The. Oasis.

Transcription

1 The Oasis VOLUMN 9 ISSUE 11 November, 2008 PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA General Meeting Presentations November 19, Rob Howard, Mount San Jacinto State Park, will present a Power Point program on the trails and wildlife of Mount San Jacinto State Park. December 17, Morgan Levine from Desert Adventures will speak on the Cahuilla culture here in the Coachella Valley. January 21, Jim Cornett M.S., Ecological Consultant, Palm Springs. One of California s best known naturalists, Cornett is the author of 22 books, numerous scientific and popular articles and a weekly newspaper column. He is currently conducting research on the ecology of the Joshua tree, the desert fan palm and the Greater Roadrunner. Dear Bruce: We are so proud and thankful for all your hard work and the success you achieved during your tenure as President of the Great Outdoors - Palm Springs Chapter. Please accept our heartfelt thanks -- and congratulations -- to you - who volunteered so much of your time and successfully led our organization for the past 4 years. Words of appreciation hardly seem enough, in light of what you have accomplished!! We ALL are grateful for everything you've done. You are a leader and a mentor but, most importantly - you are a friend. Enjoy this much deserved break. Our Traditional Holiday Potluck Party will be held on Sunday, December 14 from 6 to 9 pm his year s holiday party is a potluck affair. Members and T guests are requested to bring their favorite main entrees, side dishes, salads or desserts. Great Outdoors will provide plates, napkins, cups, cutlery, water, soft drinks and ice. People may bring their own beverages if they wish. This is a free event for Great Outdoors Palm Springs members. Guests are invited, but need to make a $3.00 donation. We will have a white elephant gift exchange. (Please limit items to $10.00 or under). Those who bring a wrapped gift will then be allowed to receive one from Santa. Time: 6:00 to 9:00 pm Place: Palm Springs View Estates Date: Sunday, December 14 Directions: From Palm Springs: Go east on Hwy Turn left on Golf Club Drive. Go 2 blocks and make a right on Bolero to the guard house. Continue until you reach club house on right. Lick and Stick Date and time will be sent out through our Yahoo Groups mailing. Keith Norris North Hampton Ave. Cathedral City Snacks and refreshments will be served. The Lick and Stick is to prepare the Palm Springs Chapter s newsletter for mailing. The General Meeting is at Desert Pride Center, Palm Springs The meeting day, is the third Wednesday of the month, November 19, from 7:45 to 9:00 pm. The Core Group meets from 6:30-7:30 PM. (business meeting) The Center s address is 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Unit A., Palms Springs, CA.

2 Hop-A-Long Cassidy Trail: Palm Desert Tuesday November 9:00 am Length: 6 miles round trip. Hiking time: 2 hours Elevation gain: 800 feet Difficulty: Easy/moderate Return at: 1:00 pm Trip leader: Montie Meet at Hunters with water and a snack as there is no shade on this trail. Most hikes meet in front of HUNTER S on Arenas Road, Palm Springs, unless otherwise specified. Bring plenty of water and a snack or lunch. Welcome New Members Gary Dahlstrom Pete Grabenstetter Steven Williams Murray Canyon Trail, Saturday, November 22 at 9:00 AM The trail goes south from Andreas Canyon before heading southwest up Murray Canyon. There may be some water in the creek, but we should be able to cross it easily unless we have some heavy rain shortly before the hike. There are nearly a dozen stream crossings because this scenic canyon is relatively narrow. The trail ends at a pool below some small waterfalls. After we leave Murray Canyon, those who are interested, can tour Andreas Canyon, which is a short, easy two mile hike. If there is time and interest, some of us may check out Palm Canyon, with its hundreds of palms, from the Trading Post. Length: 5 miles Hiking time: 3 hours Elevation gain: 400 feet Difficulty: Moderate Return at: 1:00 PM or later if you choose to visit other canyons Hike Leader: Bruce Note: There is an $8.00 admission fee to Indian Canyons ($6.00 for seniors). End of summer pool party Thanks to Scott for the use of his home, to Ed and Peter for flipping the hamburgers and to the approximately 60 people for attending.

