We all know some of the significant differences between the three hiking sections - the 270 HPS peaks are nearby and are usually day hikes, the 246 SPS peaks are in the Sierras and are usually backpacking trips, the 96 DPS peaks are way out there and are usually done as weekend car camps, and so on. But what about the members of these sections? Are there meaningful differences in the composition of the membership? The DPS has taken a survey of its members for two consecutive years (a.. report elsewhere in this issue) but there is no comparative detailed data for the other two sections. We do have the annual membership lists printed in the newsletters for all three sections, however, and these lists can be analyzed with respect to sex and level of achievement.
Sources: HPS list in May/June 1988 Lookout (probably includes subscribers); SPS June 988 list in July Echo; DPS May 1988 list in July Desert Sage (updated to June for emblems and list finishers; individuals at the same address counted separately; delinquent list included).
Sure enough, there are proportionately more women in the HPS, but there are almost as many in the DPS, and the profile of achievement by sex is very similar for these two sections. Women are about a third of the total members and newsletter subscribers, about 40% of the beginning hikers. Just over a third of the emblem holders, and 20-25% of the list finishers. The SPS profile is different, with women only about a fourth of the membership and beginning hikers, a fifth of the emblem holders, and 14% of the list finishers.
Of course there is a good deal of overlapping membership in the three sections. Barbara Lilley and Barbara Magnuson have finished all three lists and Barbara Reber is getting close to that. (Barbara seems to be the name required for this achievement!) In fact, 7 of the 9 DPS women list finishers are among the 12 women who have gotten their SPS Senior Emblems or finished the list, and the other 2 DPS women list finishers have also finished the HPS list. But about half of the 19 HPS women list finishers do not often hike with the DPS and SPS, so measured by the women who have achieved distinctions, the DPS and SPS are closer.
We might explain the difference between the level of women's participation in the SPS and the other two sections by the difficulty of the peaks and the backpacks, but we might also explain it by the quota system now in effect for most Sierra trips combined with the predominantly male leadership and the leader's role in screening participants. The latter explanation would involve the hesitancy of many women to put themselves forward for the reputedly more challenging climbs in the Sierras - women may not be well represented in the pools from which SPS leaders pick their participants. What do you think?
FLASH MOVIE REVIEW - See Bagdad Cafe, terrific film set in a desert truck stop somewhere by Las Vegas - familiar scenes for DPSers and a highly visual entertaining film with a fine cast. Loved it! (Karen Leonard)