DEATH VALLEY was the scene of three different trips by DPS members since the last Newsletter was written. Bill Henderson led a group from the UCLA hiking club during the Thanksgiving week-end for the most ambitious of the three trips. His group climbed three seldom-visited peaks in the area just east of Death Valley: Eagle Peak, Thimble Peak and Bullfrog Peak. Over the Christmas week-end the Henningers visited Death Valley and imitated the Henderson trip in climbing Thimble Peak. They were amazed how easily it could be climbed from a pass on the Titus Canyon Road shortly before one reaches Leadfield. The third trip was a sissy affair wherin the four Bears "camped out" at Furnace Creek Ranch over the New Year's week-end. Just to be differant your Chairman picked out an unnamed but impressive mountain to climb just north of Daylight Pass at the point where the sign for the trail to Hole in the Rock Spring is located. The way Desert Peakers have been working over the peaks in the Death Valley area the past few years we are rapidly becoming authorities on that area. Perhaps that's an indication of a logical place to concentrate our efforts on our Guide to the Desert Peaks of the Southwest. Your Chairman scouted the scheduled DPS trip coming up January 26-27 to the RODMAN MOUNTAINS on the way back from his family trip to Death Valley. The Rodmans will constitute no "local walk" because the approach road reaches no closer than five miles from the peak and there are no trails. On the other hand the going should be fairly easy with a long gradual ascent to the summit somewhat reminiscent of the trip to the Sidewinder Mts. back in early 1949. Be prepared for slow driving on a rough desert track once you leave the highway at Newberry. Because of water on the flats close to the main road it will probably be best to go past the regular turnoff spot to a less obvious one opposite the Mayo Cafe, which is a couple of blocks past the side road leading up into the mountains. Once one leaves the Newberry settlement there are no forks in the road other than unpromising-looking, faint turn-offs. At any rate, I'll be there early to mark the road for all but the early birds. There is a lot of water at Kane Springs, but it probably ought to be boiled for drinking. A small amount of fire wood is available there. It gets mighty cold out in the desert this time of year, as a lot of us have recently observed first hand. So bring your warmest clothes and heaviest sleeping bags. It is planned to arise dark and early Sunday morning and drive several miles to a point as near the high point as possible in order to give us as good a chance as possible to make the top, while still returning to our cars in good season. Here's for 1952 to be the best year ever in Desert Peaks Section history. Whomever we elect to run the Section for us, let's get behind them in building-up our Section membership, supporting the scheduled trips, expanding the Desert Peaks Guide, etc.
				It's been a pleasure serving you, Bob Bear, Chairman Desert Peaks Section

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