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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. |
JUNE 1998 NEWSLETTER
June 28th at Barton Flats, 1:00 p.m., John Klotz, entomologist from UCR will present the first in a series of programs of interest to volunteers. He indicated he would be interested in setting up a study area around Barton Flats. July 26th at Barton Flats, 1:00 p.m., former keeper of UCR’s herbarium, Oscar Clarke, will present a program on relationships of plant species and edible plants. A major change for Board Meetings: June, July, August, and September all will be held at Barton Flats at 2:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. Next meeting will be July 26. Roger Gossett
Training for Trail Maintenance On May 30th Forest personnel Jeannette Granger and Ann Barz, along with their trail crews, led 25 SGVA volunteers through maintenance procedures and then out to the Ponderosa Trail where Mother Nature had conveniently toppled a huge tree across the trail! The volunteers had a hands-on day watching the care and skill that must be taken when doing this work. Use of tools and tread work were also covered. All in all, the day was a success and will be of great help for those involved in future trail work. Those participating were: Mel Amerman, Lynn Anderson, Susan Braunwalder, Bill Buckmaster, Lisa Clark, Bonnie Flippin, John A. Flippin, Mary Hart, Bill Hedekin, David Jones, Pete and Vicki King, Lynnette Koberink, Janelle Kotzen, Jaimie LaPointe, Kim Maes, Don Richard, Suzanne Roat, Ann Robinson, Renee Robinson, Linda Salem, Ted Schofield, Bill Tibbitts, David Van Horsen, and Jarome Wilson.
Safe In Rough Conditions. The early summer has been very unusual with record snow depths throughout the Wilderness. Trails have been covered with tree debris, rocks and mud, whole trees, and snow, snow, snow. Volunteers have removed most of the debris that is not still covered by snow and removed many of the smaller trees across the trails. (Unfortunately, our order of snow shovels has still not come in--so we have not been able to shovel off the trail to the summit as planned. Believe it or not, this was seriously asked about by a visitor at the front desk.) Though we can’t quite satisfy a few visitors who think we should be able to tell them exactly when the snow will be melted off certain high trails and camps, the Forest Service trail crew, the front desk personnel at Mill Creek and Barton Flats, and the great majority of the public are extremely thankful for the trail obstruction and condition reports you have been providing. Michael Gordon has also been keeping reports updated on the SGVA web site. I believe the small number of injured visitors in the hazardous trail conditions we’ve had is largely due to visitors receiving trail information ahead of time and either postponing their trips into the Wilderness or arriving much better prepared, e.g., with crampons. I am especially happy that you have been keeping yourselves safe, thinking ahead about what might happen in dangerous areas if you have the occasional unavoidable slip, trip, or misstep, and not pushing beyond your comfort and experience level. To perform all of the great service you provide while keeping safety first and foremost shows how truly professional you are. Keep up the good work and take care out there. Roger Gossett, Val Silva, and I sincerely care about your well being, both on and off duty. Barton Flats Station Manager Managing Very Well. Ed and Lane Lutz moved right in and started serving the public and other volunteers like they’ve been at it for decades. No one would guess this is only their second year as Barton Flats Station managers. All of the wonderful things they do and crazy situations they encounter while on duty are too numerous to mention. But they started by safely directing traffic around a large boulder on the South Fork Grade of Highway 38 as mud and rock continued to fall on the highway. Finally, a CALTRANS grader arrived and cleared the way. Ed and Lane have also been busy taking care of the normal ongoing maintenance around the station including a couple broken water lines. And Lane has introduced some very cute animal beanie babies to our sales outlet with the profits going to the SGVA. Most recently, with some skilled monitoring and radio work, they helped catch a cabin burglar in the area. At about the same time, they dispatched volunteers Lynn Anderson and Roger Gossett to help clear a deer/auto collision from the highway--a sad incident, but Lynn and Roger handled it well. So, as you can see, there are always a wide variety of interesting events around the Barton Flats Station. Lucky for us, and especially for the public, that Ed and Lane are there to serve. Forest Service Trail Crew Back In Force. We are very happy to have a Forest Service trail crew back this summer after having volunteers take care of the most urgent maintenance for the past two summers. The trail crew leader, Ann Barz, and her crew of Roger, Brian, and Dave have been very busy with all