In This Issue:
Back Issues:
4-VICTOR is published by the San Gorgonio Volunteer 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 Pat Peters and Jan Gudgell Portions of this newsletter may have been edited to present material applicable to the general viewing public. |
AUGUST 1998 NEWSLETTER President, Roger Gossett, brought us up to date on pending trail work in August. An equestrian group will assist in hauling gear and tools. Tom Rutledge update--he's at home now and attending outpatient rehabilitation. He will take a vacation in the Sierras and is able to do some physical tasks. Financially, the SGVA is stable and the new merchandise is moving off the shelves. Especially the ‘Beanie Bears"! While they are not the "original" Beanies, they are a very popular item. The Fish Festival will be held September 26th at Jenks Lake. As usual, the SGVA will provide lunch and serve as fishing buddies for the youngsters. John Flippin reminds us that our role is to "educate" the public concerning their compliance with wilderness permits. Volunteers are not to act as enforcement personnel at any time. Audrey Scranton reported that the Mountain District trail crew: Jeanette Granger, crew leader; and crew members Chris Mason, Chris Loop, and Lorian Brasher, have covered 180+ miles, removed 62+ trees, planted signs, and brushed trails and etc., etc., etc.!!! Audrey also informed us that the Federal Government has passed the Adventure Pass pilot program for two more years.
What a great season, but it’s going so fast. Flip and I were just talking about the fact that the scheduling letter he just mailed out is the last one of the year. I was trying to think of a couple things that happened so far in ’98 and here is what I came up with. Let’s see--there was training, Horse Meadows Interpretive opening, Adopt-A-Highway, PCT trail work on National Trails Day (and compliments from a helicopter pilot who spotted our work), deep wilderness trail crews (Saturdays and occasional special dates), brushing, tread work, taking out fallen trees, doughnuts and "summit" meetings. There were winter camping conditions through June, Grandma with an off-road stroller, countless contacts in the wilderness and another countless at Barton Flats. There were thunderstorms, bear sightings, people causing rain (and hail) without doing a dance (all they had to do was put on a pack), and flowers, flowers, flowers. Deerflies, mosquitoes, high-running streams, and an abundance of new growth. I saw an overloaded young father struggling down from an overnighter at Dry Lake with a four- and a six-year-old singing songs to him; heard of a husband hauling the entire load for his wife while they were remembering a trip on Vivian Creek 125 years ago, or something like that. We had volunteers assisting Search and Rescue, also assisting and educating the public on wilderness etiquette and safety. Everybody pitched in when Lane Lutz had to be hospitalized and Barton Flats needed to be staffed. (Speaking of the Lutz’s, I thought I was done having old people tell me I needed a haircut 30 years ago. Not so! But Ed, I did get one the day after the barbecue.) We have had some great barbecues and some very informative sessions on plants and bugs. Malena found out what Vivian Trail was about before she had to leave for Humboldt State and about a final evening of stargazing with Jim Fuller before he moved to Oregon. We have a Volunteer Coordinator who never fails to amaze me with the variety and amount of work he is able to get done to keep us all heading safely into the forest week after week and his trusty sidekick that, did I get this right, bounces off of trees looking for green cards? And last but not least, Karen Saffle put together another fantastic Forest Festival with many smiling kids and again, there was Grandma with the hot-rod stroller. Whew, I’m out of breath just remembering all this and we are only two-thirds of the way through. You have been great, what a job you have done. Add some of your own memories to the list and see if you don’t agree. How much more can we get involved in for one season? Before hunting season opens and the snow