THE ROADRUNNER 1

The Roadrunner
Bimonthly Publication of the Kern-Kaweah Chapter of the Sierra Club Sept./Oct. 2006

SEQUOIA MONUMENT UNDER ATTACK ON TWO FRONTS

REMEMBER: HARD COPY COUNTS MORE THAN E-MAIL!
Be sure to send your comments to Government Officials’ LOCAL OFFICES
What Has Happened in the Sequoia National Forest?
FREEMAN CREEK TRAIL. One of the most beautiful trails in the Sequoia National Monument, the
Freeman Creek Trail, has been widened to five feet across, turning it into what amounts to an unoffical
“OHV” trail. All of this was done without any public notice or opportunity for public input with the
Forest Service, which claims their action was “maintenance.” The meaning of maintenance does not
cover, in additon to widening, making switchbacks, dumping dirt down hillsides above the stream, and
other actions that require heavy machinery.
You are urged to strongly protest this action to Forest officials and our congresspersons and forcefully
request that barriers and signage be created and posted that would combat OHV intrusion as well as
demand that this exceptional trail be returned to its former state.
Write to Acting Forest Supervisor Nancy C. Ruthenbeck Sequoia National Forest,1839 South Newcomb St.,
Porterville, CA 93257, Call 559.784.1500 FAX 559.781.4744 and copy to Pacific Southwest Regional
Forester 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592 . Call 707.562.8737. Make the extra effort to contact our
Senators also.
ATTEMPT TO LEGALIZE ILLEGAL TIMBER SALES On still another Sequoia front, help stop
logging of large trees in the Giant Sequoia National Monument! U.S. Representative Devin Nunes of
Fresno has introduced a bill to overturn court victories by environmentalists and California's Attorney
General Bill Lockyer that halted these projects. Nunes’ bill, HR 5760, would override these decisions
and allow the Forest Service to conduct those two large logging projects despite the fact that they are
focused on an area essential to the habitat of an endangered species, the Pacific fisher.
You need to write with strong words to your house representative to protest this bill. Meetings
concerning it will be held in early September when Congress reconvenes, so take this action now!
*WHENEVER YOU COMMENT ON SEQUOIA AFFAIRS BE SURE TO INCLUDE WORDS IN
SUPPORT OF PUTTING THE MONUMENT IN HANDS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.
Nunes 113 North Church Street, #208, Visalia, CA 93291. Voice: 559.733.3861.
Feinstein 2500 Tulare St, # 4-290 Fresno, CA 93721 Voice: 559.485.7430 FAX: 559.485.9689
Boxer 2500 Tulare St, Suite 5290, Fresno, CA 93721 Voice: 559.497.5109 FAX: 559.497.5109

HUG a Sequoia! Fall Outing, Sept 29–Oct 1

YOU are invited by the Sierra Club’s Sequoia Task Force on Sept 29–Oct 1 to join our annual Fall
Outing in the magnificent Giant Sequoia National Monument, about 90 minutes east of Porterville,
California. You can arrive any time after 2:00 PM Friday, September 29. Saturday morning we will have
several hikes and see a wide variety of spectacular scenery. We will hike through the Wheel Meadow
Grove down the South Fork of the Middle Fork of the Tule River in the Slate Mountain Roadless Area.
Later we will take a short but steep jaunt to a secret waterfall. We will enjoy the vista from Dome Rock,
with an overview of the Kern Valley and views into the high peaks of Sequoia National Park; we will
visit sites where the Sierra Club stopped logging inside the Monument about a year ago. Saturday night
we will join together in a potluck, a unique and yummy experience! (cont’d p. 7.)
2 THE ROADRUNNER

NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
SPRING BANQUET—Have you been wondering what you can do to help the Sierra Club?
Do you enjoy the annual Kern Kaweah Chapter Spring Banquet? Please step up now and call Harry
Love, 661.589.6245. Harry will give you all the details and convey the enjoyment of working with folks
to plan and carry out this wonderful occasion. Rewards? Many gracious thank-yous and the pleasure of
meeting many fine folks.

Statewide meeting of the California–Nevada Conservation Committee

Sat & Sun, Sept 9–10: Representatives of the Sierra Club Groups from all over the state meet to discuss
and take action on Conservation concerns. Much attention this time will concern the propositions on the
ballot, the voting outcome of which could severely affect conservation efforts. Contact Lori Ives for
reservation information: lori.ives@angeles.sierraclub.org

Kern-Kaweah Chapter Annual Fall Get-Together

Mark Saturday, November 18, as the date to reserve for the 6 PM social hour followed by
dinner featuring speaker, Carla Cloer, premier Sequoia activist and more. Planned for Bill Lee’s
Chinese Chopsticks Restaurant. More info in next issue.

