MORE DEATH VALLEY REGION

The Death Valley region has seen its share of suffering and death. The implacable sun, the burning heat, the dry suffocating dust has killed plants and animals and men. But, in April, 1990 an institution died. It was buried somewhere in the vicinity of Argus Peak. But it wasn't killed by the heat and sun, nor from lack of water. It was suffocated by the weight of its own success. It was the annual Argus Peak climb and Desert Deer BBQ, Campfire Poetry Recital and Sunday exploratory. It began as a rather modest peak climb and steak bake while Ron Jones was living in Crow Canyon out from Trona. I remember it well because I strained my back while trying to push and lift Don Sparks' Volvo across a berm. The next day, with Doc Marlin Clark's blessing I followed Cuno Ranschau's lead up Tucki Mtn... There were - maybe - 18-20 participants. I missed the next two Argus climbs, during which the steak bake evolved into a "Desert Deer" BBQ. That was about the time that the Park Service and the China Lakes Naval Weapons Center decided that the feral burros were just taking over the desert and needed desperately to be "thinned out". Ron (or somebody) began to provide the burro meat each year and it was buried in a deep pit with rocks heated by an all-night Friday fire and left to cook while the group was off climbing Argus Peak all day Saturday. I returned personally to participate in the 4th Annual Climb, BBQ & Poetry Contest in April, 1981. We climbed from Crow Canyon again. This adventure was enlivened by a couple of unusual events: one was the introduction of Bill Jordan, the pioneer settler in Crow Canyon and who helped many others build their canyon homes. Bill is now deceased. His home was a living museum of the desert and his libertine ideas did justice to the most independent thinkers. Second was the blinding snowstorm which engulfed our group as we sought to return from the summit of Argus Peak. Not everyone was prepared for a freezing experience that day. The size of the group had risen to 35 participants. On succeeding years, climbs of Argus Peak were made from Christmas Spring, and from Great Falls Basin. Norm Rohn had joined Ron in this activity. Each time Ron and Norm would go out 3 or 4 days early to make the necessary preparations. Things like procuring the "Deer-meat", digging and lining the BBQ pit and securing the site. There were also "minor" expenses connected with putting on the outing. The climbs were always successful. The campfires were always very successful. The poetry contests were inspirational(!). The songs were tuneful and out-of-tuneful. But because of the very success of the venture; because of the fun the participants enjoyed, each sear saw an increase in the number of participants. The next day climbs included Tucki, Zinc Hill, Pinto Pk (D.V.) and Maturango. Attendant, peripheral activities multiplied--designing, ordering and selling T-shirts commemorating each climb, working up and presenting suitable entertainment to a steadily increasing group growing in sophistication, more & more meat and "sauce". The sixth Peak Climb & BBQ was done from Great Falls Basin in 1985. It was billed as the "Last" one of its kind. Somewhere just short of a hundred people came for the party, the climb and a piece of a-- (burro). The climb was too much fun. It was too famous. The news of its existence was spread throughout the Sierra Club and even outside. Questions were being asked by the political types-what would happen if the animal rights people (who were giving the Navy a rough time over the goats on San Clemente and the burros in the Mojave) heard? Ron Jones and Norm Rohn could not keep their resolve to end it there however. Although they were able to skip 1986 and 1987, club members kept asking: "when is the next Argus Climb, BBQ & Poetry Contest"? The pressure grew until they said: "OK! One more. The 7th and that's it!"

Page Index	Prev	Page 25	Next	Issue Index