I was able to locate 36 of the past DPS Chairs (3 or 4 have died & I don't have a forwarding address on the remainder). The following past chairs have chosen to respond and their recollections follow. I will add that when I was Chair in 1978, Harry Melts, an Estonian as I recall & past Chair from 1961, walked into our monthly meeting. He and his wife Siina led many, many desert trips in the U.S. & Mexico but had left our area in the mid-60's. Harry was living in British Columbia and working as a Canadian Forest Ranger. I will print other recollections as they come to me.

We finally got back from Costa Rica and I have had an opportunity to search my files for slides of those very old Desert Peak trips. I deeply regret to have to report to you that my search didn't produce a thing. With all of the moves that I made around the country, they must have been lost or destroyed. I am so sorry. Every time I think of Desert Peaks, I think of a wonderful trip to Montgomery Peak in Nevada - a two day trip carrying needed water etc. The most inspiring thing was a large herd of wild horses running with their manes flowing in the breeze - truly beautiful. It would have been great for all to see the pictures. Funny things happen too --- on the long downhill retreat from the mountain, it was hot, hot, hot in that reflective marble canyon. All were thirsty. I could only think of two things, ice cream & beer. When we got to Bishop I think all had cantaloupe, al a mode, with beer over the top. Please extend my hearty congratulations to all the Desert Peakers, on their 50th anniversary for preserving a great tradition. I wish I could be there with you. Please send my best to your folks Lee and Martie. I hope to see them again one of these days.

With sincere regrets, Hank Greenhood -1949

DPS -- A ONE MAN SHOW IN THOSE DAYS

I wandered into the DPS section via the 100-Peaks. My first 100-peak was Mt. Wilson in 1927, which I climbed it with the Glendale Hi Science Club. It was a deluxe trip as the fee included dinner at the Lodge and a bed in a cabin. My first trip with the Sierra Club was a climb of Mt. Baldy. We drove to the saddle and camped at the old miners cabin, later destroyed by fire. After climbing the peak, we drove down to the Harwood Lodge site and spent several hours carrying up 2x12" for the first floor. Ended up with the laying of the cornerstone. It was not until 1937 that I joined the Sierra Club. After Weldon Heald started the "game", I was sure I had the "100", but found it only added up to 58. Bill Henderson more or less ran the group down here, as Weldon had moved on to Arizona. Many of the group thought that we should become a "section", but Bill was not interested to shoving it through, so I was more or less drafted for the job. Got in touch with the DPS and got a copy of the Bylaws, and drew up a set for the HPS. With my customarily warped sense of humor, completed it so that it covered a single sheet of paper, and was elected chairman (1954).

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