Chapter Outing Leader s Newsletter San Diego Chapter, Sierra Club Winter, 2007 Editor: Al Hofstatter

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1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Chapter Outing Leader s Newsletter San Diego Chapter, Sierra Club Winter, 2007 Editor: Al Hofstatter Page New Leaders 1 Chairman s Corner 2 Editor s Corner 3 Important Data For Leaders, where to publish. 3 Important Dates and Information 6 First Aid 7 Waiver of Liability & Sign In 8 Incident Report 9 Maintain Database Accuracy 9 Articles 10 Next Meeting 18 Minutes of October 30, 2006 Meeting 13 Outing Committee Members List 19 Next Outings Committee meeting Monday, January 29, 2007 at 5:45 PM. Outing leaders and trainees are always welcome to attend. See page 18. AGENDA, next meeting: 2006 End of Year Financial Statement, 2007 Bus Trips, Wilderness Basic Course s Status for 2007, National Leader Training New Leaders by Jim McCleary Since the publication of the Spring 2006 newsletter, the following persons have been awarded new leadership ratings. Congratulations to all of them for a job well done, and many thanks to the persons who spent time and effort training, evaluating and assisting them. Chapter Outing Leader I: (none) Chapter Outing Leader II: ( none ) If you think that your name should be here and it is not, please contact: Jim McCleary, COL Database Coordinator, at or jim@jimmc.com If you have trouble with the COL website, please Jim McCleary at jim@jimmc.com or call him at This newsletter is distributed free of charge four times per year to local Sierra Club outings leaders by Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter, 3820 Ray Street, San Diego, CA COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 1

2 CHAIR S CORNER We have closed another great year for the San Diego Chapter Outings Program. To all of you Outings Leaders: Thank you for doing an outstanding job. Without all of you, we wouldn t have a great Chapter Outings Program. You have led approximately 850 outings this year and that is most noteworthy. Please keep up the great work. A special thank you is in order to the Outings Committee that oversees the Outings Program. I am extremely pleased to be able to work with such a dedicated staff of Sierra Club volunteers. Your hard work and dedication to the Outings Program is greatly appreciated Many thanks go to Tom Markle and his training staff for the conduct of COL I Training and for conducting the COL II Training this past October while Bob Stinton was recovering from surgery. We really appreciate the hard work and dedication of Tom Markle, Al Hofstatter and Bob Stinton in the training of our COLs. Dr. John Plander coordinated the Wilderness First Aid course this past October and had an outstanding student attendance and exceptional gormet food for the participants. We want to offer many thanks to John and his food staff for a great weekend. We are looking forward to another exciting year ahead of us for our Outings Program. Mike Fry and his Ski Organization have a lot of excellent ski trips scheduled this winter. The bus trip program is well underway with planning for the trips this coming year. Please contact Mike Fry if you are interested in leading or assisting any of the bus trip backpacks or if you would like to be a Bus Trip Coordinator. Additional information on the planned trips will be provided in the March/April HiSierran. The Wilderness Basics Courses in San Diego and North County are all set for another great year and will commence classes in January. Thank you to those dedicated staff members and leaders who make these excellent courses possible. Congratulations go to Ellen Shively who received the Silver Cup Award at the Chapter Awards Gala 2006 on December 2, Congratulations also go to Jim McCleary, Karen Smith and Bob Smillie who received Outings Activist Awards. Again, thanks go to all of you who participate in the Outings Program for you make it an exceptional organization. I hope all of you have a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Sincerely, Jim Matlock Outings Chair COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 2

3 EDITOR S CORNER Articles and data to be included in the next issue must be submitted by March 15, Mail your originally authored articles to Al Hofstatter, Fairbrook Rd., San Diego, CA , send to alnahof@sbcglobal.net E- Mail is greatly preferred! Please, avoid attachments, if possible. IN THIS ISSUE: The symbol +C on the left margin of a line indicates an important change in information. We should be concerned about the SDG&E proposal to build the SUNRISE POWERLINK across the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Cleveland National Forest. Please read Kelly Fuller s article on page 10. If you agree that this transmission line s location is a mistake, see the web links at the end of the article to get more involved. It s WBC time again. See the schedules for the outings on Page 6. Happy Trails Al Hofstatter Editor LOOK FOR CHANGES HERE indicated by +c HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR OUTINGS/ACTIVITIES Hi Sierran deadlines: --- For the March-April issue, January 31, For the May-June issue, March 31, 2007 Hi Sierran OUTINGS Sixty-five (65) word limit on write-ups, not including header. Send write-ups in ONE of the following ways: 1. to Lynn Nebus at hiknfun@cox.net, with a copy to HiSierranOutingsEditor@sierraclubsandiego.org This is the preferred method!!! NOTE: Do not send attachments!!! Copy the write-up directly into the . Please. COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 3

