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FIRST:
Saturday, June 7th, 7 PM
Meet Some of Your Local Neighbors:
THE WILDFLOWERS OF PMC AREA. Pam Devries, presenter
Lucky us! We are most fortunate to have Pam Devries, a relative newcomer to PMC, coming to our June meeting. She will be presenting some of the photographs she has made of our floral neighbors which she is gathering for her book on the flora of our area. Pam has the scholarly background for this endeavor, holding a BS in Botany from Cal Poly Pomona and an MS in Biology from Cal State Fullerton. She has been doing general vegetation surveys for biological consulting firms. She found PMC while doing this type of work on the Gorman Hills.
A mini-display of wildflowers will be prepared for pre-program viewing. Lockharts will be taking care of that. If you are interested in accompanying them in this pursuit, call 661.242.0432.
SECOND:
Saturday, August 2nd, 7 PM
RESOURCES: The History Of Our Local Water, Mining & National Forest Activities. Bonnie Ketterl Kane, presenter
Bonnie Kane, local historian, will present a preview of her new book dealing with the historical background of these topics, background that is obviously of great interest in our times. The book will be coming out in August, perhaps in time for our program.
You can finding a listing of other writing by Ms. Kane and others related to our local history on the home page of the Ridge Route Communities Historical Society.
The above two programs are held in the Pool Pavilion Room of the Pine Mountain Community Clubhouse. The evening begins with a 6 PM potluck. If you care to participate, please bring a dish to share and your own table setting. 7 PM (more or less) is program time. Everyone is welcome. You do not have to be a Sierra Club member to participate.
THIRD:
COME JOIN US for HIKES and WALKS
Please read carefully if you plan to participate in Sierra Club hikes. Requirements: You must be in condition for type of hike, equipped appropriately for the activity, and prepared to sign a Sierra Club release from liability. Be willing to follow leader’s directions. Bring personal medicines you might need. Appropriate equipment: good hiking shoes, water, snack, sunglasses, suntan lotion, layered clothing. Long pants recommended. Participation must be leader approved. Please let the leader know ahead of time that you are intending to participate.
Please note: Changes of plans have been required several times in the past years due to fires and heavy rain. You will see some rescheduled hikes below, rescheduled with our fingers crossed that we don’t have to do it yet again. It is recommended that YOU contact the hike leader the night before to be assured that the hike is still going to happen, leaving your phone number with him. Hike Leader: Dale Chitwood 661. 242.1076
CA legislation designed to protect the consumer requires us to publish this notice: CST 2 087755-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. This legislation was designed to protect the user of outdoor activities that require cash payments of more than $50 for participation.
SUNDAY STROLLS SCHEDULED ONCE AGAIN. Yes, every Sunday morning, June through August. 8 AM is the starting time. Lasting about an hour and a half, the strolls are all in the vicinity of Pine Mountain Club. Meeting place is the parking lot of PMC. It is a great way for newcomers to become acquainted with the many trails in the area and to enjoy an easy walk with others who do not want or cannot hang from a piton knocked into the rocks. More info? Call 661.242.0432.
June 28 (Sat) Destination: Thorn Point. The Thorn Point Trail is approximately 3 miles long (round trip 6 miles). It starts at Thorn Meadows campground and terminates at the Thorn Point Lookout. Elevation ranges from 5,000 to 6,935 feet. The majority of the trail is a steepish uphill climb with grand distant views on every hand. At the top are the remains of a lookout that dates from 1933. During World War II it was staffed 24 hours a day, and a ground cabin was added for the off-duty observer during 12-hour shifts. Located within the Sespe Wilderness near the Condor Sanctuary, the lookout has been used as a condor monitoring station. On a clear day you can even see the Pacific Ocean. Meet at the PMC parking lot at 8 AM. You can also join us at Cuddy Valley-Lockwood intersection at approx 8:30 PM. Remember to check with hike leader, Dale Chitwood, 661.242.1076.
July 26th (Sat) Peak to Peak. Traditional mid-summer hike. 6 miles or so long, the trail goes from Mt. Pinos to Cerro Noreste, the two peaks at nearly 9000 ft altitude with considerable dips in between. Wonderful views to all sides, east, west, south and north, beautiful flowers still in bloom, and cool cool air. Strenuous but no bushwhacking. Repeat: check to be sure this hike will take place as scheduled. Last year it was rescheduled twice and canceled twice. Call Dale Chitwood, 661.242.1076
August 23 (Sat) Flower-filled still (we hope) hike to Cedar Creek. Meet at PMC parking lot, 8 AM. Cedar Creek has become one of the most popular trail camps in the area, owing to its easy accessibility and pleasant surroundings. Derives its name from the stately California incense cedars growing in the area. Cedar Creek also has numerous Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, big-cone spruce and hardwoods which add to the overall beauty of the route. Approximately four to six miles round trip with little altitude change, this is an easy delightful hike. Call Dale 661.242.1076 if you plan to go.
