Letter to the Editor
The Desert Sage

After reading Paul Bloland's letter in the Sept/Oct Sage, in which he stated the case of the quintessential peakbagger both forcefully and well, I felt compelled to write and elucidate a contrary view.

My sympathies are with Paul in that I too love walking up and down mountains and the clarity, simplicity and elegance of climbing. However, I have come to feel that taking the peak and ignoring the desert represents an overly simplistic approach which is out of step with the conservation ethic. It allows us to use the desert yet escape responsibility for its care and bolsters the fatuous assumption that, with no effort on our part, the desert's charms will 'always' be available and it's peaks accessible.

I now firmly believe that an outings section which utilizes a portion of the natural environment must take some responsibility for the conservation of that environment. Because awareness of what's out there (or no longer out there) is the first step in conservation, the DPS can express a responsible attitude by encouraging a variety of outings which increase participants awareness of the many diverse and unique features of the desert environment. Such "awareness building" is something that we can provide without detracting in the least from our more traditional activities. While not everyone is destined to become an active conservationist, we will have done our part if we, through our outings, can motivate just a few folks in that direction.

Thus the new "advanced" emblem, which rewards a person for participating in a range of outings and becoming more aware of the whole desert, is a wonderful idea. It also provides encouragement to those leaders who wish to offer a wider variety of desert-oriented trips; trips perhaps more attractive to a larger number of folks. The "advanced" emblem, when combined with the 15 peak and list finisher emblems, means that the DPS offers rewards to both the peakbagger and the explorer.

To dismiss the explorations encouraged by this emblem as the accumulation of "miscellaneous experiences" is to miss the point. Our Club was founded by a man who was both a consummate mountaineer and a preeminent conservationist and whose "miscellaneous experiences" in the outdoors provided the driving force behind his wilderness ethic. For the DPS to initiate an emblem which encourages others to seek such experiences is a worthy goal in keeping with the best traditions of the Sierra Club.
-- Bruce Knudtson

WANTED

By Gordon MacLeod, small and medium size glass jars to use as summit registers. Please save them, if convenient, and bring them to DPS meetings. He would hate to gave to give up climbing peaks due to lack of registers! If Gordon is not at a meeting, please give them to Neko Colvins. Many thanks!
Congratulations to all.

   NEW EMBLEMS

     URSULA SLAGER 10/18/86 Mt. Montgomery
Fact!
 
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