Most of the 860,000-acre preserve has been left virtually untouched by man. Virtually the entire preserve is eminently suited to becoming part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Interior Department's Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife is expected to recommend at the public hearings that about 744,000 acres be included in the Wilderness System. While conservationists in Arizona and elsewhere support the Bureau proposal as far as it goes, they consider it minimal and believe it can be improved by adding two areas of 46000 and 80000 acres. Even though the hearings have been held, the record will remain open for letters until October 19. Mail your letters to the Regional Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Federal Building, 500 Gold Avenue, S.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87103.

LETTERS

A NOTE FROM WALT WHEELOCK
While doing some neglected housecleaning I ran across the DPS NL #106. It appears that it will take less energy to write a letter to the editor than to continue housecleaning or even to get back to work on the last chapter of an upcoming tome.

Was quite amused at reading Andy Smatko's letter about the expansion of the LIST. It was about ten years ago, while riding to a trailhead with Andy that I tried to prove to him that such a peak as Mt Humphreys was less of a desert peak than Mt. Whitney. I won't give his reply, but Andy can be indignant. Frankly, I don't know where I would draw the line, but to me Glass Mtn is and Humphreys isn't. One can't always draw up written specs, but there is a certain feeling on what is a desert peak.

Re: Guadalupe, etc. I have been bothered for a number of years by some of our "death drives" more so than the "death marches". For example, one of the greatest climbers we ever had was Bill Shand, to whom the Climber's Guide to the High Sierra is dedicated. Bill liked to try to crowd 36 hours of driving and 13 hours of climbing into a 48 hour weekend. It was while driving to do a weekend climb of the Grand Teton that he was killed. If we want to drive to Texas to climb a peak, why not, but this flirting with excessive fatigue is an ever-increasing hazard.

And a passing shot at our late noble leader, Alan Carlin... John Robinson's group should not have left coals from a fire, but for the Executive Committee of the Angeles Chapter to draw up rules for the overused areas of the Sierra Nevada, then try to make these rules stick on all of the mountains of the world is going a bit too far. In the San Pedro Martir, the local ranchers have been burning off a number of acres to improve feed conditions. I spent some time in this same region over Memorial Day and there were a couple burning and there were signs of other recent ones. I agree that along the John Muir Trail, wood is a problem and the use of gas stoves is to be recommended, but in much of the isolated area of Baja California this is not a problem. I suggest that the Executive Committee make rules that conform to the region and not make shotgun rules that nobody is going to pay any attention to. I can just imagine the look on a vaquero's face, if we were to hire a packtrain from the Melings and attempt to tell him he could not cook his frijoles on campfire!

RENEWALS

For those of you who ignored the purple asterisk on last month's issue, you had better beware. After all, for only a dollar, this rag is the greatest publication value in the country. So we'll give you one last chance. If your dollar had not been received by September 15 you will once again have a pretty purple asterisk by your name. You will not be warned again. Send a dollar (preferably cash) to Jon Inskeep, 5224 Bubbling Well Lane, La Canada, 91011 with your mailing label.
 
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