4 If not using , then Do NOT FAX Hi-Sierran outings submissions to the chapter office. Instead, call Lynn Nebus ( ) to notify her that you are sending a submission via USPS mail, and then send to: Lynn Nebus, 4645 Mississippi Street #2, San Diego, CA Restricted trips (technical rock and snow or ice where an ice axe or crampons are used) should be sent to: Byron Cook PO Box San Diego, CA bdc@wwc.com Hi Sierran ACTIVITIES Send activity announcements and corrections to Sharon Taylor-Huppert by ONE of the following methods: 1. to HiSierranActivitiesEditor@sierraclubsandiego.org 2. Mail to 3820 Ray Street, San Diego, CA Attn: Hi Sierran 3. Call Ruth at for more information * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Happenings (Sierra Singles) OUTINGS The deadline for receipt of all "The Happenings!" outings is the first of the month prior to publication. For example, submissions for the Nov/Dec issue must be received by Oct 1. Only is accepted. No faxes or pickup at the Chapter office are allowed. The description is limited to 100 words. Descriptions of more than 100 words will be subject to editing. Any event that appears in the Hi Sierran or other publication must be noted, for example, "Open to the main chapter." Submissions may not be published if they conflict with the bylaws of the Sierra Club at National, State, Chapter or Section level. Any outing submitted may be published on the public Sierra Singles web site. If the web version of the event is to be different than "The Happenings" version, a web version must also be submitted. The Outings Chair encourage you to submit your events and outings as soon as possible, so "The Happenings!" can get out on time. Thank you! Send your outings via to Tina Pollock, tinapollock@gmail.com. outings may also be published on the 1st or 15th of the month. Please send outings for publication by the 25th or 10th previous to the 1st or 15th of the month. Send Sierra Singles outings by ONE of the following methods 1. to: tinapollock@gmail.com 2. Hand-deliver at Singles Section COL meeting. The next meeting date & details in Happenings. 3. No FAX, no Express Mail, no pickups at the Sierra Club office!!!!! You need to talk to Tina? Happenings (Sierra Singles) ACTIVITIES Send activity announcements to Sierra Singles by the following method 1. to Doug Nolff < dnolff@san.rr.com > NO attachments, please Add, Open to Main Chapter in the write-up, if published somewhere besides Happenings. COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 4

5 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 20s & 30s Single Sierrans OUTINGS Our newsletter deadline is the 15 th of each odd-numbered month (Jan, March, May, July, etc.). We need COL s of any age to lead hikes, backpacks and car camps for us!! Please indicate if the outing is open to another section or the main chapter. Send write-ups by ONE of the following methods: 1. to: 20s30s-outings@sandiego.sierraclub.org 2. Hand deliver at a 20s-30s planning meetings. 3. Mail to: 20s and 30s Single Sierrans Outings, PO Box San Diego, CA s & 30s accepts outings submissions for immediate posting on their list subject to certain restrictions. Contact: Brain Schalcosky, schalcosky@gmail.com the Outings Chair, for more information. ON-LINE INFORMATION FOR COL S THE OUTING LEADERS EXTRA NET This is your website for all Sierra Club information. The URL is The ID/password will seldom change and is intended to be easy to remember. ID = clubhouse password = explore If you find that you forget the id/password, just go to the Clubhouse homepage and there will be instructions on how to get the ID/password. Please note that many browsers (including Microsoft's Internet Explorer) allow you save the password by checking a box after you enter the ID/password the first time. COL WEB SITE Information for San Diego COL s: Here you can see the latest posting to the site filled with interesting or useful info. Also, update your COL data. There are links to useful Sierra Club forms. COL DISCUSSION GROUP This is open only to COLs and trainees. Discuss or inform other COLs of ideas or information interesting to our leaders. Send and to LISTSERV@LISTS.SIERRA CLUB.ORG Leave the subject line blank. Type this exactly in the message part of the e mail. Include your name in the [ ] areas. SUBSCRIBE.SANDIEGO-COLS [ first name] [last name] COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 5