begins to fall again, there is still the ever-exciting and kid-pleasing Fish Festival on September 26th, six more weekends of our activities, whatever they may be, and a lot of new faces out there for us to meet. Oh, and there are still flowers, flowers, flowers Clearing Trails and Chili Too On Friday, August 7, a foot party left from the old parking lot at Poop Out Hill and headed for Plummer Meadow including: Kim Truman, Don Rosene, Bill Tibbets, Roger Gossett, Dan Riley and his son Luis (14), Jeannette Granger, Chris Loop, Chris Mason, Lorian Brasher, Ann Barz, and Roger Kroeger. The same day, Val Silva, Earl Rider, Gayle Seymour, Kathy Greenway, and Kirt Moore left on their fully loaded and packed horses from Tulake Volunteer Camp heading for the same destination. On Saturday, while the foot patrol lopped brush, Kathy, Earl, and Kirt removed downed trees. Val and Gayle rode down to Dollar Lake to meet George Annas, Del Hawkins, and Therese Haran. Del and George carried frozen bricks of chili in their saddlebags and Therese wore two large bags of fresh salad (?) around her neck looking somewhat like wearing water wings. Danny Silva’s special chili hit the spot with all participants!! During the trip out on Sunday the 9th, the equestrians stopped off to remove another tree near Dry Lake View that had been down nearly two years. The objective of these three days: clear the almost invisible trail of brush and downed trees. And they did!! Almost two miles of trail, six feet wide from the saddle of Plummer Meadow past Saxton to the first stream crossing. This is another example of the great teamwork we have going amongst us all who love the forest. Some quotable quotes: Roger says: "This was fantastic fun, a great effort, and I got to eat until I was full because the horsemen carried all the food for me." Val says: "Roger was still eating at 10:00 p.m." Kim says: "I’m a magnet for rain. Once I ended a drought because it rained for three days on my pack trip." [It rained during this weekend. Editor] Bill says: "Next year, let’s go somewhere really hard." Jeannette says: "Failure is not an option." Roger hints that next year’s 3-day work party might be Mine Shaft Saddle to Big Tree… subject to change. Roger Gossett
Coordinators Cindy and Joe McGregor were joined on Saturday the 8th by Chuck and Margaret Phelps and Jan Gudgell to make a sweep of the highway. They were joined later by John Flippin who courteously tossed a Coke can out of his window as he passed by in his truck! This is the sixth year of the Adopt-A-Highway program and it seems that the public is doing a better job with their trash disposal. The most any of the crew collected was half a bag full each. In the past, bag after bag was collected. Cindy says that she will renew our agreement with Caltrans for another two years. Two other groups have joined the campaign along this highway: the Santa Ana River Cabin Association and the San Gorgonio Search and Rescue group. The last scheduled date is October 3, 9:30 a.m., at Barton Flats Fire Station. Please join us!!
 Annual Forest Festival… Thanks to all you great volunteers who gave of yourselves to make the Forest Festival a fantastic success for 500 visitors! This was a great opportunity for us to share our love for the forest and you made the most of it. There seemed to be more children around this year and I saw many poor mothers struggling to hold all of the goodies their children had either created or won. One mother was balancing a baby, two tree cookies, two water bottles, two bookmarks, two forest creations, a basket, and a stuffed animal. In spite of the last minute hustle and bustle, there seemed to be a sense of peace over the whole day. It was a great time for families to spend a little quality time together. Thanks again to all of you. I was going to list who did what for how long but decided not to for two reasons. The first is that I might forget someone. The second--and most important--is that it took all of us working together to make the day a resounding success. After saying that, I’d like to give very special thanks to Margaret "Smokey" Phelps and her faithful guide