A BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE KERN-KAWEAH CHAPTER OF SIERRA CLUB

SEPT./OCTOBER, 2009

The Roadrunner
FALL BANQUET PROGRAM NOV. 7 AT RICE BOWL
Outings chair Jim Nichols to offer photos and stories about remote places in the Eastern Sierra
If an evening filled with great
friends and conversation, a hot
savory Chinese dinner, and a
lively, engaging program sounds
appealing to you, make plans to
join the chapter for the annual fall
dinner.
This year, we will gather on
Saturday, Nov. 7, for a six-course
Chinese dinner (with two
vegetarian entrees) at the Rice
Bowl restaurant, 1119 18TH
Street, Bakersfield. The social
hour begins at 5 p.m, with a no-
host bar. Dinner starts at 6 p.m.,
followed by announcements and
program at 7:30 p.m. The cost of
$17 per person includes a
complete dinner, tax, and tip.
“Gems of the Eastern High
Sierra and the High Desert” is our
program presented by Chapter
Outings Chair Jim Nichols. Jim
will combine beautiful photos of
scenic 4WD drive and hiking
destinations of the High Mojave
Desert and the adjacent Sierra
Nevada mountain range with
Sierra Club Outings information.
Ever heard of Malpais Mesa,
Haiwee Pass, or Jurassic Peak?
Blackrock Wells, Lookout City, or
Colorful Canyon? Enjoy visiting
these splendid sites from the
comfort of your chair as Jim
“leads” us to these remote,
captivating places.
The chapter is looking for new
outings leaders, so some of you
will be inspired to become leaders
as you visit these places during
the program.
Reservations are a must, to be
received no later than Thursday,
Nov. 5. Please send checks only,
and no walk-ins will be accepted.
Questions? Call Georgette
Theotig (661.822.4371). Again,
please send a check (no cash,
please) written out to: SIERRA
CLUB, KERN-KAWEAH
CHAPTER, and mail it to:
Georgette Theotig, P.O. Box 38, Banquet speaker Jim Nichols
Tehachapi, CA, 93581. You may
use the form on the back page of Don’t miss this evening of lively
the Roadrunner. Sierra Club camaraderie and fun
Please note: our reservation – we are sure you’ll have a great
policy states that we cannot return time and maybe even get inspired
checks if you do not attend the to become a chapter outings
dinner. As always, our new 2010 leader! See you Nov. 7 at the Rice
Sierra Club calendars will be Bowl!
available. —Chapter Chair Georgette Theotig

CHAPTER SUPPORTS CAMP KEEP AT MONTANO DE ORO PARK

Recently the Kern-Kaweah Chapter donated $1000
to support the KEEP Foundation. The Kern County
Superintendent of Schools operates their KEEP
program to promote environmental education. Their
mission promotes a greater respect for our
environment and provides non-advocacy
environmental and scientific experiences for our
youth. Presently the Kern Environmental Education
Fund (KEEP) manages one outdoor camp in
Montano de Oro State Park. Children who might
never get to go to camp, are treated to a one week
outdoor experience. Your chapter has made smaller
donations in the past, mostly to pay for one or two
“camperships,” but this year the Executive
Committee felt that a larger sum was needed due to
our local economy ailing. Mineral King members
are looking into expending a similar sum for
SCICON in Tulare County, which has the same
mission.
—Richard Louv
THE ROADRUNNER