FORMAL HISTORY: A Chance To Walk The Steps of a Pioneer Who Mapped Our Mountains
July 26th is your opportunity to pretend to be an explorer. The event will be the Annual Peak-to-Peak Hike from Mt. Pinos to Cerro Noreste, the traditional highpoint of our hiking season. Here is your opportunity to become familiar with the pioneer who surveyed the area of the trek and some history of our mountains. In addition, you will learn more about Cerro Noreste, sometimes inaccurately referred to as Mt. Abel.
Mount Pinos
One of the first topographical maps of our part of what became Los Padres National Forest was created by George Montague Wheeler, a geographer and West Point graduate who in 1871 was selected by the Army Corps of Engineers to direct a number of surveys in California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado and other states that lie west of 100 degrees west longitude. His accounts tell how he wound his way from the mission of San Fernando along a "winding romantic road" (El Camino Viejo?) to Fort Tejon and into the mountains around present-day Pine Mountain Club. He mentions San Emigdio Creek, Lockwood’s Valley and Cuddy Valley. "The best view toward the coast ranges (the ocean itself being visible)," he wrote,"was from a point two miles west of the summit of Mount Pinos. There is a sharply defined range lying west of Cuyama visible from this point called McGill’s Peak after the owner of a sawmill below the steepest declination of the slope, where Government lands, as in many similar instances noted in various parts of the west, were being despoiled by a non-owner and naturally in a wasteful manner."
Interestingly, a copy of the topo drawn by Wheeler, which is difficult to read, identifies McGill’s Peak but appears to make no mention of Mt. Pinos although he obviously knew that Pinos existed. He found the peak’s elevation to be 9214 feet–383 feet above it's actual height. Elsewhere, Wheeler mentions that the local markets for timber cut here were the Tejon Ranch, Bakersfield, and Caliente on the Southern Pacific Railroad. In describing the region at the foot of what we call the Grapevine, he said the "driving winds are having their effect in swallowing up fresh fields with the ever drifting sand dunes and southeastern California in my judgment is becoming more and more a desert."
In 1892 the U.S. Geological Survey asked the newly established Board on Geographical Names to resolve a discrepancy between the names of Mount Pinos and McGill Peak, as they appeared to identify the same peak by two different names on different maps. Wheeler’s map, published after his 1876 exploration, labeled the highest peak McGill, and another map published at approximately the same time referred to the peak as Mount Pinos. The Board determined that Mount Pinos was the correct name.
Wheeler led five expeditions to the Far West between 1871 and 1879. After 1879 he spent nine years preparing his findings for publication. The territory he was charged with surveying covered 1,443,360 square miles of mountains, deserts and plains. His surveys resulted in extending the observations required to base a detailed topographical map to embrace an area of 359,065 square miles. His reports, which fill eight thick volumes, may be found in the Beale Library in Bakersfield.
Cerro Noroeste
Cerro Noroeste, which means northwest hill in Spanish, lies several miles west of Mt. Pinos. It is far more than a hill, since it is nearly as high as Mt. Pinos. Contrary to its official name, it is often referred to as Mt. Abel after Stanley Abel, who was a Kern County supervisor instrumental in having the first road built to the top of Cerro Noroeste in the 1930 and also construction of Highway 33 between Ventura and Maricopa. As a consequence many locals began calling the peak Mt. Abel, maybe because it was easier to pronounce. Among other things Abel is remembered as a member of the Ku Klux Klan and also as the county official who attempted unsuccessfully to have John Steinbeck’s book The Grapes of Wrath banned from county libraries. The controversy over what Cerro Noroeste should be named was resolved in 1990 when the Board of Geographical Names decided in favor of Cerro Noroeste.
Harry Nelson
LOCAL MEMORIES of the Peak-to-Peak
The Condor Group has carried on the Peak-to-Peak Hike in July of each year for more than fifteen years, forming a rich tradition studded with memories.
