DPS SURVEY: SIERRA CLUB'S ABANDONMENT OF MOUNTAINEERING INSURANCE

Thirty-nine of the fifty-five 1990 DPS Survey respondents said that the current inability of the Sierra Club to offer insurance for technical and snow climbing negatively affected their views of the Sierra Club. Thirty-five (all but four) of these thirty-nine respondents followed up with comments, which are given below.(some)

Many people are drawn to the Club through the outings program; the club has become too bureaucratic and "gun shy" on the liability issue, it should accommodate all interests.

It is now basically a conservation and hiking organization.

It shows a disregard for traditional activities, or an inability to find a workable solution.

I can join any conservation organization, but I looked at the SC as a recreation organization. I first learned to climb in BMTC and will go on climbing without the SC; why does. it not offer insurance when the Mountaineers (Seattle) and Mazamas (Portland) do?

SC is no longer interested in supporting outings activities; I anticipate that restrictions will increase and the climbing sections will eventually die out.

Do not wish to lead trips now or contribute to Club's fund drives.

National doesn't care about us climbers--as a result I care less about the SC than I used to. I don't contribute as much money to the Club now.

Scheduled Trips

  SMITH & BROWN DECEMBER 8-9, 1990 L. Tidball
S. Jamison

Our group of 7 met in front of the CAFE in Shoshone at 7:00 AM to allow those who need it to grab a cup of coffee before caravaning out to the Greenwater Valley. We left the 2WD cars at a flat spot along the side of the road, 7 or 8 miles in from highway 178. This spot later became our campsite.
Owen Maloy had sent me a write-up from his Oct 7&8 private trip to this area (see Sage #211) so we decided to try the route that he recommended (but had not climbed) for Brown. We drove the very gully-washed road up to Deadman Pass, and down the other side to about 3000' elevation. From here we headed due East across the flat and up to a saddle south of a small hill visible from the cars. From the saddle we dropped 50' or so into the wash, and continued due East over a small ridge to enter the main wash heading SE towards the mountain. Climbing up we followed the left branch of this canyon as it curved East at 3360' and NE at 3440' and finally almost North before reaching the small saddle at 3720+'. On the way up we climbed the sidehill on the left side of the canyon as we came up. Coming down we came straight down the canyon, and had no problems with the 3 small dry waterfalls in the canyon.
From the small saddle at 3720+' we climbed East up a gully to reach the broad saddle at 3920+'. From here a rib leads SSE to join the use trail at 4400' just west of the summit mass.
On top we enjoyed the view as we ate lunch. Our route up was followed on our way back down, except for sticking right to the bottom of the
 
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