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

WATER ISSUES IN VALLEY

San Joaquin Valley
aquifer has been
shrinking since 1961
California's San Joaquin Valley has
lost 60 million acre-feet of
groundwater since 1961, according to a
new federal study.
This is among the findings in a
recent massive study of groundwater in
California's Central Valley by the U.S.
Geological Survey. It helps shed light
on the mysteries and dangers of
California's groundwater consumption,
which is mostly unregulated.
According to the study, groundwater
pumping continues to cause the valley
floor to sink, a problem known as
subsidence. Subsidence threatens the
stability of surface structures such as
the 444-mile California Aqueduct,
which delivers drinking water to more
than 20 million people.
The Central Valley is America's
largest farming region; it's also the
single-largest zone of groundwater
pumping. About 20 percent of
groundwater pumped in America
comes from under the Central Valley,
said Claudia Faunt, the study's project
chief.
In the Sacramento Valley, the study
found groundwater levels have
remained stable. Virtually all of the
groundwater loss has occurred in the
San Joaquin Valley, where aquifer
levels have dropped nearly 400 feet
since 1961, she said.
The current drought has aggravated
this problem.
"In most years, especially in the San
Joaquin Valley, the groundwater
pumping exceeds the recharge," said
Faunt, a USGS hydrologist. "With
recent times, those groundwater levels
have dropped back down close to
historical lows."
The study is part of a project by the
USGS to update groundwater data
around the country that dates to the
1980s. USGS chose to begin in the
Central Valley because the region is so
important to the nation's food supply.
The study took five years and cost $1
million.
California is the only state in which
groundwater use is almost completely
unregulated. California well owners
are not required to report pumping or
consumption patterns.
After 1900, when large-scale farming
began in the Central Valley, water
tables dropped significantly as wells
were drilled to feed crops. Aquifers
eventually dropped about 400 feet
compared with pre-1900 levels. This
was part of the impetus to build the
state and federal canal systems in the
1960s that divert water from the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Switching farms to this new surface
water supply allowed aquifers to
recover.
Then drought came in the late
1970s, and surface water diversions
were cut back, as they have been
during the current three-year drought.
In both periods, farmers relied more
heavily on groundwater, and aquifers
declined again.
The current drought has caused
aquifers to drop again by nearly 400
feet, to near the historic low.
"Overall, there's a loss in
groundwater," Faunt said, amounting
to about 60 million acre-feet since
1961.
One consequence has been land
subsidence over vast areas of the San
Joaquin Valley. The most severe drop
is about 29 feet near Mendota, which
occurred before the canals were built,
said Al Steele, an engineering
geologist at the state Department of
Water Resources in Fresno.
“That's a three-story building,
almost," he said. The...compacted
aquifer often loses its ability to store
water.”
—Matt Weiser
The Sacramento Bee (July 13, 2009)

VIEWPOINTS: Water shortages call for intelligent choices

There are better ways to deal with California’s water shortage
than to render the Delta smelt or other endangered fish extinct.
Doing that only allows us to further degrade the San Joaquin –
Sacramento River Delta. That would impact Chinook salmon and
other creatures. Delta problems are a chief reason why fishing for
Chinook salmon is forbidden this year. Fishing for Chinook
salmon used to employ over 300 people.
Here is how we can conserve water so that there is enough to
maintain Delta flows of fresh water into the sea.
One fifth of the water that leaves the delta is for domestic and
industrial use. All homes should have low flow toilets and aerator
showers and faucets. There are attractive plants that use much less
water than the typical suburban lawn and plants. The center
divide of roads and the sides of highways should only have plants
that require minimal amounts of water. We should not use pools
and fountains to decorate our streets, parks or yards; these
evaporate water.
Four fifths of the water is for agriculture. That water should go
to the land that produces the most food or fiber per unit of water.
Our cities should not sprawl onto such land. Land that contains a
lot of salt, so that it requires water to push the salt down below
the root zone, should not be farmed. Westlands water district has
such soil.
Farmers should also continue to use water more efficiently. This
includes much more use of subsurface drip irrigation. California
should grow crops that can not be produced in such abundance
elsewhere. This includes fruits, nuts and vegetables, not thirsty
crops like cotton and cattle feed. California does not need to
produce one fifth of America’s milk, especially since most of it
comes from concentrated animal feeding operations where cows
are given antibiotics and fed a diet not suited to their digestive
system so that they produce more methane than grass fed cattle.
—Ex Com Board Member Arthur Unger
THE ROADRUNNER

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

Club helps dedicate new John Krebs Wilderness on July 25

Two hundred wilderness
enthusiasts gathered at Mineral King
in Sequoia National Park on July 25
to celebrate the dedication of the
John Krebs Wilderness.
Long time chapter members will
remember that in 1965 Sequoia
National Forest proposed developing
the Mineral King area as a
destination ski resort. The bid to
develop the ski area was awarded to
the Walt Disney Corporation. The
Disney plan called for a year around
destination resort that would
accommodate 1.7 million visitors per
year, 16,000 people at one time in
the Mineral King Valley and in the
winter 7,000 skiers on the slopes at
one time. Numerous ski lifts would
radiate out of the valley up to the
tops of all the surrounding ridges
with warming huts at the top of each
lift to provide views of the back
country of Sequoia National Park.
A high speed highway with a
capacity of 700 cars per hour was
proposed to replace the winding 25
mile road. Of course you know who
would pay for that highway—the
taxpayers of California.
Alarmed by the magnitude of the
project which would create immense
environmental damage to Mineral
King itself and the pristine remote
wild areas of Sequoia National Park,
Photo left to
right: Tom
Bohegian,
aide to
Senator
Boxer; Kevin
Hendricks,
Chief Park
Ranger;
Craig Axtel,
the speaker,
Park Super-
intendent;
Congressman
Jim Costa;
and former
Congressman
John Krebs.
the Kern-Kaweah chapter asked the stepped in and introduced a bill to
Sierra Club Board of Directors to add Mineral King to Sequoia
make opposition to the proposal a National Park. The bill passed in the
national priority. After a pep talk by fall of 1978. It was an election year
David Brower they agreed. The and Krebs was not reelected, many
Sierra Club decided to use a new tool believe because his bill precluded
to achieve its goal, litigation. The development at Mineral King.
case went all of the way to the Therefore it is fitting that the area
Supreme Court of the United States. around Mineral King added to the
The Court did not rule on the merits Wilderness System earlier this year
of our case. Instead they said we did is named in honor of John Krebs. We
not have proper standing to sue the all owe him a debt of gratitude for
government. We now had the option his political courage and his
to revise our case to create legal determination to do what was right
standing and go back to court. for our fragile wild places.
But that was not necessary. —Joe Fontaine
Congressman John Krebs of Fresno Sierra Club Past-President