A never-ending discussion turns on the question of which direction to go in, from Mt. Pinos in the east to Cerro Noroeste in the west, or vice versa. Each alternative has been preferred at times; east to west was long mandatory because the hike ended with a catered lunch for which the inevitable venue was the picnic tables on top of Cerro Noroeste. Since that epoch ended and lunches are brown bag, the two possibilities compete freely again.
The great obstacle in the days of the catered lunch was the nearly vertical final climb up the east slope of Cerro Noroeste to the road. For quite a few years after that, the direction was more often west to east; the beautiful and well engineered trail up the west slope of Mt. Pinos has advantages over the equivalent on the east of Cerro Noroeste. But going west to east, one must contend with the endless nature of the climb from the saddle at the bottom of Cerro Noroeste up to the turn-off to Sheep’s camp. It is picturesque, home of an extensive stand of white fir, but it wears down even experienced hikers. We would say, just beyond this rise is the top, and then be disillusioned, and then again, and yet again. Going in the other direction, there is plenty of climbing, but nothing quite like the fir slope. And somehow the Cerro Noroeste climb doesn’t seem as frightening as it used to. Now that we don’t go on to the picnic grounds, we escape that additional upward pull on the road. But the debate will continue.
Then there’s the topic of lunch. The catered meal atop Cerro Noroeste complete with cold drinks did tend to bring about a blissful state, but we mustn’t overidealize it. People used to arrive in two or three groups at large intervals. The question was should the first group be fed right away or have to wait for the others?
Since that time, when we go west to east, the knob on Sawmill Mountain, a grassy site with a spectacular view back to Pine Mountain and to half the world, comes just at the same time as hunger. It is perfect place to stop. In the other direction it isn’t so clear. The knob comes too early. Sometimes we have turned off to Sheep’s Camp, a lovely park-like area usually with running water and some columbine blooming. Sometimes we hold off until the saddle between Grouse Mountain and Cerro Noroeste. And then it must be mentioned; often there’s a good deal of promiscuous snacking.
By late July we at Pine Mountain are often sweltering, and the cool fresh air on the high peak-to-peak route is just the thing. Flowers bloom much later up there. Some years we see a riot of bloom especially on the top of Mt. Pinos and on its west slope. Red-orange penstemon labrosus, paintbrush with a deeper color than at home, mat buckwheat, miniature lupine also growing in a mat. And in the shadier areas a monochrome mariposa very different from what grows in our little valley. All the more impressive because most things at home have already faded. But some years little in the way of flowers is seen.
Memories abound from the years of peak-to-peaking, different for each participant no doubt. One time Sally Reid, virtually the founder of our group, and Kevin Royle, acting as sweep, fell far behind everyone else, even the ordinary stragglers. The minutes became hours, or so it seemed, and worry mounted. But the two had merely taken a leisurely pace, stopping to look at everything, the rest of the group being the farthest thing from their mind, and they were most surprised to find that anyone had been concerned about them. My own favorite memory is of a later time, perhaps 2004, when an eight-year-old was the first male to finish, with his accompanying grandfather panting along behind. It must be admitted that the boy scooted ahead while the main group was still making its last rest stop. Also not to be forgotten is the time when it seemed hotter than usual and the hikers clambering out at the road on Cerro Noroeste were greeted with cold juices that were the best reward imaginable. Less lyrically, not too long ago the group, having set a time for the faithful drivers to meet them on the Cerro Noroeste road, got there over half an hour early and stewed a bit until the drivers arrived, on the dot but a little late from the point of view of the speedy hikers.
And so ends this trip down memory lane. If you have anything you would like to add, feel free to send it in to jmal@frazmtn.com to be saved for a future article.
Coming up: California Environmental Quality Act Workshop
Saturday September 13th, Cuddy Hall, 9 AM on–
This is a workshop that should help us all respond to EIRs with greater effectiveness and bring us up to date on responding to global warming requirements.
EIR stands for Environmental Impact Report. This is the report that must be prepared for any proposed major project, with a large potential for severely affecting our natural environment–and all the proposed projects in our area appear to be major. CEQA stands for California Environmental Quality Act, the legislation that was passed to help protect the natural landscapes from thoughtless, profit-driven proposals such as new housing, malls, and industrial developments in inappropriate areas. The law requires analysis of potential environmental impacts and their relative significance in proposed projects.
Over the years there has been more than considerable litigation about the interpretation of the original legislation. The planned CEQA workshop will help us to understand what the major powers and limitations of the legislation are now. Being included for consideration at present is the new California Global Warming Impacts law.