Chuck, as well as their chauffeur Ron Timmons. These three hardy souls spent the morning driving around the campgrounds inviting campers to the festival. And of course, our venders helped to make it a successful day. We were pleased to have Fariad Saud Ali return with his beautiful wildlife art. He did quite well with his sales, much of it due to our SGVA people. We enjoyed having both the San Gorgonio and Valley of the Falls Search and Rescue teams and it was both fun and informative to watch them as they did a little training. The San Bernardino County Museum sent us Joanne Watson (taxidermy) and Dave Jaffe (Serrano). Also, Marie Kupecz was again gracious as she shared her love and knowledge of herbs to some very curious visitors. The Forest Service was represented by Lenore Will and her animal rehabilitation, and the biologists who brought along some of their turtle friends. They also set up a casting pond (i.e., hula hoop) which proved to be very popular. The fire crew and their big green engine was also on the scene to give visitors a chance to see a real fire engine as well as a chance to hear the horn really, really close up. It was great to have Lane and Ed Lutz up for the day. Lane hasn’t lost a step; she walked into the Visitor Center and took right over. It was great to see her beautiful smile as she helped those who only wanted to go for a walk but instead wandered into the middle of the big party. (Lane says that she misses her stay at Barton Flats so much that she literally "dreams" nightly of being back. We miss you too, Lane! Editor] If you have any ideas for next year’s Forest Festival, let me know and we’ll add them to our suggestions. This year was great but there is always room for improvement. And once again, thank you for being there to make this a fantastic day. [And thank you, Karen! This is a tremendous undertaking and you deserve a major portion of the credit for the Festival’s success. Editor] Karen Saffle
The July programs were well received and attended by larger audiences: Karen Saffle--150 and 80; Sheila McMahon--80 and 18; Vern Rogers--a walk with no count; Lenore Will--30. This very integral part of the SGVA is always in need of presenters and programs. If you are interested, please contact Sheila McMahon at 909-683-8850. The special Sunday program given by Oscar Clark on July 26 at 1:00 p.m. was attended by 17 volunteers. Oscar took us for a walk up the Barton Flats nature trail where he shared his vast knowledge in a most interesting way. We all learned that there is a great deal more to learn about our forest vegetation! The next special program will be presented by Jim Corbett, curator of natural sciences for the Palm Springs Desert Museum on August 30th at 1:00 p.m. You are invited to attend at the Barton Flats Visitor Center. An important part of the interpretive program is performed by Marie
Kupecz every Saturday at Barton Flats. She shares her knowledge with visitors about
animals and plants in the four areas of our forest: the mountains, riparian, desert, and
chaparral. Marie says the number of visitors varies each Saturday from 20 to 130 and she
loves every minute of the 6-8 hours she spends. [Editor: This is Marie’s 4th
year with the SGVA after volunteering 12 years at the Veteran’s Hospital in Loma
Linda. She is also proud to claim 82 years!]
Horse Meadows Update As summer moves along, more and more visitors are stopping off at Horse Meadows as indicated by these contact numbers: May--29; June--246; and July--241. Sheila McMahon lists the following volunteers who have worked at the Meadow (* indicates serving more than one time during the month): May Sheila McMahon*, Mickey Kacherwski*, Danny Silva*, Val Silva* JuneChuck Phelps, Val Silva, Dana Klatt*, Nancy Haggard*, Therese Haran, Marian Bailey*, Sheila McMahon, Sandy Messner JulyNancy Haggard, Jeff Haggard, Val Silva, Susan Braunwalder, Audrey Scranton, Karen Saffle, Craig Konrad, Marian Bailey, Dana Klatt, Peggy Manning, Danny Silva, Mickey Kacherwski, Del Hawkins, Phebe Baty Sheila says you are always welcome to join the fun of greeting visitors at Horse Meadows. Please call her at 909-683-8850.