of the work a severe winter left behind. They provided an excellent day of trail maintenance training for our volunteers on National Trails Day, along with Jeannette Granger and her Forest Service trail crew from the Mountain Top District. They worked on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) that day and a Forest Service helicopter crewman flew over that area a few days after and asked me if I knew of some work done recently out there. He said it was obvious even from high in the air that a lot of excellent work had recently been done on several miles of the trail in that area. I very proudly told him that a crack-shot team of over two dozen volunteers had just recently done the work with the Forest Service crews. And now, on most Saturdays, Ann’s crew is taking out smaller numbers of volunteers to do trail maintenance in and around the Wilderness. You will never hear the many thoughts and words of appreciation you receive from thousands of hikers for the work you do on trails. But believe me (I hear a fraction on it from the front desk), the appreciation is constant and tremendous. Keep those shovels, saws, and McClouds flying!! Some Special Thanks. All of the work all of you do is special, appreciated, and needed. Some volunteers do some unusual extra work that deserves mention. However, there are so many different, unusual things being done by so many that I’m afraid I am unable to keep up with them all. That is why I encourage our volunteer leaders like Val Silva, Roger Gossett, Ed and Lane Lutz, and Sheila McMahon to not only help ensure that all volunteer hours are submitted but to also turn in reports of service that are unusual, "above and beyond," or especially interesting. A key responsibility of all volunteers is to ensure that your service hours are recorded on a patrol card or on the blue service logs at Mill Creek and Barton Flats. A few of the volunteers doing special things are:
I’m probably overlooking some special effort out there. Help me out all you rookie reporters. I’m sure there are more good stories out there waiting to be told. [Editor: Now you’ve heard from the "boss"! Send those stories in!!!] Thank you one and all. Your service is what makes my job exciting, enjoyable, and rewarding. Radio Batteries. Please check the bottoms of your daypacks, fanny packs, saddlebags, and vehicle trunks for misplaced radio battery packs. And while we are at it, let’s look around for any shovels we may have forgotten to turn in after patrol. We need all of these back in our central supply to enable us to operate more effectively. If you find batteries or shovels anywhere, please turn them in to John Flippin, Roger Gossett, or Val Silva. Thanks. Natalie Sends Her Best Wishes-We Send Her Our Prayers. Natalie Gammey is one of our few volunteers with over 15 years of service. She has done it all, including hosting the Heart Bar Equestrian Camp, trail patrol and maintenance, and greeting the public at the Barton Flats visitor center. Natalie is currently fighting a very serious illness but still asks how all of you are doing, hopes to be back working with Ed and Lane soon, and sends her best wishes to everyone. Natalie is a wonderful inspiration to me and I’m sure to all who know her. Please say a prayer for Natalie and for her devoted daughter, Joyce, as they travel a very difficult section of life’s trail. We’ll see you on the mountain soon, Natalie! Manager Change. During July and August, Glen and Marcie Riddel will be Barton Flats Visitor Center Assistant Managers. They are from Topock, Arizona. Come in and say hello.
John Flippin
 Horse Meadows Open As has been reported in a past 4-Victor, an SGVA committee has worked this past year on plans to refurbish and reopen an historical area of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. In days long past, when there really were such beings as "Forest Rangers" in the forest, Horse Meadows served as the equestrian rangers’ headquarters. There were tack rooms, bunk quarters, corrals, and all the amenities of home. The Meadow has been reopened as an interpretive stop-off point for folks on the way up the South Fork Trailhead. On May 30th Sheila McMahon opened from 10-4 and on the 31st Val Silva took her turn. They both said that folks really enjoyed stopping to see the enlarged maps, displays of local trees, and other information available, such as trail maps, pamphlets, and visitor guides. Water was also provided. Passersby also enjoyed watching Danny Silva and Mickey Kacherwski personally change color just as the buildings were changing their hue! (Danny and Mickey were painting--not very neatly from the looks of them!) Sheila said that an elderly couple stopped to say they were pleased to see the buildings being spruced up as they often stopped there during their winter snow shoeing trips. Dana Klatt, Marian Bailey, and Sandy Messner will be hosts in future weekends. If you are interested in this duty, please let Sheila McMahon, 909-683-8850, or John Flippin know when you turn in your monthly assignment sheets.