6 You will be sent an when your name is added to the list serve. It will have instructions on how to post messages. Full moons: January 3, February 2, March 3, April 2, 2007 Next COL Newsletter input due: March 15, 2007 SPRING HUNTINGS SEASONS SAN DIEGO COUNTY Turkey Last weekend in March to last weekend in April 2007 Call the local F&G Department for more information or visit the office at 4949 View Ridge Ave, San Diego, CA COL-I TRAINING CLASS The next training class for San Diego Central has not been scheduled. For more information contact Tom Markel at COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 6

7 WILDERNESS BASICS COURSE SAN DIEGO CENTRAL Leaders - Get out your 2007 calendars. Save dates for WBC Outings. First class January 23, 2007 Day hikes January 27 and February 3, 2007 Car Camp February 10/11, 2007 Land Navigation February 24/25, 2007 Mtn.- Desert Backpack March 10/11, 2007 Snow Camp March 23/24/25, 2007 MORE INFO? January 16, 2007 January 20,27,28, 2007 February 2,3, 2007 February 17,18, 2007 March 3,4, 2007 March 17,18, 2007 March 20, 2007 WILDERNESS BASICS COURSE NORTH COUNTY First Class Day Hikes Car Camp, Desert Desert Backpack Mountain Backpack Snow Backpack Last Class MORE INFO? A GOOD LEADER IS PREPARED, ALERT, AND SAFETY CONSCIOUS Keep your First Aid current! Use the Waiver of Liability form on each outing! Know what the rules are for using the Incident Report Form! **FIRST AID** Reimbursement Information and certification COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 7

8 Main Chapter. The Outings Committee will pay for one half the cost of required Standard First Aid Training for Chapter Outings Leaders up to a maximum of $ A leader who takes a regular SFA course from the American Red Cross may be reimbursed by sending a copy of the receipt and the updated SFA card along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Treasurer of the Outings Committee, Gretchen Kozub, 8383 Suntree Place, San Diego, CA Allow up to six weeks for a refund. Trainees must pay the full fee until all requirements for becoming a COL have been successfully completed. Then they may apply for the one half fee reimbursement to the above address. Sierra Singles. They will pay up to half or $25, whichever comes first, for required First Aid certification for NEW leaders only. This reimbursement will be provided only after the leader trainee has led a minimum of 2 hikes for the Singles section and has provided the appropriate receipts to the current Outings Chair. Send a copy of your receipts and a copy of your first aid card to the Outings Coordinator as listed in the current edition of the Happenings! Other sections may also reimburse their leaders. Contact the outings coordinator of your section with questions about this. * * * ---IMPORTANT---* * * * First Aid must be current in order to publish a Sierra Club outing. To keep it current, after completing the training you must SEND a copy of your FIRST AID CARD to the COL database coordinator, Jim McCleary, ATCHISON WAY, VALLEY CENTER CA, or FAX at in order to keep your certification OK. ** SIGN-IN SHEET/LIABILITY WAIVER** 1. Liability Waiver A document that releases the Sierra Club and its leaders from liability for events that happen on an outing. By signing a liability waiver, the participant acknowledges the risks involved in the outing or activity, assumes those risks, and agrees to not hold the Sierra Club and its leaders responsible for injuries and/or death related to the outing or activity. 2. Where and When to Sign- Leaders must ensure that all participants (or legal guardian if the participant is a minor) have ample time to read the liability waiver so outing announcements must refer to the need to sign a liability waiver and how to obtain a copy. Participants should be provided an opportunity to back out of the outing if they decide not to sign the waiver. On most one-day outings, participants should sign the Liability Waiver at the initial trip meeting place. If there is a carpool to the trailhead, participants should sign the waiver before the carpool. However, it is imperative that participants understand that the carpool drive is not part of the Sierra Club outing. 3. Liability Waiver A document that releases the Sierra Club and its leaders from liability for events that happen on an outing. By signing a liability waiver, the participant acknowledges the risks involved in the outing or activity, assumes those risks, and agrees to not COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 8