3 Game n;ig;ht November 6:00 pm Keith Norris North Hampton Ave. Cathedral City Telephone: Bring a potluck dish or snack to share, your beverage and any table games you wish to play. Directions: From Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road, take Date Palm Drive northward, towards the I-10 Freeway. Turn right onto 30 th Avenue and continue east, passing the James Workman School. After crossing Santoro, look for and take the first street on the right, named Mansfield, then turn left onto Northhampton Avenue. Seek the 5 th house on the left hand side of the street with the red desert landscaping, water fountain and the American flag over the driveway. Our chapter is always looking for Game Night Hosts. Please call Bill if interested. Wednesday, November 12 Meet at Hunter s at 6:00 PM Ron Gilbert rbgilbert@gmail.com Moonlight Hike Carpool to the Coachella Valley Preserve on 1000 Palms Canyon Road. We'll hike the Pushawalla Ridge trail which includes a short but steep climb to get us up on a ridge with great 360 degree views of Coachella Valley. Total hiking distance is about 3 miles or so. We shouldn't need to use flashlights to see our way, but bring one along in case of emergency and of course, water. Croquet Hosted by Evan Van Antwerp Sunday, November 3:00 pm 3111 E. Loma Vista Circle Palm Springs CA From Ramon turn south on El Cielo pass through Mesquite and Bel Aire Green on the right, Tahquitz Creek golf course on the west, 4 streets on your right, Cambridge N., Cambridge S., Sonora Rd, & turn right on Loma Vista Circle. House is end of cul de sac on the left. From E. Palm Canyon drive turn north on Escoba Drive. Go two blocks and turn left on El Cielo. It s four streets up on the left. Croquet Master Gardner Pond will be present to answer any questions and give instruction if needed. Water and soda provided.

4 Great Outdoors For your safety, as well as the safety of others, here is a short list of the equipment you should have on your 4x4. Seat belts for all passengers CB radio (we use channel 20) Full size spare & suitable jack Palm Springs 4 x 4 & Camping Information? Yahoo Group at: Fire extinguisher Tow strap (no metal hook) Tow attachment FRONT and REAR. Very important! Reliable 4 WD vehicle with 2 speed transfer case Anti-sway bar, disconnected (Trails rated 2 and above on the 4+ scale rating system. ) Desert Survival and Search & Rescue were the topics of our program speaker for October. Joseph Aguanno, Palm Springs Mounted Police Search & Rescue opened the presentation with a short video of some local search and rescue operations. Joe provided a brief history of the organization from its beginning in 1949 and explained why the organization retains the title of Mounted Police Search & Rescue, even though no horses are used as all operations are technical in nature. All of the members are volunteers and represent a variety of vocations in the community. One topic of discussion was the cost of rescues and the issue of reimbursement. He explained the procedures and the reason why most organizations do not require restitution. Joe is the Assistant Principal at Palm Springs High School as well as a Sergeant with the Palm Springs Police Reserve Office. Joe described some our local trails and pointed out that the Palms to Pines from the Coachella Valley floor to the Tram is rated as the second most difficult trail in the lower 48 states, second only to Mount Whitney. Another topic of discussion was how experienced hikers get into trouble on the trail (and there are many). Joe described a personal experience involving an operation where they were hiking when the air temperature exceeded the body temperature and how one can get into some serious problems with dehydration, even though you think you are drinking lots of water. He discussed some common mistakes and how to avoid them. He provided information on types of clothing for hot climate versus cold climate and how to protect yourself in the hot desert environment. Do you know how to make a desert still? Joe showed us how a black plastic bag and a small container can be used to distill pure water from mineral saturated desert plants Joe described some of the difficulties and procedures involved in a recent high profile technical rescue, providing some interesting insight and details. In conclusion, Joe distributed a desert survival scenario. This was a self test used to evaluate our what if situations such as whether to try to walk out or stay at your failure site. The exercise included a list of items present and evaluation as to their usefulness for survival. The exercise included a chart for days of expected survival in the desert, comparing no walking at all and walking at night with maximum daily temperatures; very interesting! The search & rescue operation is funded by donations and merchandise sales at the Village Feast. Stop by their booth sometime and thank them for all their work and dedication. Tecopa Hot Springs Campout/4x4 Robert getting winched by Ed after getting stuck in deep sand.

5 HIKING ALONG THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT Explore a desert badlands and the strange and eerie world of the San Andreas Fault. You will be entertained and enthralled as your expert naturalist guides bring the desert and its geology and history to life. You will hike in and over slot canyons on the fault. You will see anticlines, synclines and entire mountains heaved upward. Hills of fault gauge [ground up rock] clearly mark the path of destruction along the fissure. Learn how tectonic forces created the slanted, vertical and wavelike structures that have been described as the most tortured landscape on earth. Your hiking adventure will also take you to a natural palm oasis where you can peer into a large crevice in the earth with water bubbling up out of the desert and to a culturally and historically accurate recreation of a Cahuilla Indian Village that sits on a registered archeological site Slot canyon on the fault where Cahuilla villages existed thousands of years ago. The village includes a depiction of the water manipulation practiced by the tribe, a ceremonial house and kishes. A short walk brings you to a large metate [grinding stone] that overlooks the Village offering an incredible view of the Coachella Valley. Access is restricted to this private 1000 acre area; therefore the fee for access and guide. Sign up early as hike is limited to a maximum of 20. Cost: $35.00 per Great Outdoors member. Non member: $40.00 Hike: Easy, 3 hours. Bring your lunch. Date: Thursday, December 4, 2008 Meet: PetsMart Parking lot (WalMart Center) Ramon/Crossley at 8:45AM for car pooling departure at 9 AM to the trail head. Contact or questions: Scott sconnelly@dc.rr.com Mail in your reservation and check payable to Great Outdoors: Registration for December 04, 2008 hike at Wilhelm Metate Canyon Ranch Name: Name: Enclosed is $ for hike/tour $35.00 each for members and $40.00 each for non members. Mail to: Great Outdoors P.O. Box 361 Palm Springs, CA 92263