John’s Notes and Updates They Are Always There Wherever there is a need, we usually find Joe and Cindy McGregor taking care of things for us. They take care of early season trail maintenance on most of the trails just outside the northern boundaries of the Wilderness. This year they also cleared the Barton Flats Station buried in a tremendous amount of trees and branches which fell during the hard winter. For several years they have led our Adopt-A-Trail and Adopt-A-Highway maintenance projects. Most recently, they very successfully met the challenge of running the Barton Flats Station for us while the regular managers had to be gone for three days. We can never thank you enough Joe and Cindy, but thank you very much. 10th Annual Forest Festival - A Great Success Thanks to volunteer Karen Saffle, our 10th annual Forest Festival was a wonderful day of fun and exciting forest experiences for about 500 visitors. It was a joy to watch all the children casting their fishing poles, slicing logs with a crosscut saw bigger than they are, making little forestscapes with bark, pinecones, moss, etc., and excitedly greeting Smokey during his several visits throughout the day. Over 40 volunteers and Forest Service personnel (see separate article) helped with all the setup, displays, activities, and cleanup. But the very special day would not have happened without all the enthusiastic planning, coordinating, phoning, writing, etc., that Karen Saffle has done over the past three months. Thank you, Karen, for a fantastic Forest Festival!! New or Renewing Contributing Members Many who know the great value of our forests and wilderness areas may not have the time but have the monetary resources to help the SGVA continue to "Serve, Protect, and Educate." New or recently renewing contributing members to whom we and forest visitors owe many thanks are: President’s Club Paul and Janet Garofalo
Wish I Was There I heard from many different people that the deep Wilderness trail maintenance in the Plummer Meadows area was an outstanding success. As with so many wonderful things done by so many different volunteers at so many different places around the forest, I wish I could have been there to take part. But I was busy supporting the Wilderness patrols, picking up a few cans with our Adopt-A-Highway volunteers (see article), delivering supplies to our Barton Flats Station volunteers, and shuffling the never ending paperwork. I’ve seen the before and after pictures of the work you did up there on two miles of trail--WOW!! Congratulations to all involved for a job very well done. It was a great team effort by foot and equestrian volunteers and the Forest Service trail crews. I hope Ann Barz, Front Country District Trail Crew Leader, doesn’t mind my passing on part of an e-mail message I received from her. Ann said, "It was a great trip, we all worked hard and had a great time as well. I just love my volunteers!" Two volunteers we especially love, and without whom this project would not have happened are Val Silva, Equestrian Coordinator, and Roger Gossett, Assistant Volunteer Coordinator. But keep those lopper and McCleod muscles in shape. I believe Roger already has another much-needed deep Wilderness trail project in mind for next year.
Farewell to Jim Jim Fuller has made the big move. Our volunteer astronomer has retired from his paying job as an electrician for the University of California, Riverside. Jim has also retired from our volunteer program after 16 years of service so that he can build a cabin on his 40 acres in southwestern Oregon. (Take me, Jim, take me!!) By the way he talks though, it won’t be long before he is busy with volunteer programs in his new mountains. Jim did everything around our mountains: trail maintenance and patrol, a founding director of the SGVA, 4-Victor newsletter editor, SGVA vice president, and Barton Flats Station operations and maintenance. Jim won many awards for his tireless service to forest visitors including an Outstanding Service Award from Michael Dombeck, Chief of the Forest Service, this past spring. Of course, for the past several years Jim has also educated and entertained many thousands of forest visitors with his late night astronomy programs. Many parents and their children slipped back through the dark forest to their camps whispering excitedly about the wonders of the universe seen through Jim’s very large telescope. I was very fortunate to attend Jim’s last program at Heart Bar Campground. During that program Jim was very seriously explaining to his attentive audience a couple of ways of finding different planets in the night sky. Jim said, "One method of locating a planet is to find the top of a very tall tree like this one over here." We all looked at a towering pine about 80 feet away. Then Jim said, "Now fix your eyes upon the very tip top of this tree." We all strained our necks to stare at the tree tip silhouetted against the starlit sky. "Now," said Jim, "run your eyes directly down the very center of the trunk to the ground. There you should be able to see the planet Earth." Jim is full of good humor and goodwill. We will miss him a lot and hope that our trails cross his once again. Until the next time, Jim, best wishes and take care.
Wilderness Management Changes Effective September 8, there will be changes to wilderness management on the San Bernardino National Forest due to the implementation of the recently completed Environmental Assessment for Wilderness Management. The changes were developed by an interdisciplinary team with public comment to enhance the wilderness experience by reducing group sizes and improving wilderness resource protection through a variety of resource management actions. These changes will be implemented:
On September 12-13 and 19-20, all SGVA volunteers on patrol duty will be helping "re-naturalize" the forest by removing all wilderness yellow post fire pits.
