FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDS

Ron Jones

Five Years Ago in the DPS
The Management Committee adopted a series of Desert Traverses "in order to enhance your climbing and hiking pleasure." The initial list includes Grand Cyn from the North to the South Rim via Bright Angel, Havasu Cyn, Panamint Mtns from the Charcoal kilns to Shorty's Well via Telescope & Hannapah Cyn, Panamint Mtns via Johnson Cyn to Panamint City via Sentinel Pk, Santa Rosa Mtns from the Pines to the Palms via Martinez Cyn, and in Utah, Coyote Gulch to the Escalante, the Pariah Cyn, and the Virgin River Cyn. New members include Dale Van Dalsem, Marlin Clark and Lex Rohn. List finishers include Chuck Pospishil, #27, on Baboquivari. Bill T. led Cerro Pescadores and Pico Risco with a group of 4 in late October and with Pat led Weaver's Needle & Superstition over Thanksgiving with 24 participants. Roy Ward and Ron Jones led 21 to Kino, Ajo, Cerro Pinacate and Baboquivari over the same weekend. Ron Fracisco led a group of 9 the same weekend to Big Picacho. John Hellman, Dick Banner and Wes Shelberg recommended bathing at Dianas Punch Bowl (off Nevada 82) during their climb of Wheeler, Ruby, & Arc Dome.

Ten Years Ago
Heavy October rains in 1972 washed out the Amargosa River bridge west of Tecopa and closed Highways 178 & 127 in the Death Valley area. Run off created a lake 10 miles long and 4 miles wide near Badwater. Gordon MacLeod & John Vitz led a rainy trip to North & South Guardian Angel in October during which Gordon & Eric Schumacher finished the DPS list.

Twenty Years Ago
Controversy continued to rage over the addition of Pinacate Peak to the list in May 1962. DPS Chairman John Robinson listed some of the criteria to be used in selecting new peaks for the DPS list. They include: 1. Dominance of an area 2. Inaccessability including difficulty & length of the climb or difficulty in making the auto approach 3. Elevation clearly does not apply to the DPS 4. View from the summit or in route 5. Historical or geological significance. Bob Greenawalt led 18 DPS climbers on a 19 mile Labor Day weekend traverse of the White Mtns beginning at Chiatovich Cyn, climbing Dubois, Montgomery & Boundary descending down Trail Cyn.

Dear Editor:

In looking through Ron Jone's index of past trips, I could find no mention of East Ord Mountain, and so here are some directions for the approach to one of the closer DPS peaks:

From I-15 take the Bear Valley cut-off east to the intersection with State Route 18. Continue east on 18 to Lucerne Valley. At Lucerne Valley continue east on State Route 247 (Old Woman Springs Road) to Harrod Road. Go north on Harrod Road 3.9 miles to Junction with Camp Road (Disposal site sign). Go right on Camp Road for 6.1 miles to Junction. Turn left and go north 4.4 miles to Mine Road. High clearance vehicles can go about one mile up the Mine Road. Start the climb there.

A good route to the peak is up a prominent wash between the south and north summits. Upon gaining the ridge, go left (north) and follow it to the summit block.
  Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
 
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