9 hold the Sierra Club and its leaders responsible for injuries and/or death related to the outing or activity. 4. Where and When to Sign- Leaders must ensure that all participants (or legal guardian if the participant is a minor) have ample time to read the liability waiver so outing announcements must refer to the need to sign a liability waiver and how to obtain a copy. Participants should be provided an opportunity to back out of the outing if they decide not to sign the waiver. On most one-day outings, participants should sign the Liability Waiver at the initial trip meeting place. If there is a carpool to the trailhead, participants should sign the waiver before the carpool. However, it is imperative that participants understand that the carpool drive is not part of the Sierra Club outing. 5. Download the new trip sign-in sheets with the required liability language from the COL web site ( or the Outings Leader Extranet. 6. Make sure your trip participants understand that when they sign the sign-in sheet, they are agreeing to the legal terms and conditions attached. 7. Keep a copy of the sign-in sheet for your records for a minimum of three years. 8. Send the original to the appropriate Outings Chair. The Chair you mail your signin sheet to, will depend on where you published your outing. If your write-up appeared in the Hi Sierran (even if you published in another publication), your sign-in sheet must be mailed to : Jim Matlock Hermosillo Way Poway, CA If you publish only in an individual section s newsletter, such as the Bicycle Section, you will need to forward your sign-in sheets to that section s Outing Chair. **Incident Report Form** THIS FORM HAS BEEN REVISED IN MAY BE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THIS REVISED FORM FROM THE SIERRA CLUB EXTRANET See page. Trip leaders are responsible for reporting all incidents and illnesses promptly after the outing using this Incident Report Form. Failure to report incidents may jeopardize the leader and the Club. During the time of the incident, use the Patient Report or similar medical field assessment form. You can download both the Incident Report and Patient Report from the following extranet site: An Incident Report must be filed for: Any incident that requires search, rescue or evacuation. COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 9

10 Any injury that requires advanced first aid. Any injury or illness that could have future complications or require medical attention after the outing (i.e. animal bite, severe sprain). Any act of suspected sexual harassment or child abuse. Any act that violates the law. An Incident Report does not need to be filed for: Minor injuries such as scratches and blisters. Other personal illnesses that will not likely have future complications even if the illness causes the person to leave the trip. **KEEP THE DATABASE ACCURATE** After you complete an outing, were there any significant changes to the leaders or rating of the outing? If so, you need to send this information to Jim McCleary. For example: * If your write-up said Ass t needed, after the outing send Jim the name of the assistant on the trip. The assistant leader would like to get credit for the trip. * If either the published leader or the assistant changes, send this information to Jim. * If the trip is cancelled, tell Jim. ~~~ ARTICLES ~~~ Will Your Trips Be Affected by the Sunrise Powerlink? By Kelly Fuller Imagine leading a trip to Anza Borrego or the Cleveland National Forest and instead of the unmarred natural landscapes you expected, there were hulking electrical towers with buzzing, crackling power lines and new roads tearing up the land. This will be the ugly reality for our chapter s COL's if the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approves San Diego Gas & Electric s proposed Sunrise Powerlink high-voltage transmission line. COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 10

11 Recreational areas at risk: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - Tamarisk Grove Campground - Yaqui Well Primitive Campground - Angelina Spring - Grapevine Canyon - Pinyon Ridge State Wilderness - Grapevine Mountain State Wilderness - Vallecito Mountains State Wilderness - Old Kane Springs Road - the Narrows Cleveland National Forest (subject to change) - Boulder Creek - Cedar Creek - Cottonwood Creek - Eagle Peak proposed wilderness Pacific Crest Trail San Dieguito River Trail California Riding and Hiking Trail Trans-County Trail Boulder Oaks Open-Space Preserve Barnett Ranch Open-Space Preserve Mt. Gower Open-Space Preserve Los Peñasquitos Canyon Open- Space Preserve San Vicente Highlands Open- Space Preserve Sycamore Canyon Open-Space Preserve Town Center Park Peñasquitos Creek Community Park WELCOME TO ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK Your tent here COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 11

