Trails and Tales. News for VIP Volunteers in the Montane Sector June 2011

Transcription

1 Trails and Tales News for VIP Volunteers in the Montane Sector June 2011 CALLING ALL VOLUNTEEERS As you probably know, our gift store eventually took up the entire bottom floor of the Dyar house. Then it got burned out and we ve morphed from the ashes to our current location. These retail sales and benefit rides are CRSPIA s main fundraisers. Almost all monetary intake is passed through to Park projects, thus full filling CRSPIA s mission as a cooperating association. Due to attrition the Store has been struggling for some time to get enough volunteers to keep it open on both Saturday and Sunday. In the past we have had the help of Camp Hosts, but it seems that the recession has even had and negative effect on how many people can afford that life style any more. Sooooo, if you are thinking of hanging up your spurs, parking your bike or hiking boots, why not stay active in the Park another way? Come and volunteer in the Store. Include other too. Do you have family, friends, or coworkers who are not as physically active as you but always ask about and seem interested in your VIP Events July- MAU Benefit Ride 1

2 Submit articles and photos To Between the 20 th and the last day of the month. Later is better than earlier. Thank you for your patience. Park experiences? Bring them along. It s fun and easy to work in the Store: Training and hand holding provided One day a month 10-4 (or more if you like) No uniform required Identifying vest supplied All Volunteer benefits apply The State requires some forms and a live scan finger printing (No cost to volunteers) Without more help we will not be able to keep the Store open both Saturday and Sunday in the future. CRSP just dodged the CLOSED PERMANENTLY sign so please come help us really keep it OPEN for our visitors. Please Barb McCoy at bmccoy2008@yahoo.com 2

3 Check the trail report before going on patrol! MBAU Article by Phil Ohme As part of May training, MBAU had their unit meeting where we welcomed 3 brand-new trainees: Bryan, Nick, and Charlotte. We also discussed the st Annual Benefit Bike Ride on Oct. 9, at Los Vaqueros. It s all hands on deck for this, including the bamboozling of prizes from bike shops and really any place that will help us for the opportunity drawing. All biking, hiking, and mounted friends are welcome! We also vehemently discussed seniority and were surprised to find out that some had been with MBAU for over 20 years, while some just started this month. Mountain bike patrolling is a tough gig, and we debated the merits of so-called "honorary/inactive/emeritus 3

4 membership". It may be needed to stave off the burn-out demeanor, or it could just be bogus--you make the call. Did you know that MBAU is fully into social networks and Friend/follow us! We need both friends and followers so that we do not appear as the losers that some may come to believe! 4

5 Speaking of being social, we love serving in the Visitor Center! Goal is that every single one of us has our 6 hours in well before Feb Those visitor center workers are just too sweet to pass up hanging out with. The stuffed mountain lion is way scarier than your hair after taking off the helmet. And why not give the bobcat a high-five? (See picture below for this to make sense...) 5

6 MAU Trails & Tales by Suzie Kirkwood We had a very interesting park training day last month, followed by our annual unit meeting and very productive patrol camp clean up. Our camps are starting out the season in the best shape ever, thanks to everyone s help! Thank you! Congratulations to our new and returning Advisory Committee members: Maggie Benfante, Michelle Erikson and myself with Traci Smith as our Alternate. I was reelected as Unit Coordinator. I really appreciate the support of our members and their confidence in me. Thank you. Photo by Ron Halliburton Unfortunately, our MAU safety training scheduled for last month was cancelled at the last minute due to concerns over an outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus. We re-scheduled for October 8 and 9. Planning for our Benefit Ride on July 31st is in full swing. All MAU members should be seeking raffle prize donations. We need members to post the flyers in their local areas too. All other unit members are welcome to come and help out on the day of the ride, or just come to enjoy our dinner and raffle. I recently ed information about the Odwalla Plant a Tree Program. Be sure to follow the link to the Odwalla website to cast your vote for Cuyamaca. On Memorial Day I had the immense pleasure of hiking up Stonewall Peak Trail with our two grandsons, ages 8 and 10. (See photo to the left) This was their first time attempting the peak, and we made it! We had lots of company on the trail and at the peak too. I ve never seen so many 6

7 people up there! It was so good to see so many children of all ages, including babies in carriers and very young kids. One visitor who had carried her baby in a carrier all the way to the peak told me she was there with her husband, children, mother and two brothers. She said her husband had camped in the park as a child. Our park has a history with many local families. It s wonderful that folks are coming back to visit their old friend. The park has a history with all of us and aren t we all so lucky to be volunteers in this park! The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time. ~Henry David Thoreau Photo submitted by Joy and Ron Halliburton IAU Article by Marc Arnt One of my favorite local birds is the Acorn Woodpecker. Don't know why exactly, but I think their method of storing acorns in holes they've pecked into trees struck me when I was a Sixth-Grade camper at Camp Cuyamaca. Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), inhabit a range from southern Washington down to northern Baja California, as well as Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and down through mainland Mexico. They prefer oakpine woodlands, mostly in the mountains. Acorn Woodpeckers do not migrate, hence the food storage adaptation. 7