In Memory of Natalie A generous donation was recently made to the SGVA in memory of
Natalie Gammey by her daughter, Joyce McIntire. Natalie was a 16-year Forest Service
volunteer and was active in many areas. The visitors she served will always be better
because she passed this way. Chain Saw Certification On August 5-7 Danny Silva and Joe McGregor attended a workshop held
by the Fawnskin Fire Station personnel on handling and using chain saws. Each earned a
Class C rating that allows them to cut and remove trees up to 24" in diameter. The
trail crews from Mountaintop and Front Country, along with their leaders, also attended
and earned their Class C ratings. [Now they all have the right to yell "TIMBER"!
Editor] Fish Festival Put September 26th on your calendar… the day all volunteers play hosts to kids and fish at Jenks Lake.
About Us and Some facts about the 1998 volunteers as of August: 159 members: 94 men; 65 women Hikers: 111± Equestrians: 24 Interpretive: 5 Barton Flats: 12 Recreation: 2 Trail Maintenance: 4 Mill Creek Desk: 1 Several volunteers are involved in more than one activity. An interesting duty is the Santa Ana River Patrol. On Saturday, August 8th, Ted Schofield and Michael Vincent encountered the following: 19 cars without Adventure Passes, 16 with; a report of a large diamondback rattler, 2 buttons; two foot bridges washed out; a small cabin washed off of its foundation into the river when it overflowed; and one fisherman who definitely did not have a license as he ran when he saw Mike and Ted! These two patrolled from South Fork parking lot to east of Glass Road.
There are few organizations that are fortunate enough to have a caring, thoughtful, efficient, and truly dedicated individual at the helm. The SGVA is just such an organization with John Flippin serving as volunteer coordinator/business manager. John grew up in the San Diego/Carlsbad/Oceanside areas of Southern California where he attended San Diego State. He has four brothers, two sisters, and two children, Bonnie and John A. They are enrolled at San Bernardino State College and have been volunteers for several years. They now serve as SGVA merchandise managers. John was in the Air Force for 21 years where he was in management and operations and the audit agency… which explains his expertise at managing the SGVA. And, as he explains it, he honed his speaking skills by having to give reports to large groups (however, he does not explain where the jokes and stories come from!). After the service he earned his CPA in California and began a small home repair business in Redlands. He is an excellent carpenter as is evidenced by the cabinetwork he has done at Barton Flats and the Mill Creek Ranger Station. 1987 found him volunteering in the forest until 1989 when he joined a small group planning to create a new group, the SGVA. He served as director and treasurer until 1992 when he became business manager. It was decided to add the role of volunteer coordinator to his duties in 1993. Because of the time constraints necessary to care for a large group of volunteers, John feels 150 members is about all he can efficiently serve. His priorities are the Wilderness and the Barton Flats Visitor Center. To give you further insight to his dedication to the SGVA, John is paid for 16-20 hours per week only during the summer months, nothing in the winter. So far this year, as of August, he has put in over 600 hours! He recently attended classes to become an elementary school teacher, but when he found out that there were many extra hours outside of the classroom, as well as those in, he realized he could not do the SGVA position and teach too. He chose the SGVA! When asked what he loves the most about his job, he says, "It is so rewarding to see what the volunteers do for the public and what pleasure the volunteers receive in return for their efforts. Besides, when I was in high school my aptitude test said I should either be a minister or a forest ranger. Well, I got it half right." Thank you, John, for the countless things you do for us and the superb manner in which you do them!
About Our Marcia and Glen Riddle have lived in Topock, Arizona for six years after spending 30 in Covina and West Covina. However, they admit that they look forward to escaping the 126° heat in the summer months. Marcia is a high school teacher’s aide and Glen is a retired carpenter/construction worker. They travel a lot to see their family as between them they have 11 children and countless grandchildren. They are sort of "professional" hosts as they have been in Iowa and Minnesota as camp managers. They will be with us through Labor Day and so far are planning to return next year.
Home
| Volunteer | Contribute | Wilderness |
|