12 What are the alternatives? Utility Consumers Action Network and Border Power Plant Working Group will formally present alternatives to the CPUC in While no single alternative alone will provide enough energy, we can get what we need without building the Powerlink at all by combining alternatives: Improved programs for increasing conservation and energy efficiency. For example, the San Diego Unified School District has an annual electricity bill of $16 million instead of $28 million because it put solar panels on its roofs and aggressively pursued conservation and energy efficiency ( Increased local renewable energy generation using commercially proven technology, not problem-ridden, unlikely to succeed projects such as Stirling Solar Replacing existing power lines with new types of lines that can carry more electricity without having to increase the size of the poles Increased local power generation Using existing excess capacity on Imperial County power lines to get renewable energy to Los Angeles rather than bringing it through Anza Borrego and San Diego How can you help? Lead trips in areas that will be harmed. For example, in January the Anza Borrego Foundation and Institute is offering to the public a hiking day trip titled Grapevine Canyon Wilderness Gateway or Utility Corridor? Educate the people who attend your trips. When people come on a trip in a vulnerable area, gently educate them about the danger. A trip doesn t need to be focused on the Powerlink issue to help. Effective, tasteful public education can be done with flyers or a brief explanation. It makes a big impact when people are in the actual area that s at risk. Create a flyer that you can share with other COL's and people who come on trips. Much has been written that can be adapted to the needs of COL's and the people who attend their trips. All it takes is for one COL to get it started. the CPUC and get on its Sunrise Powerlink information lists. There are two different lists, so you need to send two s requesting that you be added: public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov and sunrise@aspeneg.com (This list is managed by the CPUC s environmental consultant, so it doesn t have a CPUC address.) For more information: Please contact Larry Klaasen, the Chairman of our chapter s Desert Committee: (619) or lklaasen@sbcglobal.net Sunrise Powerlink updates are posted at Energy solutions that would eliminate the perceived need for the Sunrise Powerlink are available at COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 12

13 CPUC s Sunrise Powerlink website: Maps of SDG&E s preferred route: The CPUC is working to identify alternate routes that avoid Anza Borrego (but could still impact the Cleveland National Forest). When they are available, they will be posted at Text by Kelly Fuller, San Diego Sierra Club. (Kelly walked 78 miles of the Sunrise Powerlink s route in April, 2006). Graphic by Paul Blackburn, San Diego Sierra Club. PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT BY: Al Hofstatter Trash, discarded food, clothing we find along the trails we hike does not belong. In addition to carrying out our discards, pick up and remove trash left behind by earlier campers and hikers. The third principle of Leave No Trace is: Dispose of Waste Properly Pack it in pack it out. Yours as well as any other you find. Dispose of human waste in a 6 to 8 inch deep cat hole Pack out soiled toilet paper and hygiene products. (Ziploc bag works fine) Wash yourself, your dishes with a minimum amount of biodegradable soap at least 200 feet from water source (lakes, streams) This is a good way to get your fellow hikers in the mood to pick up trash. Be an example as a leader and do it yourself. Carry a plastic grocery bag tied to the outside of your pack. What I find along the trail can easily be removed and a fellow hiker can deposit it in the bag on your back. In fact it really gets the whole group in the mood to play pack it out, if at the beginning of the outing ask Who needs a trash bag? Have supply of grocery bags available to give out. Explain to your group that the ethical thing to do for beauty of the outdoors is to remove trash as we find it. Unfortunately if we don t, those that follow us will think it is ok to discard their waste and the pile of trash will grow. Average times to biodegrade: Food, orange & banana skins 2 years, Cigarette butt 3 years, Steel can 60 years, Aluminum can 100 years, Glass 1 million years In general I adhere to this thought when heading out for a hike or backpack: THOSE THAT FOLLOW, SHOULD NOT REGRET YOU WERE HERE! COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 13