Jean Bennett leaves was a highly decorated research Russia, Brazil,

generous bequest to
Kern-Kaweah chapter
Jean M. Bennett (1930-2008) of
Ridgecrest has recently left a bequest
of $75,000 in undesignated funds to
the Kern-Kaweah Chapter of Sierra
Club. Paperwork must be completed
at the national level before the
chapter receives the donation,
according to Lorraine Unger, local
treasurer.
Bennett, the first female president
of the Optical Society of America,
died on July 18, 2008 after a seven-
month illness. She was 78. Bennett
physicist who was widely known for
her contributions to the study of
optical surfaces.
Bennett received her B.A. in
physics from Mt. Holyoke College in
1951 and did her graduate work at
Penn State University where she
received a PhD in physics in 1955.
She came to the Navy Lab at China
Lake in 1956. Bennett authored
several books, including Introduction
to Surface Roughness and
Scattering. She also authored or co-
authored more than 100 articles in
scientific journals, served as a guest
professor in several countries,
including Sweden, Japan and
Australia, and lectured in Europe.
Japan and Taiwan.
An avid outdoors-
woman, she was an
active member of
the Sierra Club.
She was a longtime
life member and served as the
secretary or treasurer of the Owens
Peak Group for a number of years.
She enjoyed kayaking in the Alaskan
wilderness and hiking mountain
trails throughout the world. She was
proud to be a member of the first
group to be allowed to kayak through
the Grand Canyon without an official
guide.
—Dennis Burge, Owens Peak Group
THE ROADRUNNER

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

KERN KAWEAH ROUNDUP

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SIERRA CLUB HIKES:
Everyone is welcome, Sierra Club members and non-members, to join in any of the outdoor activities. Requirements: You
must be in condition for the type of hike, equipped appropriately for the activity and prepared to sign a Sierra Club release
for liability. You must be willing to follow the leader’s directions. Be sure to bring any personal medicines you might need.
Customary appropriate equipment includes good hiking shoes, plenty of water, snack, sunglasses, suntan lotion, and layered
clothing. The following might be helpful but definitely is not required: compass, whistle, matches or lighter, and a good first
aid kit. Long paints are recommended. Unprepared for the prospective hike? It will be a no-go for you. Participation must
be leader approved. Please let the leader know ahead of time that you are intending to participate. Check individual group
listings for the desired means of communication.

Since unexpected change of plans may be necessary, it is recommended that YOU contact the hike leader the night before to
be assured that the hike is still going to happen.

New California legislation designed to protect the consumer requires us to publish this notice: CST 2087755-40. Registration as a seller of
travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. This legislation is designed to protect the user of outdoor activities that
require cash payments of more than $50 for participation.

BUENA VISTA GROUP

More info? Call Donnel Lester at 661.831.6784 or e-mail donnelc3bvg@earthlink.net
or Isabel at 661.246.6195.
Saturday, Sept 5, 10 a.m.—“Cameroon, Africa: A Traveler’s Observations on Environmental and Global
Issues by Isabel Stierle, chairperson of Buena-Vista Group, Sierra Club and professor of biology at Bakersfield
College. Camino Real Restaurant, 3500 Truxtun Avenue at the corner of Truxtun and Westwind, just west of Oak St. Brunch is served for
$7.50/person (tip not included). Info: 661.246.6195.