8 Something I didn't know until I was researching this entry is Acorn Woodpeckers live in a fairly complex family group. The group can consist of two or more breeding adults, non-breeding adults, various-aged young, and all feed, breed, raise young, and gather and store food communally. In fact eggs are laid and tended in a communal nest. The group will guard their territory, and will often have a single tree in which they store their acorns; known as a granary. A single granary may contain tens of thousands of acorns. The acorns themselves are placed individually into a hole drilled into the tree. Acorn Woodpeckers also feed on insects (including aerial flycatching), sap, and fruits. Nests are typically a cavity in the trunk or branch of a tree, the only other structure being a wood-chip lining in the bottom. Both males and females help construct the nest, and in the case of more than one breeding female in a family group, all females lay their eggs in a communal nest. If the females are not laying at the same time, the late breeders will destroy eggs already laid, until they themselves are ready to lay. Apparently a 30% survival rate for eggs is not uncommon in this situation. Breeding pairs, as well as nonbreeding adults, raise the chicks communally. Acorn Woodpeckers grow to about 9 inches. Their red cap begins at the white of their forehead, and covers to the back of the head. A white belly and black back, in addition to the white eye surrounded by black should be enough for a positive ID. Similar in appearance and overlapping in range are Nuttall's Woodpeckers, which have obvious white streaks in their black back, a smaller red cap, and dark eyes. The species is strong and the population is stable. There aren't any concerns for its survival at this time. The local mountains host a variety of woodpeckers, and they're not hard to find, or observe. Thanks to Whatbird.com, Birding.com, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology for information. 8

9 Acorn Woodpecker photo by Marc Arndt 9

10 Little writing for Trail and Tales by Bob Nuttmann Two "Joys" From Opening Day "Opening Day" for the Saturday hikes at Paso occurred yesterday. I have been looking forward to it for a couple of weeks. The last couple of years it is my official opening of the summer season. That is significant because I used to think San Diego was all one big good season. But as I get older and actually pay attention to the subtleties of the weather I find that we really do have a summer season and that it is a very good time. The 9am hike began for me at 8:45am when I arrived in the parking lot and there were about 3 volunteers and 2 waiting to go with us. While I was waiting for the rest of the people I could not but notice that the several large tall trees immediately to the west of the staging area where we all meet for the hikes was noisy and full of activity. On closer inspection it turns out about acorn woodpeckers were having a splendid time. They were also celebrating the opening day of the summer season. Since we usually open the 9am hikes talking about the many woodpecker hole tree right there in the picnic area, finding the birds that made those holes massed for opening day at the opening hour was an auspicious beginning. It has to be a "sign", right. So Jean and her volunteers plus over 30 who had joined us for the walk received a treat to open their and our adventure. For our visitors mostly used to city birds the woodpeckers put on a show. Tip of the month: Leaves of three, Let them be! Courtesy of Google images The regular distance of the hike which ends at the mortero rock went without incident. The water which we had worried might be too high to cross in fact was crossable. No rattlesnakes appeared. We even had cool breezes to make it a perfect hiking day. As is my custom I walked a bit further along the trail with several volunteers and a couple of 10

11 hikers not tired when the main group returned from where they came. We stopped at the namesake of the azalea trail about a 1/2 mile from the morteros. While azaleas might be common wild in some places like Louisiana and Mississippi they are not in Southern California. We have compensated by planting them in our gardens. I have a couple. Our garden variety azaleas are bred for color and bloom. But many have lost their scent. Not so for the wonderful wild azaleas in our park. Our wild ones have an absolutely glorious bouquet of strong and intoxicating fragrance that I discovered for myself several years ago. What I can report is that the creek side azaleas on the trail at Paso are getting ready to put on their show, but are a couple of weeks away from their performance. It is something not to miss if you can possibly get there. I know I will. Don't wait too long though as they only last a couple of weeks. Photo submitted by Joy and Ron Halliburton on behalf of Peggy?? 11