14 MINUTES OF THE OUTINGS COMMITTEE MEETING Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter Monday, October 30, 2006, 6:30 p.m Balboa Avenue I. WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS Jim Matlock, Outings Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:17 p.m. In attendance were four guests (Paul Blackburn, Kelly Fuller, Gwenda Humpherys and one person whose name was illegible on the sign-in sheet) and 15 members (Lois Day Bonamassa, Jim Davis, Allan Fein, Ex Com Liaison Skip Forsht, Mike Fry, Pauline Jimenez, Cheryl Knapp, Gretchen Kozub, Rob Langsdorf, Jim Matlock, Tom Markel, Lynn Nebus, Sandy Sanders, Marty Stevens and Lana Urbanski). II. EXISTING BUSINESS Bicycle Section, Sandy Sanders Sandy reported that, with seasonal later sunsets, the number of rides per month has been reduced. He had no accidents to report. Bus Trip Coordinator and Ski Section, Mike Fry Mike reported on a great bus trip season. In the 2007, the trips will go to the Channel Islands over Memorial Day, Tuolumne Meadows in July, and the same southern Yosemite area over Labor Day as last year. The ski season is starting out well, and the Yellowstone trip is already full. COL Database/Master Calendar, Jim McCleary Jim McCleary was absent to celebrate his second wedding anniversary. No report was submitted. COL Newsletter Editor, Al Hofstatter Al was absent and no report was submitted. Ex Com Liaison, Skip Forsht Skip announced a prize drawing ($1 per ticket or $5 for six tickets) as a fundraiser for the awards banquet. He explained that Jim Matlock needs the Outings COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 14

15 Committee to submit nominees by Sunday, November 5. The award criteria has been re-vamped to provide more equal representation across all sections, groups and committees in the chapter. The ceremony will be held on December 3. Skip reported that Devon Marlowe and Marty Stevens were elected to Ex Com. This means that Ex Com now has three members with an outings background. He added that Ex Com has been fiscally conservative in The chapter gave $5,000 to the Sunrise Powerlink Coalition. Family Section, Vacant This position is vacant. HS Outings Coordinator, Lynn Nebus Lynn reported that things have been running smoothly with outings. She also has Sierra Club calendars for sale as a fundraising effort for the chapter. The price for wall calendars is $10, and the price for engagement calendars is $11. The chapter will pay the sales tax, and these prices are good until November 1. Hi Sierran Outings Editor/Outings Secretary, Pauline Jimenez Pauline commented on a new printer contract that has mailing services in-house. The Hi Sierran Committee has been happy with the newest results. Inner City Outings, Jim Davis Jim reported that the number of outings leaders has dropped in the last few years. I CO has 17 active leaders, although they did have a leader training recently. If all the recruits certify, this should double the size of the currently active leadership. They are trying to build a core group, and they had 18 people at their annual volunteer camp-out. Leadership Review & Safety Chair, Marty Stevens Marty had no new information to report. Leadership Training Coordinator North County, Cheryl Knapp Cheryl and Tom Markel will work together to incorporate new suggestions from National concerning our outings programs. Cheryl reported that North County s WBC starts on January 16, Leadership Training Coordinator San Diego, Tom Markel Tom reported that there were four COL II trainees at the leader training held on the last weekend in October. The COL I trainees have showed no activity, but we are entering the ideal season for them to lead hikes. Tom compared San Diego s local outings program to National s. Their program emphasizes more soft skills, he said. Although our standards are higher, they have a checklist they have asked us to add to our COL II training. We will revamp our training to include this soon. Tom is glad that we require our trainees to have had WBC. Mail Coordinator/Wednesday in Mtns, Lois Day Bonamassa COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 15