Saturday, Sept. 19, 9-11 a.m.—Adopt-A-Highway cleanup. Meet at the corner of Old River Road and Highway 119. Bring water, a hat,
and good hiking shoes. We will provide gloves and cleanup gear. For info call 661.319.6996.

Saturday, Oct 3, 10 a.m.—Documentary movie: “Flow” (2007). This movie sheds light on the worldwide issues associated with the
dwindling supply of water and the ever-increasing corporate movement to privatize and profit from this limited resource. (http://
www.flowthefilm.com/) Camino Real Restaurant (See location in Sept 5. entry) 661.246.6195.

Saturday, Oct 17, from 9 - 11a.m.—Adopt-A-Highway cleanup. Meet at the corner of Old River Road and Highway 119. Bring water, a
hat, and good hiking shoes. We will provide gloves and cleanup gear. For info call 661.319.6996.

Saturday, Oct. 24—City of Bakersfield “Make a Difference Day” Fair. This event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lassen’s on California
Avenue will feature eco-friendly products to the public and offer residents a chance to drop off various recyclable and reusable items, such
as used motor oil filters, e-waste (computers, televisions, cell phones, etc), clothes, tires, and polystyrene (styrofoam). Buena Vista is
planning a booth at the fair. For more info, call Olimpia Frederick 326.3114 or 326.3535.

Meeting Notices—To receive Buena Vista Group meeting and activity notices by email, please contact Donnel Lester, at
donnelc3bvg@earthlink.net, with Add me to the email list. You can opt out of the email notices at any time. We try to limit this to once-a-
month emails.

CONDOR GROUP
More info? Mary Ann Lockhart 661.242.0432. LOCAL HIKES: Meet at PMC Clubhouse, 8 a.m.
Bring a little lunch, personal medicines, and water. Wear good shoes. Please call Dale Chitwood to
make your reservation: 661.242.0432.
THE ROADRUNNER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

Saturday, Sept 26—Our local San Emigdio Range. It’s a walk on the road up to the top and then over to the quarry. Grand views from
the top toward the Valley on one side and the Mt. Pinos Range and beyond on the other side. 4.8 miles. 7500 ft altitude on top. Meet 8
a.m., PMC parking lot. Call 661.242.0432 to make reservation.

Saturday, Oct 3— ELK, from birth to fulltime residents at Bittercreek Wildlife Refuge. Mike Stockton, manager of the refuge, will
tell the story and present his pictures of these relatively new additions to the wonders of this protected area. Great pictures and a lively
presentation will assure a most informative and pleasure-filled evening. 6 p.m., potluck, 7 p.m. program. Pool Pavilion Room, Pine
Mountain Clubhouse. All are welcome.

Saturday, Oct 10—A Visit to Bittercreek Wildlife Refuge. .You will see a feeding and roosting site for condors and hopefully, condors.
Departure is from PMC parking lot 8 a.m.. Return noon or so. Bring your cameras, a snack, and dress for an outing. Limited walking!
You must sign up for this trip:call 661.242.0432) and be sure to call 661.242.0432 the day before to make sure it is a go!

There will be no hikes scheduled for October (because of the dangers of hunting season.

KAWEAH GROUP
More info? Call Pam Clark at 559.784.4643 or Diane Jetter at 559.781.8897.
Thursday, Sept. 17—Ex Com and event planning meeting. 7 p.m. at Clark house.
Call 559.784.4643 for details.

OWENS PEAK GROUP

More info? Chair Dennis Burge at 760.375.7967 or e-mail dennis93555@yahoo.com. Jim Nichols,
hikes at 760.375.8161 or e-mail jnichols@ridgecrest.ca.us.
Saturday, Sept. 19—SPARKPLUG MINE (20 mi NE of Biship in the White Mnts, 9100 ft max elev, 3200 ft elev gain (1500 ft
optional), 8.2 mi RT (4.2 mi optional)) The Sparkplug Mine is a photographic, geologic, and historic treasure without peer. From the
trailhead at 5,900 ft, we climb two miles and 1,700 feet to the mine camp, and an additional two miles and 1,500 feet to the mine. We will
depart A J’s Market in Chalfant (13 miles north of Bishop on Highway 6) at 8 a.m. This early start will allow us time to take in the mine
camp museum, assess the historic role of andalusite, and explore the andalusite mine itself. This is a moderate hike to the mine camp, and
a strenuous hike to the mine itself due to altitude gain. Call Nick Panzer at 760.446.0822 for more information.