It’s Calendar Time Again

Make your holiday shopping easier, support SC Conservation efforts. The beautiful 2007 Wilderness
and Engagement Sierra Club calendars are now available for purchase. Just $10 each. Both calendars
available at the Chapter Dinner Gathering. To purchase your calendars in your locale, members to
contact are: Bakersfield/Tehachapi: Georgette Theotig, 661.822.4371; Porterville: Pam Clark, 559.784.
4643; Frazier Park: Mary Ann Lockhart, 661.242.0432.

Tejon Ranch via a fine photo tour at the Center for Biological Diversity’s website.
After you have seen the beauties of this 270,000 acre property, you will understand why there is great
concern and hopes that this area can be preserved. This land deserves to become a California State Park
or a Federal National Park for the pleasure and education of all Californians and Americans. On the
website, there is an opportunity for you to express your views at once on this subject. Just Google it and
you are there. Do it now!

Service and Celebration on the Carrizo Plain: Oct. 14–16 (Sat–Mon) In 2001,
William Clinton created the Carrizo Plain National Monument under the authority of the Antiquities Act
of 1906. The area is now part of the National Landscape Conservation System, special landscapes
managed by BLM. This outing, sponsored by the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society, will celebrate
the one-hundredth anniversary of the Act. On Saturday, we will remove and/or alter barbed wire fencing
to benefit pronghorn antelope. Sunday’s celebration will be a hike in a rugged and little-known area of
the Caliente Mountains WSA. Those who are able will continue fence removal on Monday. For infor-
mation, contact Leader: Craig Deutsche, (310.477.6670), deutsche@earthlink.net. CNRCC Desert Com/
Wilderness Society
THE ROADRUNNER 3

WHY SIERRA CLUB SUPPORTS PHIL ANGELIDES FOR GOVERNOR

By Bill Magavern, Senior Representative, Sierra Club California
We can do better. We can have a governor who moves consistently toward a more sustainable future
instead of an executive who tries to please his big-business supporters with one hand while making
environmental promises with the other.
That is why Sierra Club has endorsed Phil Angelides for governor. Angelides impressed those on the
interview committees with his thorough knowledge of policy issues and his ability to articulate his
positions. (Governor Schwarzenegger declined repeated requests to return our questionnaire and meet with us.)
 Angelides has put smart-growth principles into practice, while Schwarzenegger has supported freeway expansion
and the rollback of the landmark California Environmental Quality Act.
 Angelides supports the Clean Alternative Energy Initiative on the November ballot. Schwarzenegger opposes it.
 Angelides supports giving communities the ability to enforce California’s public health and environmental laws,
while Schwarzenegger backed the business-sponsored initiative that took away that right.
 Angelides called a halt to the handouts to industrial dairies in the Central Valley, while Schwarzenegger tried to
keep giving away pollution-control money to polluters.
 Angelides promises to name four committed preservationists to the Coastal Commission. Schwarzenegger has
named only one.
 Angelides opposed Bush and is endorsed by environmental champions like Senator Barbara Boxer. Schwarz-
enegger went to Ohio in 2004 to campaign for George W. Bush, the most anti-environment president in our whole
history.
 Angelides is proud that his family owns 3 hybrid vehicles. Schwarzenegger is proud of his role in creating the gas-
guzzling Hummer.
Angelides has based his campaign on the conviction that California can compete with anyone by taking
the high road—offering its people the best educational opportunities and the cleanest environment.
Schwarzenegger raises fears that businesses will flee the state if subjected to stringent environmental
safeguards—a claim not supported by evidence.
Sierra Club California’s interview committee was well aware of Angelides’ record as a developer in the
Sacramento area in the past; we discussed it with him. We gave much more weight, though, to his record
as our elected state treasurer over the last 8 years. He has put the weight of his office behind real invest-
ments in clean energy and smart growth, and has prodded corporations to clean up their environmental
practices. To help elect Phil Angelides, go to http://angelides.vivademocracy.com/