One of the important stipulations of the law is a requirement that the public must have opportunities to express their opinions on proposals. One of these is the Comment Period, varying from 30 days up to 90 days after public release of the EIR. Note: every comment made must be responded to by the Planning Departments or the agency whose project you are commenting on.
Complying with the General Plan of the County in which the project located is important. Available on the web, you can start reading the plan now. Also check Cuddyvalley.org for further background.
Wonderful cooperation of many people sharing their talents and time provided the scene that enchanted some 160 boys and girls of all ages who had fun and were delighted learning about plants, animals and more at the 2008 Nature Fest at Frazier Park School on May 10.
Their eyes grew wide as they watched the slow crawl of tarantulas the size of their hand; they learned why birds are able to fly as they studied the structure of feathers under a microscope; they learned the tricks of photographing bugs up close; they learned how to not get lost in the wilderness; they studied the ways of the Native Americans, admiring walnut dice, weavings and basket-making materials; they had first hand touch-me experiences with plants, getting to touch flowers and an impressive big sugar pine cone that caught their eye the moment they entered the door; they looked at the insect collection (6 or 8 cases of moths, butterflies and more) of an entomologist who answered every question with pleasure. A wonderful sight was to see several young artists, under the guidance of Peter G, sit down and make animal sketches from photos of wild animals. Stories were told under the trees, nature crafts including devising a rattlesnake with a "real" rattle (a vial of popcorn seeds) fixed on the end were more opportunities to delight eager fingers. Information about local history, water, air, books were all available too.
Still more in the great out of doors. There was the Forest Service Fire Engine to touch and explore, (temporary) tattoos to be had from the Condor folks as they talked about those giant birds, and the fascinating display of information about tracks and Indian crafts of the Lowerys.
An unexpected treat was free slices of watermelon for all the children. Ms. Rachel Bridgers was the co-chair of this big event and with her husband, Sean, sponsor of this wonderful treat.
And then there was Richter, the alpaca who visits with Penny Maines. Pat pat pat and still another pat for this wonderful animal who is always the epitome of patience.
Yes, a memorable afternoon for those who visited and for those who were there to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with the next generation of lovers of the natural world.
If you are out hiking in the mountains and see a forest fire, here are some things to consider when determining what action you should take. These include some of the pointers taught to fire fighters:
Remember two basics: Fire tends to go up hill faster than down hill.
A fire path tends to widen as it goes up the mountain.
On a trail 1. If you are between the fire and the top of the mountain make a quick determination as to expected path and width of the fire’s path. For the best chance to get out of the path of fire, run parallel to the fire the shortest distance from where you are to the edge of the fire and then to the largest open space you can find that has minimal or no vegetation.
2. If you are below the fire, go directly down from the fire as quickly as possible to the largest open space you can find that has minimal or no vegetation.
3. If you cannot run any further and the fire threatens to overtake you:
Get down as low as possible, preferably in a depression if you can quickly see one. Take shelter away from drainage gullies, steep slopes. Fire will travel uphill faster to your location; they can cause a chimney effect with fire & hot gases shooting up them.
Put your face against the ground. Do NOT moisten a cloth to put over your face; steam will do more damage to your lungs than hot air. Cover your head with your arms or clothing.
4. If you can make it to your car but no further. Stay calm. Park your vehicle in an area clear of vegetation. Close all vehicle windows and vents. Cover yourself with wool blanket or jacket. Lie on vehicle floor.
If you see a fire, report it as soon as possible. Keep roads clear for emergency equipment.
Leave the area before your escape route is blocked.
Remember: Following all these suggestions is no guarantee of your safety. However, they may give you a better chance for survival. And don’t forget to take care of things at home.
Fires that destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of nearby forest in recent years–at least one of which caused residents to evacuate–remind us that similar blazes could occur. Follow up on these suggestions and you may save your home (and your neighbors’ homes) from wildfires. The Fire Safety Council recommends the first and most important thing that homeowners should do as defense is to
1. provide and maintain the required clearance of flammable vegetation around your house and other buildings, including vacant lots. Clear all the brush and other inflammables, limb all trees up to six feet above ground, and remove branches close to structures. 2. space native trees and shrubs at least 10 feet apart. 3. keep your roof and rain gutters clear of dead leaves and pine needles 4. store firewood at least 30 feet from your house. 5. make sure your house numbers are clearly visible from the street. 6. locate propane tanks at least 30 feet from any structure.