Saturday, Oct. 17—ASPEN GROVE TOUR (Kern Plateau, ~8500 ft elevation, ~ 1500 ft gain; 6 mi RT) Leisurely hike to visit and
photograph the best of the groves turning golden with fall splendor. The locations will depend on climate, seasonal variations, and maybe
the current fire limitations. Hooker, Jackass, McConnell, Albanita and other meadows will be considered. We will learn to identify the
trees and how they respond to the changing seasons. Easy/moderate due to length and elevation gain. Meet Saturday at 7:30 a.m. at the
Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot. Call Dennis Burge or Jim Nichols for more info.

Monday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p,m.— Ridgecrest BLM representative. A talk about leasing BLM administered land for large energy projects
such as solar, wind and geothermal. Maturango Museum.

Monday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m.—Red Rock Canyon Talk. Stan and Jeanie Haye will give an update on planning for Red Rock Canyon State
Park and on the state parks situation in general. Maturango Museum.

MINERAL KING GROUP

More info? Call 559.761.0592. Please also visit mineralking.sierraclub.org for more info.
Friday, Sept. 11—Movie night and social. “The Shaman’s Apprentice” is a story of survival against the odds. It interweaves the
luminous rain forest world of phenomena and legends with western science and the grim realities of extinction. In the story of Ethno
botanist Mark Plotkin’s quest to preserve the ancient wisdom of our species, we find intelligence, cooperation and hope that could save
one of the most glorious places on Earth. Join us at Café 210 located at 210 W. Center St., Downtown Visalia. Film starts at 7 p.m.
Informal dinner at 6 p.m. Café menu includes sandwiches, salads, coffee, desserts. Contact Kim at kim.loeb@kernkaweah.sierraclub.org
for more information.

Saturday, Sept. 12—Needles Lookout hike. We will hike to the Needles Lookout above Springville. This will be a moderate 6-mile
round trip hike with a great view from the lookout tower. Call Joanne or David at 733.2078 for meeting time and location.

Saturday, Oct. 3 —Monarch Lakes hike. We will hike to Monarch Lakes in Mineral King. This is a strenuous 9=mile round trip hike
over sun-exposed, loose rock. Call Dave at 688.4813 or e-mail at COACHK24@aol.com for meeting time and location.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

Wednesday, Oct. 7—Dinner/Social. Please join us at 6 p.m. for a “no host” dinner at Thai Basil Restaurant, 1423 E. Noble Ave., Mary’s
Vineyard Shopping Center, Visalia. Contact Beverly Garcia for reservations at
bev.garcia@kernkaweah.sierraclub.org or 559.624.0199.

Saturday, Oct. 17—Kings Canyon hike. We will hike in Redwood Canyon in Kings Canyon National Park. This is a moderate 6 mile
round trip hike in a beautiful redwood grove sprinkled with dogwood trees that just may be in fall color. Call Joanne or David at 733.2078
for meeting time and location.

California/Nevada Regional Conservation Committee

Desert Committee Outings
For questions about, or to sign up for a particular outing, please contact the leader listed in the write-up. For questions about Desert
Committee outings in general, or to receive the outings list by e-mail, please contact Kate Allen at kj.allen@wildblue.net or 661.944.4056..

Friday-Sunday, July 10-12— Nevada Wilderness Service. Eastern Nevada's White Pine County has MANY new wilderness
areas. We'll help the BLM's Ely office enhance wild values as we put up vehicle barriers, rehab old routes, or remove old guzzlers;
specific area to be known later. Three-day car camp service trip with Vicky Hoover; with central commissary ($15);
vicky.hoover@sierraclub.org or 415.977.5527. CNRCC Wilderness Committee

Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 22-23—Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Carcamp. Come with us to the beautiful White Mtns to camp, hike
and just relax. On Saturday, we’ll hike the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest on a moderate five-mile loop interpretive trail, followed by a
picnic lunch and a short optional hike to a nearby old mining cabin. Back at camp we’ll enjoy Happy Hour, a potluck feast and a campfire.
Sunday pack up and head home. Group size strictly limited. Send $8 per person, 2 large SASE, H&W phones, email, rideshare info to
Reserv/Ldr: Lygeia Gerard, P.O. Box 294726, Phelan, CA 92329, 760.868.2179. CNRCC Desert Committee

Friday-Sunday, Sept. 25-27 —Service And Hiking in the Carrizo Plains. This is an opportunity to visit and to assist a relatively
unknown national monument. There will be an optional and scenic hike high in the Caliente Mountains on Friday. Others may join us for
National Public Lands Day on Saturday when we will work on improvements for the Soda Lake Overlook. On Sunday we will tour
historic, prehistoric, and geologic sites. Leader Craig Deutsche: craig.deutsche@gmail.com, or 310.477.6670. CNRCC Desert Committee