6 Keys Ranch and Barker Dam Thursday, January 8, 2009 In the high desert country that was to become Joshua Tree National Park, rugged individuals tried their luck at cattle ranching, mining, and homesteading. William F. Keys and his family are particularly representative of the hard work and ingenuity it took to settle and prosper in the Mojave Desert. The ranger-guided tour of the ranch includes the colorful story of the 60 years Bill and Frances spent working together to make a life and raise their five children in this remote location. The ranch house, school house, store, and workshop still stand; the orchard has been replanted and the grounds are full of the cars, trucks, mining equipment and spare parts that are a part of the Desert Queen Ranch story. Visiting the ranch listed as a National Historic Register Site, the property is located in a remote, rocky canyon in Joshua Tree National Park. To preserve its historic character, admission to the ranch is restricted to guided walking tours. The tours are a half-mile in length and last 90 minutes. Group size is limited to 25 people. After the ranch tour we will hike the Barker Dam 1 mile trail loop. Meet: Hunter s 8:15 AM for 8:30 AM carpool departure to Joshua Tree Park. Bring a lunch and water for the trail. Contact: Scott sconnelly@dc.rr.com Deadline for sign up is December 8, 2008 Name: Name: Enclosed is $ for hike/tour reservation. Senior (62) 2.50 Adult 5.00 Non members add $3.00 Mail to: Great Outdoors PO Box 361 Palm Springs, Ca 92263

7 November Events Palm Springs 5 Game Night 6:00 pm 7 Mojave Road Trip 11 Hop-A-Long Cassidy 9:00 am 12 Moonlight Hike 6:00 pm 19 General Meeting 7:45 pm 22 Murray Canyon 9:00 am 27 Anza-Borrego OC/LB Thanksgiving campout 30 Croquet 3:00 pm _ Core Group President Peter Worline president-ps@greatoutdoors.org Vice President of Outings Keith Norris outings-ps@greatoutdoors.org Treasurer Game Night Coordinator Bill McPike treasurer-ps@greatoutdoors.org Secretary Scott Connelly secretary-ps@greatoutdoors.org Non-Members: We will add you to our newsletter mailing list free of charge for 3 months. Please note, however, that a two dollar fee will be charged on day hikes, 4x4 outings and moonlight hikes. When it s time to renew your membership, please turn in the form with your payment. It is extremely important! Proposed schedule of activities The yearly schedule of activities is subject to change, so please check the newsletter or web site for the most up-to-date information about the chapter s activities. In addition there is always room to add new activities, so if you are interested in leading a hike, a camping trip, 4x4 or another outing, please Articles for this newsletter should be submitted as Microsoft Word attachments via by the 15th of the month to: newsletter@dc.rr.com If you wish to purchase advertising space in The Oasis please submit your inquiries to: Patrick at the above address. Ads should be submitted in jpg Board Representative Cliff boardrep-ps@greatoutdoors.org Newsletter Publisher/Editor Patrick McNeil newsletter-ps@greatoutdoors.org Copy Editor Richard Cabitto newsletter-ps@greatoutdoors.org Membership Coordinator (open) Web Site Administrator Ed Emond webmaster-ps@greatoutdoors.org

8 Great Outdoors sounds great! How do I join? Simply fill out this form and send it in. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES Newsletter Format: e-newsletter or Snail-mail Name Address City State ZIP Phone By joining Great Outdoors and/or attending the club s events, I acknowledge that in order for Great Outdoors to assume full legal responsibility it would have to charge higher fees than it does now. I waive the right to ever lay claim for injuries I might suffer before, during or after any Great Outdoors event. My guests will agree to these principles in writing before attending events. Signature Date Send this form and check made payable to: GREAT OUTDOORS P.O. Box 361 Palm Springs CA QUESTIONS? Write us at: info-ps@greatoutdoors.org Great Outdoors Palm Springs PO BOX 361 Palm Springs, CA November, 2008 Address Correction Requested $25 Regular $20 Senior (60 years or older) $45 Couple ($40 2 Seniors) If you are renewing enter your membership #