Sheila McMahon reports that the season’s interpretive schedule is filling up and that the volunteers involved are doing outstanding presentations. Susan Braunwalder spoke to 75 youngsters and 5 adults at Thurman Flats Campground on May 27 about animals found in the area; Marion Bailey led a walk up Whispering Pines Trail on May 24th interpreting how plants and animals adapt to the ecosystem; and Karen Saffle has led June Saturday walks on the Whispering Pines and Ponderosa trails. Many requests have been made for programs: Camp Edwards, six evening programs; Sylvan Park Day Camp, Redlands; Ontario Recreation Department at Greyback Amphitheater. So you can see that more volunteers are needed to help fulfill this significant offering by SGVA. Please call Sheila McMahon, 909-683-8850, if you can and wish to participate. Sheila reminds you of the special programs at Barton Flats Visitor Center: June 28, 1:00 p.m. by John Klotz; July 26 at 1:00 p.m. by Oscar Clarke.
The SGVA volunteers truly met the challenge and turned out to work on approximately three miles of trail from Coon Creek Road group cabin up the trail to Heart Bar Creek Trail. Twenty-eight SGVA and Forest trail leaders Jeannette Granger and Ann Barz, with their six team members, were able to leapfrog along the trail and complete all that was planned. At lunchtime, the ever-faithful equestrians arrived carrying cold drinks and lots of encouragement: Val Silva, Ross Stark, Barbara and Steve Oshe, and Nancy Haggard. When the workers arrived at the end of their day, they were met by Danny Silva and Mary Stark with ice cream! A true definition of the meaning "the Good Humor" man (and woman). Volunteers were: Mel Amerman, John Dombrowski, Pilar Ellis, Roger Gossett, Mary Hart, Bill Hedekin, Malena Heinzen, Ira Kaufman, Pete King, Janelle Kotzin, Ed Laag, Jaimie LaPointe, Kim Maes, Cindy and Joe McGregor, Mike and Diane Murphy, Bill Ostic, Dan, Diane, Louis, and Dan Jr. Riley, Linda Salem, Ted Schofield, Bill Tibbitts, Matthew and Steven Vanderberg, and Jarome Wilson.
Adopt-A-Highway At last, the "picker-uppers" were rewarded with 11 bags of goodies: hubcaps, snow chain parts, beer cans, etc. Workers on June 13th were: Giddy Denver, Del Hawkins, Margaret and Chuck Phelps, Earl Rider and John Sprik (Earl’s grandson),Val and Danny Silva, Mary and Ross Stark, and leaders Joe and Cindy McGregor. The most excitement occurred when Chuck and Ross both spotted the dollar bill… Ross is still sporting several bruises in his loss to Chuck! Cindy reminds volunteers that the next day to search for your fortune will be August 8th at 9:30, Heart Bar Fire Station.
Tick/Fly Spray 2 cups white vinegar 1 cup Avon Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil
This homemade spray doesn’t contain aerosols to pollute the environment nor chemicals to contaminate the ground. Animals and people don’t mind getting sprayed, it smells good, and it is very effective.
Snow Report Full snow at 8,500-9,000' on Forsee Creek Trail. Dry Lake is full to the brim again and will overflow during the summer. Trails are still covered above Dry Lake. So far, everyone is safe and being very careful with the excess snow on the trails. Keep up the good work!!! [From Roger Gossett)
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