| Management | General | Composite | |||||||
| Committee | Members | ||||||||
| Y | N | U | Y | N | U | Y | N | U | |
| Providence Pt | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 44% | 28% | 28% |
| Mt. Moriah | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 31 | 31 |
| Mormon Pk | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 48 | 23 | 24 |
| Needle Eye | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 55 | 10 | 35 |
| Mohave | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 70 | 5 | 25 |
| Saline Pk | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 75 | 5 | 15 |
| Sugarloaf | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 33 | 17 | 50 |
Comments: Let us not frantically "do the list" and miss the beautiful desert around us.
OK readers, Do you have any thoughts on the future of the DPS and "The List"? Send me your comments and VOTE YOUR BALLOT -Editor
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MEMBERS' EDITED VIEWPOINTS |  |
On the List: We debate, we propose, we vote. Do we accept the will of the membership? No way. We just vote on the peaks again in some future year. Maybe we should wait 5 years after a vote and wait for consensus before resubmitting a peak for the ballot. There is a constant mis-characterization of peak additions. Describe the long dirt road to Saline Valley. Tell me that Canyon Point is a small sandy mound but in a spectacular setting at the end of a long poor road. Instead the facts are misstated. We are furious at being led to-by direct fact or omission. Why not just climb the non-listed peaks on one's own and not ever raising the list Issue? And the topper--an informal list. This is incredible arrogance in an effort to get the desired result no matter what.
On DPS Philosophy: Why do we climb? The DPS bylaws state that The purposes of the Section are: a) To explore the mountain areas of the SW; b) to aid in their conservation and preservation and finally C) To stimulate interest in climbing desert mountains. So why do we climb? A number of members climb because they play a numbers game. They only want to finish the list and they don't want the list of qualifying peaks to get longer. They often will drive to the furthest possible limit to make the peak a shorter, easier hike and even climb two or three peaks in a day or a weekend. And then after they finish the list they either drop out of DPS activities or they start on the same list a second time. How many members will climb an exploratory of an unlisted peak? Sometimes a leader will get 2 or 3 participants, some times none, very occasionally they will get 10 or 12. Our members don't want to explore unlisted peaks and areas. The only way most of them are introduced to a great new area is for a peak to be added to the list.
All new peaks on our ballot must have been previously scheduled as an exploratory. Last year we voted on no new peaks but held over 7 candidates for a year of considerations. The effort was well publicized. Six of the 7 were scheduled last year (beyond their original qualifying lead), one of the peaks twice.
Everyone has had lots of time to explore or gather information. This year we vote on the 7. Consider you viewpoint of the work or purpose of the Section. If you are a numbers person who wants a fixed stagnant list, then vote against the proposed additions, If you enjoy the many aspects of the desert and want to encourage exploration, then vote to accept some of the additions. Let your opinions be known, as this guides the DPS.