PROPOSITION 90—THE TAXPAYER TRAP

Threatens to undermine land use planning and environmental protection
This November, Californians will vote on one of the most significant measures affecting environmental
law to ever reach the ballot. Wealthy, out of state backers of this misleading and dangerous measure
want voters to believe Proposition 90 is about “eminent domain reform.” But the impacts of the measure
will be much more far-reaching and would effectively abolish our ability to pass or enforce basic laws
that protect our coastline, open space, farmland, air and water quality, and other natural resources and
will cost taxpayers billions of dollars in lawsuits to fund payouts to a few developers.
A hidden provision, not mentioned by its proponents, that allows virtually anyone to sue claiming a new
law or regulation has impacted the value of their property or business—no matter how far-fetched the
claim—and taxpayers will be on the hook to pay the bill. This could result in thousands of lawsuits
costing taxpayers millions of dollars just in litigation costs. A similar but much less far-reaching mea-
sure was passed in Oregon in 2004 and has already resulted in 2,000 claims requesting $3.8 billion in
compensation.
4 THE ROADRUNNER

If Proposition 90 passes, virtually any actions taken to protect the environment could result in land-
owners, who simply have to claim the law “damages” their property value, demanding huge payments
from all taxpayers through state and local governments. In many cases to avoid bankruptcy, local
governments will have no choice but to allow the environmentally destructive actions.
The scope of environmental regulations that could trigger compensation under the measure is virtually
limitless. Some examples include:
Protection of old growth forests, wetlands, coastal areas, grazing lands, croplands, public parks, and
open space – New listings of endangered or threatened species or protection of habitat – Urban growth
boundaries – Neighborhood zoning protections: height limits, setbacks, local restrictions on big-box
retail, inclusionary workforce and affordable housing, and restrictions on adult businesses in residential
areas and near schools – and more.
To help fight his measure, stay aware of updates on this campaign and other November election issues at www.
sierraclubcalifornia. AND BE SURE TO VOTE NO ON PROP 90 NO MATTER WHAT!

KERN KAWEAH ROUND-UP

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SIERRA CLUB HIKES: Everyone is welcome,
Sierra Club members and non-members, to join in any of the outdoor activities. Requirements: You must be in condition for
type of hike, equipped appropriately for the activity, and prepared to sign a Sierra Club release from liability. You must be
willing to follow leader’s directions. Be sure to bring any personal medicines you might need. Customary appropriate
equipment includes good hiking shoes, plenty of water, snack, sunglass suntan lotion, layered clothing. Long pants
recommended. Unprepared for the prospective hike? It will be a no-go for you. Please let the leader know ahead of time that
you are intending to participate. Change of plans may be necessary. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE DISAPPOINTED, BE
SURE TO MAKE THAT CALL.

Buena Vista Group More info? Call Donnel Lester, 661.831.6784

Buena Vista Group’s monthly free program meetings are the first Saturday of each month, 8:30 AM at
the Hill House (700 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, opposite the Beale Library). Breakfast is available for
about $7. For more information, contact Donnel at 661.831.6784 or Isabel at 661.246.6195.
Sept 2 (Sat) Program: Viewing of the film “The Long View: A Plan to Save Our Ocean Fish.” We will
also use this meeting time to discuss administrative and planning issues.
Oct 7 (Sat) Program: "How Native is Native?" Randi McCormick is the principal biologist of
McCormick Biological and member of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). Randi will trace the
path of how native plants become cultivars and enter the nursery trade. We may also hear about the use
(and misuse) of native plants in residential, city, and Caltrans landscaping projects. Bring your
questions. Note: the CNPS Annual Native Plant sale is Sat., Oct. 21 at CALM.
Clean-ups Buena Vista Group members and friends are invited to join us for the "Adopt-A-Highway"
cleanup the third Saturday of each month (September 16 and October 21), at 9 AM. We meet at the
Monte Carlo Club parking lot at the intersection of Hwy 119 and Old River Road. Bring water, gloves,
and a hat. We will work for about an hour and a half. For information, phone Donnel at 661.831.6784.
Condor Group For further information call Lockhart (661.242.0432) or email: jmal@frazmtn.com Meets Pine
Mountain Club. Call Dale Chitwood, 661.242.1076, for hike info.
Environmental concerns continue to occupy much of the Condor Group’s time: suit in regard to
proposed water extraction project on the Gorman hills, response to OHV trails designations, forest
thinning plan in Mt Pinos District, Los Padres National Forest, and proposed housing developments,
Falling Star (800 houses), Gorman Ranch (200 to 300-plus houses), as well as miscellaneous smaller
projects and of course, the grandiose proposed projects by Tejon Ranch: Centennial 23,000 houses and
Mountain Village 3,500 houses plus eight golf courses. Want fun? Come join us!
THE ROADRUNNER 5