16 Jim Matlock thanked Lois, Jim McCleary and Al Hofstatter for their work in producing and mailing the COL Newsletter. Lois reported that she has two leaders who have requested reinstatement. Both leaders status lapsed due to injuries. Medical Training Coordinator, John Plander John was absent. Jim Matlock reported that the Wilderness First Aid course this month had about 30 students. Jan Drover did another outstanding job with food, and John did an excellent job of coordinating. The course raised about $500. Jim noted that he had received an report from Ex Com indicating that National has financial problems and will be making cost cuts (probably cutting staff). He hopes it will not hurt our outings program. In response to an inquiry from Gwenda Humpherys, Jim indicated he would ask John Plander to check on the availability of basic/standard first aid courses. We changed our CPR requirement, and perhaps we need to put it back in. One reason is because on a day hike outing (as opposed to a backpack) there is the possibility that assistance could be obtained within a reasonable time period. Lana Urbanski added that she understands that the Aquatic Center will arrange group first aid training sessions for free. Lynn Nebus indicated that she could sit in on an Angeles Chapter WFA to compare curricula. The schedule is in their HPS Newsletter. Jim Matlock suggested that Lynn pass her information along to John Plander. Member at Large, Diane Purkey Diane was absent and no report was submitted. Mountaineering Committee, Byron Cook Byron was absent and no report was presented. North County (Inland), Al Fein Al Fein had nothing to report. With Cheryl Knapp s concurrence, he suggested that his name be removed from the roster because Cheryl can also represent his group. Pacific Crest Trail Section, Rob Langsdorf Rob reported on a great PCT meeting this month. About 30 people attended the potluck, video presentation and information exchange. Two are COL II trainees. Resource Coordinator, Vacant This position is vacant. Singles Section, Tina Pollock Tina was absent, but Gwenda Humpherys was in attendance to represent the Singles Section. Gwenda had no new information to report. Outings Committee Treasurer, Gretchen Kozub COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 16

17 Gretchen reported that the Outings Committee checking account balance was $22,201 on October 30, This does not included proposed refunds from the Labor Day trip (about $1,109) and three requests for Standard First Aid training reimbursements. The Memorial Day bus trip profits were $2,041 and profits for the Independence Day bus trip was $119. There will be about $770 in Labor Day profits. Jim Matlock noted that he will be requesting an early end-of-the-year report to review what funds we should transfer to the chapter. He will send a recommendation to the Outings Committee for an vote. Jim suggested that another flower trip might be a possibility if we get some good rain in s & 30s Single Sierrans, Brian Schalcosky Brian was absent and no report was presented. Wilderness Basics Committee Representative, Lana Urbanski Lana reported that south county s WBC starts on January 23 (one week after North County). There will be ads in the Hi Sierran and Reader, and links to REI and Adventure 16 on the chapter website. III. NEW BUSINESS A. SUNRISE POWER LINK PRESENTATION Marty Stevens introduced Kelly Fuller and Paul Blackburn, who have spearheaded the chapter s opposition to the SDG&E s proposed Sunrise Powerlink. Kelly did a 78-mile protest march along the proposed route earlier this year. The high-voltage transmission line would run from Imperial County to the Interstate 5/805 interchange. Kelly and Paul distributed a two-sided hand-out that was titled SDG&E s Sunrise Powerlink Bad for Ratepayers and the Environment. Highlights included: 1) The link would cost over $4 billion. The Utilities Consumer Action Network has said that Sempra Energy stands to profit $1.8 billion on construction loans for the project, and Sempra could build new power plants in Mexico that would link to the line and use imported natural gas. The new plants would not be subject to U.S. air pollution emission-offset laws and could result in significantly more air pollution in Imperial County. Since San Diego ratepayers are paying more than ever, Paul said, does Sempra deserve to be trusted? 2) The route would be visible across 90,000 acres of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP), harming wildlife, ruining campgrounds and natural views. It would slice through the heart of the ABDSP, Barrett Ranch, Boulder Oaks, Los Peñasquitos Canyon, Mt. Gower, the Pacific Crest Trail, San Dieguito River Trail, San Vicente Highlands, and Sycamore Canyon. 3) For the first time in California history, designated State Park land and COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 17