12 TRAILS MAINTENANCE UNIT by Dave McClure Already it's June and summer and the attendant hot weather will soon be upon us. Our Wednesday crews have gotten pretty well caught up with the fallen trees and we are now able to react fairly quickly to any new reports. A reminder; when reporting fallen trees, please try to give us as exact a location as possible. Also please report the size of the tree so that we know what type of equipment we have to carry with us. We are back on full, weekly schedule with our Saturday crews. Our Saturday crews will be focusing mostly on Ceanothus trimming. And finally, another huge shout out to our MAU trail crew, Ron and Erin Robillard. Ron and Erin have been clearing many fallen trees and doing a large amount of brush clearing in the back stretches of the Park where it is difficult and time consuming for our trail crews to hike to. Give both of them a big Thanks when you see them. We are noticing Poison Oak in abundance this year. It is growing very close to many fire roads Photo by Larry Linders and trails. Right now it is very easy to spot and stay clear of, but as it matures it will get a little more difficult to see. The worst infestation is along Fern Flat Fire Road between the dog-leg curve and the C-11 trail junction. We have been doing some eradication along there as time permits, but we have only one volunteer who is certified to do this type of eradication. So we will be getting to it as we can, but it will be an all summer project. 12

13 Photo of caterpillars on Ceanothus by Arianna Russo Another pest has returned. Yes, the stinging caterpillars are back. We are not seeing them in the quantities that we saw last year, but there are some local infestations. Most of what we have seen so far is in the Middle Peak area. If you are hiking or riding through overgrown Ceanothus, be sure to immediately check yourself for hitchhikers. Photo by Larry Linders 13

14 Photo by Larry Linders There is heavy equipment in use in several areas of the park. A tree planting project is in progress on the west side of middle peak. This is involving the use of large motorized construction vehicles to tear out and grind up the Ceonothus. Also, re-grading is now in progress on the Springs Fire Road between the Peak Road and the reservoir. After this is completed, the grading equipment will be moved down to Green Valley and work will commence on Arroyo Seco Fire Road. The work is being done on weekdays, so if you are out for your ride or hike on Saturday or Sunday, things should be quiet. But be on the lookout and stay clear of all construction activities. I have been asked by District Maintenance Staff to remind everyone of the destructive nature of home built "bridges" that are used to walk across drainages. Nobody likes to walk in mud and water and get your expensive hiking shoes wet and muddy. The natural inclination is to construct a quick bridge out of sticks, rocks and branches. These bridges, unfortunately, also act as dams and the drainage that you just walked across will now start to back up onto the trail or road. The water then runs down the trail to the next low spot and erosion now ensues. If you must build a bridge to walk across drainage, please dismantle it after you cross. We thank you for your attention to this matter. Finally, I enjoyed talking with so many of you at the Annual Training. I do want to remind you that if there is a special Trails Project that you would like to have done and can round up a few people to do it, we will provide the tools and safety gear. We will also provide a trained supervisor and safety supervision for your project. Please contact me (my contact info is below in the Monthly TMU Schedule) if there is something your group would like to do. 14

15 Please consider joining us for a Saturday "Fun 'n' Work" trail project. We always have a good time and do manage to get some trail work done in the process. The June schedule is at the end of this Newsletter. Three Amigos Photo by Larry Linders 15

16 CUYAMACA RANCHO & PALOMAR MOUNTAIN STATE PARKS Trails Maintenance Unit Schedule for JUNE, 2011 Cuyamaca Rancho State Park We meet at the Paso Picacho Maintenance Yard at 8:00am. Our volunteer Hosts for each Saturday are as follows: Saturday, June 5: Niels and Garrett Saturday, June 11: Oscar Saturday, June 18: Reeve and Georgia Saturday, June 25: Milo and Janet Pre-registration is not necessary. Just show up at 8am. Palomar Mountain State Park If you are interested in volunteering at Palomar Mountain State Park, please contact Rick Barclay for times, dates and meeting location (his contact information is below). ================================================== =========== 16

17 Inclement Weather Reminder - For safety reasons, we cannot do trail work in the rain and we will cancel the Saturday work party on any day that it is raining. If it is raining Friday evening or Saturday morning, you may safely assume that Trail Work has been cancelled for that day. I will the TMU mailing list on Friday evening if any event has to be cancelled. Summer Weather Reminder - spring has sprung, fall has fallen, summer's here and it's as hot as usual. Please remember to bring plenty of drinking water (or a big canteen or bottle and fill it at the park). A 1L bottle will not be enough water for 4 hours in the sun. Also, sunscreen and a nice floppy hat are highly recommended. Pesky Critters Reminder - Although they are not a huge issue, we do occasionally pick up Ticks. We recommend light colored clothing, which makes it easier to see if you have picked up any hitchhikers. Also, an insect repellant that is specifically marked for Ticks is useful. I use "OFF Deep Woods". CONTACTS: Rick Barclay -- barclay_zone@yahoo.com Dave McClure -- dmmcclure@cox.net CRSP Park Headquarters (weekdays only) Paso Picacho Kiosk (for weekends) Green Valley Kiosk Photo by Darla Winland 17