CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN John Robinson
Now that the summer "off-season" has faded into eternity, the DPS can focus its full attention on our 19th annual season* of varied desert activities. The fall and winter schedule, covering October through February (5 months this time), includes about two Desert Peak outings per month. In keeping with our policy of encouraging more people to visit, enjoy, and conserve the great desert ranges of the American southwest, we have scheduled trips of varying difficulty and distance.
The UPS has a controversy! Elsewhere in this issue you will find a spirited discussion between two of our more active members over the relative merits of Pinacate Peak, added to our qualifying list last May.
Not having climbed the disputed mountain, I shall remain neutral. However, this question over the worthiness of Pinacate brings to mind a much broader issue which interests me deeply: What should be our standards for qualifying peaks? Ours is the only peak section with no agreed-upon standards for placing mountains on the qualifying list.
The following are some possible criteria for choosing qualifying peaks along with brief comments on each as to their feasability for our section:
(1) DOMINANCE OF AN AREA: This criteria is probably most used by the DPS for adding peaks. The high points of most of the desert ranges in the southwest are presently on our qualifying list.
(2) INNACCESSABILITY: This can refer to the difficulty and length of an ascent and/or the difficulty in making the auto approach to the area. It is generally agreeable that one should not be able to drive to or near to the summit. But what should be the minimum length of time for the ascent: 2 hours? We have several qualifying peaks that take less.
(3) ELEVATION: This criteria, used by other sections, clearly does not apply to the DPS. We have the greatest range of any section: From 1,967' Picacho Pk, to 14,242' White Mtn.
(4) VIEW: This could be a supplimentary criteria, but view alone without dominance or innaccessability is generally considered to be inadequate.
(5) HISTORICAL OR GEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This seems to be a major point of dispute over Pinacate. Should an abundance of Indian artifacts or a 100 year old silver mine on or near a peak be a qualifying factor? Peak baggers say no; Those with a broader interest in the mountains seem to be in favor.
It seems to me that the DPS should adopt at least some general standards for adding qualifying peaks. Otherwise, the list has no real meaning. Discussion of this issue and (I hope) adoption of a set of standards will be a main topic of business at our October 16th meeting. I hope many of you can make it.
* 1941, 1945-1962.