18 natural areas that are supposed to be protected would be used for a power line right-of-way. The Audubon Society has noted that the power line poses collision risks to birds and has asked for information on how the project will track and report incidents. The area is also in critical bighorn sheep habitat. There is a concern that the power line could genetically fragment the already endangered sheep population. 4) Write to the California Public Utilities Commission: Commissioner Dian Grueneich, Public Utilities Commission, 505 Van Ness Ave., Fifth Floor, San Francisco, CA Write also to your elected representatives. Urge them to reject SDG&E s proposal and give full consideration to a healthy mix of environmental solutions for our community. For more information, contact Kelly Fuller (k.d.fuller@sbcglobal.net ), Paul Blackburn (palblackburn@att.net) or Larry Klaasen (lklaasen@sbcglobal.net, ). B. TRIP GRADING SYSTEM Marty Stevens explained that under current Outings Policy (which is used in the Hi Sierran), current trip grading system is ambiguous because it does not clearly define how elevation change is calculated. This method calls for the total change (gain or loss) in one day, but the figure could be interpreted in several ways. Is it the total gain from the trailhead to the highest point, or a total of all uphill segments? The WBC method uses two numbers. The first is the total (cumulative) gain, and the second is the total (cumulative) loss. This method also uses the total miles for the entire outing, not the maximum mileage on the longest day. Cheryl Knapp suggested that gain/loss figures are important because some people need to consider loss even more than gain. Mike Fry added that having elevation change in the system is important because it gives the leader a good exercise to calculate what is too much to expect on multi-day trips. Skip Forsht suggested that the cumulative figure is the most accurate. After considerable discussion, Marty withdrew his proposal. He will make e- mail inquiries, do follow-up research, and bring his findings back to the Outings Committee. C. COL I AND II TRAINING REPORT See Tom Markel s report under Item II. Existing Business, Leadership Training Coordinator San Diego. D. FINAL SUMMER BUS TRIP PROGRAM WRAP UP See Mike Fry s report under Item II. Existing Business, Bus Trip Coordinator and Ski Section. E. WFA TRAINING FOR 2006 See Jim Matlock s report under Item II. Existing Business, Medical Training COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 18

19 Coordinator. F. FINANCIAL REPORT See Gretchen Kozub s report under Item II. Existing Business, Outings Committee Treasurer. G. INPUTS FOR OUTINGS NEWSLETTER Submissions for the next COL Newsletter are due on November 24, H. DATE AND LOCATION OF NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING The next quarterly meeting will be scheduled for January 29, I. ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS There was no Additional New Business. IV. CLOSE MEETING The meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m. Approved by: Jim Matlock, Outings Committee Chair Date Next - Outings Committee Meeting Monday January 29, Balboa Avenue (between H-805 and I-15) San Diego, CA (Thomas Bros 1249-D2) Leaders and trainees are always welcome to attend. Dinner will be served at 5:45 p.m. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. It is assumed that committee members will attend, and dinner will be prepared for them. If you are NOT on the committee and wish to attend and eat, please call Jim at by Thursday, January 25, so that there will be adequate food on hand. DIRECTIONS TO MEETING COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 19

20 OUTINGS COMMITTEE MEMBERS on 12/06 BICYCLE SECTION Sandy Sanders BUS TRIPS COORDINATOR Mike Fry CHAIR, OUTINGS COMMITTEE JimMatlock COL DATABASE COORDINATOR/MASTER CALENDAR Jim McCleary CONSERVATION LIAISON Ellen Shively COL NEWSLETTER, EDITOR Al Hofstatter EX-COM LIAISON Skip Forsht FAMILY SECTION Hi Sierran OUTINGS COORDINATOR Lynn Nebus Hi Sierran OUTINGS EDITOR Pauline Jimenez INNER CITY OUTINGS Jim Davis LEADER REVIEW & SAFETY COMMITTEE, CHAIR Marty Stevens MEMBER Starla Rivers LEADERSHIP TRAINING COORDINATOR Tom Markel North County Cheryl Knapp MAIL COORDINATOR Lois Day MEDICAL TRAINING COORDINATOR John Plander MEMBERS AT LARGE Greg Moll Diane Purkey MOUNTAINEERING COMMITTEE Byron Cook C NORTH COUNTY (inland) Cheryl Knapp PACIFIC CREST TRAIL SECTION Rob Langsdorf RESOURCE COORDINATOR Tom Markel SECRETARY Pauline Jimenez SINGLES SECTION Tina Pollock SKI SECTION Mike Fry TREASURER, OUTINGS COMMITTEE Gretchen Kozub WILDERNESS BASICS COURSE (S.D. Central) Lana Urbanski (North County) Jeff Marchand WEDNESDAY IN THE MOUNTAINS Lois Day s & 30s SINGLE SIERRANS Brain Schalcosky COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 20

21 OUTING LEADERS NEWSLETTER Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID San Diego, CA Permit No. 510 COLNEWS2007_a_winter.doc 21