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 3-4—Antelope Protection Work Party -Carrizo Plain Nat’l Monument. Fence removal project in the Carrizo
Plain with resource specialist Alice Koch. Camp at Selby Campground, bring food, water, heavy leather work gloves, and camping gear.
Potluck Saturday night. Leaders: Cal and Letty French, 14140 Chimney Rock Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446, (805-239-7338). Prefer e-
mail: lettyfrench@gmail.com Santa Lucia Chap/CNRCC Desert Committee

Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 5-6—Work Party in Death Valley National Park. Help finish the conversion of an old road near Red Wall
Canyon to a trail. Potluck Monday night. Ranger lead hike on Wednesday for those who can stay over. Group size limited. Leader: Kate
Allen 661.944.4056 or kj.allen@wildblue.net (email preferred). CNRCC Desert Committee

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 17-18—Exploring the Soda Mountains, Mojave Desert: Explore this Wilderness Study Area, located east of
Barstow and north of I-15. Arrive late Saturday afternoon at the camping area in the open flats near the Cronese Lakes. Potluck Saturday
night. Hike on Sunday is moderately difficult. Leader: Craig Deutsche, (310.477.6670) or craig.deutsche@gmail.com. CNRCC Desert
Committee

Friday-Saturday, Nov. 6-8— Mojave National Preserve Service Trip. Help the Mojave National Preserve clean up a large illegal dump
that has built up over the years. Work Saturday and until noon on Sunday. Barbecue dinner on Saturday evening. Hike on Friday morning,
Ranger talk on Friday evening. Camping is rustic, but there will be a portable restroom. Leader: Rich Jurichich 916.492.2181 or
rich.sac@pacbell.net,. CNRCC Desert Committee

Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 7-8—”Bowling Alley” Car Camp & Hike: The bowling alley is a narrow strip of land between Death Valley
National Park and Fort Irwin. With unique and beautiful geology, several perennial springs, and habitat for desert tortoise and bighorn
sheep, we’ll have lots to explore! Potluck dinner Saturday night.
Leader: Carol Wiley 760.245.8734 or desertlily1@verizon.net .
Reservationist: Kate Allen at kj.allen@wildblue.net
661.944.4056. CNRCC Desert Committee
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

Meetings focus on rewriting the Giant Sequoia National

Monument plan; draft document is coming in November
Sequoia National Forest is in the process of developing a
management plan for the Giant Sequoia National
Monument. The Proclamation that designated the
Monument directed the Forest Service to develop a
management plan using the requirements in the
Proclamation. When the first management plan was made
public the Sierra Club and other groups sued the Forest
Service asserting the plan was not in compliance with the
Proclamation. The court remanded the plan back to the
Forest Service declaring it incomprehensible.
Now Sequoia National Forest has undertaken a process
to rewrite the plan. Over the past several months there have
been several meetings called by Sequoia National Forest to
explain how they will rewrite the plan. For those attending
the meetings it has been confusing. Now the Forest is
preparing management alternatives to be presented in a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement scheduled to be Sequoias in Mineral King provide shade for visitors and habitat
released in November. for varieties of critters. Photo/Joe Fontaine
In June the Forest held a public meeting in Porterville to
give concerned citizens a preview of three different comments. The Sequoia Task Force will be prepared to
alternatives. The three alternatives were A No Action, B inform our members this fall about what is proposed in the
the alternative preferred by Sequoia National Forest, and C draft plan so that we can express our opinions to the Forest
an environmentally oriented alternative. The alternatives Service before a final plan is adopted next spring. So your
were far from complete but at least we got a heads up comments will be needed to influence the final outcome.
about what will be in the draft plan. More information will follow in the next Roadrunner.
When the draft plan is released it will be important for as
many Sierra Club members as possible to submit —Joe Fontaine, Sierra Club Past-President

Sierra Club Elections Information

In accordance with Sierra Club bylaws, an annual chapter election and group elections are required in the fourth
quarter of each year to elect replacement Executive Committee (ExCom) members for those whose two year terms are
expiring. Because all members of the chapter are eligible to participate in the chapter election process (and group
members in the group election process), our chapter utilizes the Roadrunner publication to accomplish the election
process.

The election process consists of several steps; the first step is the nomination process where names are placed in
nomination through the Nominating Committee (NomCom) or by petition requiring 15 chapter member signatures
submitted to the NomCom. Once the nominations have been verified by the Nominating Committee and the
nomination period has expired, the nominees are published in the election slate for chapter (or group) members to cast
their votes. Finally, the ballots are counted by the Election Committee and the results are reported to the ExCom for
entry into ExCom records.

