camp and High Creek Camp since the fresh snow had covered any visible signs of the trail about a half-mile past Halfway Camp. We had partial white-out conditions most of Saturday. The weather broke on Sunday morning, and after a three-hour trek through untouched fresh powder, we summited around 11:15 a.m. There were no signs of anyone from High Creek upward, and it was quite a thrill. Summit register showed the last group of climbers to be the second week in February so we were the first group of summiters in over a month. Total hiking time to the summit was about nine hours (six hours to High Creek, and three to the summit), and we had to break fresh tracks for well over half the way. Total descent time from the summit to the parking lot was five hours (minus the hour we stopped to break camp on the way down). Perfect trip with incredible vistas. Snow levels above High Creek around 5-7 feet in areas. Well worth the work, though. Kelly H., Brendan S., Jon C., Pete S. [Editor: In the mountains, the weather may change suddenly and unexpectedly. Don't go into the wilderness unprepared . Always carry extra food and clothing, and be sure someone at home knows your itinerary.]
By-gone Threat of an April Long Ago The San Gorgonio Wilderness area has dodged many threats of development over the past century. Thanks to a little luck and the efforts of thousands of citizens who worked hard to protect the unique and precious value of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, millions are able to enjoy a wilderness experience within a couple hours driving time from their homes. As many know, before passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act, the San Gorgonio Wilderness was very nearly developed on the south side for hydroelectric power and on the north side for a large downhill ski resort. But how many know of the toll road to the summit of Mt. San Gorgonio? In April of 1910 several Redlands businessmen proposed a "Grayback Mountain Automobile Toll Road" to the summit, with a restaurant on top. The grade would be a moderate five percent all the way. An American Automobile Association representative assured the Redlands promoters that "5,000 autos would patronize such a road annually." (John W. Robinson, "San Gorgonio, A Wilderness Preserved", Pub. by SGVA, 1991, pg. 41)
Disclaimers The use of trade, firm, product, or corporation names in this newsletter is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the San Gorgonio Volunteer Association concerning the quality of any product or service or to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. Every effort is made to provide accurate and useful information. However, the San Gorgonio Volunteer Association and its volunteers, employees, and contractors assume no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed herein. Neither the San Gorgonio Volunteer Association, nor its employees and contractors, make any warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to information available in this newsletter. Non-Discrimination Statement The US Forest Service and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association prohibit discrimination in all their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs and activities.) The US Forest Service and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association are equal opportunity providers and employers.
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