The Sierra Club is among the environmental organizations behind an effort to clean the air we breathe. The proposal, the first of its kind in the nation, is being developed by the California Air Resources Board. It would regulate the toxic emissions from dirty diesel-burning trucks and buses. These unhealthy emissions are at their highest level within 500 to 1000 feet of freeways. Nearly 1 million Californians live within about 100 yards of a freeway and nearly half of them live within 1 mile of a freeway, making all these residents especially vulnerable to diesel pollution and its health risks.
Linda MacKay of the Tri-County Watchdogs reported, "Because of our proximity to Interstate 5 and the idling trucks at Flying J and the two rest areas in Lebec along the Interstate, diesel emissions are seriously impacting the mountain communities." Linda is heading an effort in regards to our local situation. If you’re interested in participating in this effort please call Linda, 661.248.6224
Yellow star thistle. This is a plant that has invaded many areas of California, including Pine Mountain Club. It takes a lot of personal effort to keep it under control. As a volunteer you become responsible for an infested area, worked out between you and the Staffords. If you don’t know the basics, here they are: You will learn to identify the star thistle plant, then you will pull, pull, pull, before the plant bursts into bloom. You will throw your greens, suitably wrapped, into the regular trash, not the slash. And you will feel really good about it all, doing something for the community and yourself–your waist will become ever slimmer. To sign up for duty, call Lynn and Edie Stafford, 661.242.213. You can find more details of all of this on the web. Go to Kern Kaweah Chapter and the electronic Condor Flyer; a full description of the star thistle project will be included on that web page.
Just in case you haven’t heard, dog lovers at PMC are proposing the creation of a fenced area where residents may take their dogs to exercise, socialize and take walks off-leash. This could be of great benefit for folks who are unable to take their pet on walks elsewhere and a great exercise benefit for the dogs. If you are interested in taking part in the planning of this community project, call Mar 242.8529 or Gita 242.8258.
Dirt–that doesn’t sound like the title of a tantalizing book, but once you start reading this one you will find you can hardly put it down, because as one reviewer said, "After you read Dirt, you will never forget that soil is alive and as full of stories as a Dickens novel. Punchy, pungent, and full of astonishing facts and riveting ideas."
As you read along you find out such things as these: Everything is made of stardust, everything including dirt (explanation included). Farmers used to check their soil for acidity and alkalinity by actually eating a bit of the soil. Digging for oil beneath a lake, drillers hit an old salt mine with many tunnels: result, all of the lake drained into the mine within eight hours, taking with it eleven barges, a tugboat, more than 70 acres of land, and the drilling rig itself (p. 109).
"There was (is) more living matter beneath the surface than upon it"; conclusion was arrived at by "adding up estimates of microbial, invertebrate and vertebrate life underground (p.139).
An underground vertebrate we all know–the gopher. It must gnaw constantly in order to keep its teeth from growing so fast that they would shut off its ability to gnaw, thus starving it to death; one observer of a gopher at work recorded that "in fifteen minutes he had drilled through eighteen inches of soil. After a week it appeared about 100 feet from the start." The final conclusion of this chapter: if you want to control gophers, let hawks and coyotes live, the natural predators of the gopher.
One underground invertebrate, the earthworm, has qualities (besides being good fishing bait) that are of great interest. "The earthworm is a pathfinder." It makes underground channels as it searches for food. "A single acre of cultivated land has been seen to have more than six million worm channels, whose presence significantly increases the soil’s ability to hold and percolate water" (p. 149). A friend indeed of water seekers and protectors?
In the final chapter the author writes, "I propose that we compost Jefferson and Adams and plant our own meditations in their fertile earth" (p. 198). This is a challenge to all of us to consider the uses and misuses of land (dirt), for our lives depend on decisions (voluntary and involuntary) that we make.
These prosaic examples of information are interesting. What makes the book hard to put down are the intertwinings of history, opinions, and recollections of everyday life experiences that weave a literary web not experienced in textbooks.
In answer to questions asked by members and local citizens in recent weeks, be assured that the Condor Group of the Sierra Club will be continuing with its excellent program of activities for the whole community.
The July/August Roadrunner, the Kern Kaweah Chapter newsletter, will have an article by Bill Corcoran, California Regional Representative of the Sierra Club, with details of the agreement that was made dealing with the 270,000 acres of Tejon Ranch. To catch up and/or follow continuing news and opinions concerning this subject, go to cuddyvalley.org