Kern-Kaweah Chapter Nominations

Nominations for the Chapter ExCom will be received by the Chapter Nominating Committee from the initial date of the
September-October 2009 Roadrunner publication until Oct, 1, 2009. Nominations (or petitions) may be submitted to
the NomCom by mailing them to the Kern-Kaweah Chapter Nominating Committee, 1626 19th Street, Suite #3,
Bakersfield, CA 93301, or HYPERLINK "mailto:bev.garcia@kernkaweah.sierraclub.org"
bev.garcia@kernkaweah.sierraclub.org or HYPERLINK "mailto:donel.lester@kernkaweah.sierraclub.org"
donel.lester@kernkaweah.sierraclub.org and must include the name and contact information of the person submitting
the nomination. Nominations will not be accepted after Oct. 1, 2009.

Chapter Voting
The ballot and instructions will be published in the November-December 2009 Roadrunner and ballots cast by chapter
members will be received until Dec, 1, 2009. The results will be published in the January-February Roadrunner.
THE ROADRUNNER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

FROM THE CHAIR

CALENDARS, GEMS, AND STARFISH
Want to know three simple ways to participate and make a difference in chapter efforts? One
way is to support our annual calendar sales. We will once again be offering the large wilderness
calendars and the smaller engagement calendars for sale. Look in the Roadrunner for contact
names. Second, join us for the annual chapter fall dinner, Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Rice Bowl.
Our own Jim Nichols, Chapter Outings Chair, will make a photo presentation titled, “Gems of
the Eastern High Sierra and High Desert.” Join us for a very special program, and support
this chapter dinner.

Last, I have a short story to share, attributed to Loren Eiseley.

An old man walking along the beach at dawn saw a young man picking up starfish and throwing them out to sea. “Why are
you doing that?” the old man inquired. The young man explained that the starfish had been stranded on the beach by a
receding tide, and would soon die in the daytime sun. “But the beach goes on for miles,” the old man said, “and there’s so
many! How can your effort make a difference?” The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and without hesitating
threw it to safety in the sea. He looked up at the old man and said, “It will make a difference to that one.”

Each of you has a special gift to offer . You may not be able to change the world, but you can make a difference where you
live. I encourage you to give of yourself, your time, to the chapter and help make a difference in a positive way. Imagine the
difference if everyone did something .

—Georgette Theotig, Chapter Chair

OUTDOORS: Clair Tappaan Lodge offers attractive destination

Fall at Clair Tappaan Lodge is golden. Located at 7000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, the lodge experiences sunny days and crisp nights. In
late September and October the leaves turn and change the color of the mountains. The Clair Tappaan Lodge and Hutchinson Lodge are
located at 19940 Donner Pass Road in Norden/Soda Springs, California.
This fall there are two national outings and fall program offered by lodge staff.
Sept. 4—Full Moon Hike national outing
Sept. 20-26—50+ Ridgetop Rambles, Tahoe National Forest, California. A Sierra Club National Outing.
Sept. 25-27—Weekend Lodge Work Parties. Come and help spruce up the Lodge you love. Volunteer for six hours on both Saturday
and Sunday in exchange for free lodging and meals during the weekend. We’ll also send you home with a 20% discount for a future
weekend. Let us know if you have any special skills that you’d like to show off and share. Tasks during the weekend range from lodge
cleaning and painting to firewood splitting and stacking and everything in between.
Oct. 4-10—Pastel Painting along Sierra Trails, Tahoe National Forest, California. Sierra Club National Outing.
Oct. 31/Nov. 1—Halloween party and Day of the Dead commemoration. Bring a costume, pumpkin(s) to carve and your tools, and a
remembrance of a loved one who is no longer in this world.
Nov. 26 (Thursday)—Thanksgiving dinner at Clair Tappaan Lodge is always a fun event.
Dec. 31 (Thursday)—New Year’s Eve. Plan now to attend the traditional and wonderful New Year's celebration at Clair Tappaan Lodge.
Since New Year's Day is on a Friday, plan on a whole weekend of enjoying this wonderful area.
Reservations are required for all activities. Call 800. 679.6775 for information and reservations or check out ctl@sierraclub.org (our
website).
—Olivia Diaz, Sierra Club Staff

Executive Committee of the Kern-Kaweah Chapter

Chair: Georgette Theotig (Tehachapi), 661.822.4371. Vice-chair: Gordon Nipp (Bksf), 661.872.2432. Secretary:
Ann Williams (Bksf), 661.324.1055. Treasurer: Lorraine Unger (Bksf), 661.323.5569. Donnel Lester (Bksf),
661.831.6784. Richard Garcia (Min King), 559.624.0199. Mary Ann Lockhart (PMC), 661.242.0432. Ara
Marderosian (Kernville), 760.378.4574. Arthur Unger (Bksf), 661.323.5569

Chapter ExCom Meetings: All Sierra Club members are always welcome to attend these meetings. Call
661.323.822.4371 to confirm all meeting dates as well as location and time.
THE ROADRUNNER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

MIDGEBUZZINGS
Though I am no longer able to carry a pack into wilderness, memories of days and nights in the high country
are abundant. For twenty-five years I experienced the incomparable delights that our senses are heir to in the
Sierra Nevada, mostly in summer and fall, but occasionally when snow was deep, and when cold and silence were
our most eminent hosts.
Of all the places I visited, none was more beautiful than Beck Meadow, not far from where the South Fork of
the Kern River has its beginnings. It was a day’s gentle walk through varied botanical zones, all of them
beautiful. Especially lovely were clear streams through lush little meadows along the way. In time, we began to
think of Beck as sacred and to regard the journey there as a kind of pilgrimage. For some of us it became a
religious experience, even to the extent of an unspoken agreement to keep silence in the last mile before it came
into view.
I don’t remember a time when we did not see at least one bear in the distance, peacefully occupying a meadow.
We were careful to hang our food high in trees at the campsites, and not once in all those years was it disturbed.
For me, the bear became symbolic of wilderness, and wilderness became a metaphor for the eternal. I offer the
following poem in that spirit.

The Meadow

After Black Rock Station, the world recedes.

We are walking on an ancient trail to a
familiar meadow, a high sanctuary
in the great cathedral of the mountains.

Soon, out of deep silence, sacred music rises:

A courting grouse drums; a thrush answers
its own fluted question from the darkness
of deeper and more distant woods; wind sings
an anthem composed by the redolence of warm
pine resin and ancient humus. Far off, a raven
is cantor in a language we know without
footnotes or translation. Somewhere,
invisible to us now, is the bear. We have seen
his signs, and know that he is lord of the meadow.

Then, in the long shadows of late afternoon,

standing on a hilltop above the place toward which
we have always been coming, we hear the first
thunder, witness distant flashes of sheet lightning,
and draw in the sweet smell of rain. This night
we will make camp here. When morning comes,
we will walk into the meadow.

—Ann Williams
THE ROADRUNNER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2009

Sierra Club calendars The Roadrunner Non-Profit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE
for coming year
2815 La Cresta Dr. PAID
available for $10 each Bakersfield, CA 93305-1719 Permit No. 498
Once again, the chapter is offering the Bakersfield, CA
most beautiful calendars for sale: large
wilderness calendars and the smaller
engagement calendars. And once again,
they are offered at the bargain basement
price of only $10 each ! What a deal! You
get resplendent photos to gaze at every
day, and the chapter has more funds with
which to work on conservation efforts.
And if you’re concerned about the
processing, the calendars are printed on
paper containing a minimum of 50 percent
recovered waste, of which at least 10
percent of the fiber content is
postconsumer waste. The virgin content of
the paper is chlorine free and entirely from
tree farms.
Here are the contacts:
Bakersfield—Isabel Stierle (661.246.6195)
Porterville – Pam Clark (559.784.4643)
Tehachapi – Georgette Theotig
(661.822.4371)
Frazier Park – Mary Ann Lockhart
(661.242.0432)
Ridgecrest – Dennis Burge (760.375.7967)

STAYING INFORMED:
Join our KERN-NEWS & KERN FORUM e-mail lists at: http://kernkaweah.sierraclub.org
Submit articles (your own or suggestions for reprints) to The Roadrunner at
sierraroadrunner@gmail.com. To contact Marjorie Bell, the editor, by phone, call 661.322.4891.
The Roadrunner is printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper.

DINNER RESERVATION FORM

I/we will attend the Fall Chapter Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at the Rice Bowl Restaurant, in Bakersfield.

Please make check out to: SIERRA CLUB, KERN-KAWEAH CHAPTER. Mail check to: Georgette Theotig,
P.O. Box 38, Tehachapi, CA 93581. Reservation deadline is Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009.

Enclosed is my check for_______reservations @ $17 per person for a total of _______________________

Names of those attending:_________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________