Sept 23 (Sat) Peak to Peak. (rescheduled.) Hike from Mt. Pinos to Cerro Noroeste. Beautiful views,
refreshing air. Meet 8 AM, PMC tennis courts. 7000 to 8900 altitude. Strenuous. Reservations are a
must. Call Dale Chitwood, hike info, 661.242.1076; Barbara Nussbaum, 661.242.1843, reservations.
Oct 7 (Sat) Energy: Personal and Worldwide Concerns. Paul Gipe, speaker. Potluck 6 PM, Program 7
PM. Pine Mountain Clubhouse.
Oct 28 or 29 (Sat-Sun) Hunting season is in force during this month making the Los Padres National
Forest unsafe for hikers. We are tentatively planning an excursion for October 28 or 29, hopefully to the
Kern Wildlife Preserve. Please call 661.242.0432 for more information after October 1.
Nov 25 (Sat) Thorn Point. A wonderful goal to reach after climbing up a series of switchbacks to a
lovely area up so high that when you do the final upgrade, mounting the steps to the top of the fire
watchtower, on a clear day you can see the Pacific. Strenuous. Call as above for September 23.
Kaweah Group More info? call Pam, 559.784.4643 or Diane, 559.781.8897.
Sept 21 (Thurs) is the date for one of the most important meetings of the year. It is the time for putting
together everyone’s ideas for a full and exciting calendar of events for the coming season. Bring your
ideas to a meeting at Pam Clark’s home on the above date. Starting time is 7 PM. See you there.

Mineral King Group. More info? Call Chair Kim Loeb. 559.798.1764. Please visit mineralking. sierraclub.org for
more info on group events and activities.

GENERAL PLAN. Mineral King Group ExCom and members continue to be involved in monitoring
and providing input to Tulare County regarding its General Plan update. Conservation Chair Mary Moy
submitted comments on behalf of the Group regarding the Environmental Impact Report Notice of
Preparation for the General Plan.
Additionally, Group members have been working with the recently formed Tulare County Citizens for
Responsible Growth, a working group of local citizens and organizations committed to ensuring that
future growth protects our natural resources, communities, and local economy. This group will be mak-
ing presentations throughout the county regarding growth, issues surrounding the General Plan update,
and educating and energizing community members to become engaged in the process to ensure that the
plan is truly representative of community values and not just special interests.
Regarding the current status, the County had been planning to release the draft General Plan update in
mid-September, but in early August the County abruptly postponed all Technical Advisory Committee
and Sub Task Group meetings to some future date. The County’s General Plan update website is www.
westplanning.com /docs/tulare/index.htm.
SEQUOIA RIVERLANDS TRUST, based in Visalia, just received the prestigious Sierra Lighthouse
Award from the Sierra Nevada Alliance. This award is given to “an organization which is a bright
beacon of hope in the Range of Light.” The land trust was chosen because in only a few years it has
protected thousands of acres of land through purchases and easements. It is recognized statewide as an
accomplished and efficient conservation organization. ExCom member Brian Newton also serves on the
land trust board.
Sept 13 (Wed) 6 PM – Dinner Social at Fugazzi’s California Bistro, 127 W. Main St., Visalia. Please
RSVP to Bev at 559.732.3785 or gmachine@psnw.com.
Sept 16 (Sat) 8 AM – Outing – Mosquito Lakes – 7 miles round trip, 2100 ft gain. This is a hike in
Mineral King to a series of 6 lakes in the Mosquito Lakes canyon. We will hike to the first lake. Brook
trout fishing is reportedly good. This will be probably the steepest of all the hikes we will do this
summer, but we will take our time and it should be a good day. Deet is recommended to keep the
mosquitoes at bay. We will meet at the Taco Bell at Mary’s Vineyard (Ben Maddox & Noble) at 8 AM.
For more information, contact Allen at 559.739.8087.
6 THE ROADRUNNER

Sept 22 (Fri) 7 PM – Film Screening – To Be Announced – We will have a film at the Tulare County
Office of Education at the corner of Woodland and Burrel Avenues in Visalia. Check our website
www.mineralking.sierraclub.org for details.
Sept 25 (Mon) 5:30 PM – Executive Committee Meeting at Baker’s Square Restaurant, 3301 S.
Mooney Blvd., Visalia. All members welcome. To RSVP, contact Bev at 559.732.3785 or gmachine
@psnw.com.
Oct 7 (Sat) 7 AM – Outing – Day trip to and hikes at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. We
will meet at 7 AM in the parking lot by Taco Bell in Mary’s Vineyard at Ben Maddox & Noble. We plan
to do two short hikes with beautiful and unique views of Yosemite Valley without all the crowds of
Yosemite Valley. Call Joanne and David at 559.733.2078 or Allen at 559.739.8087 for details.
Oct 11 (Wed) 6 PM – Dinner Social at El Tarasco Mexican Restaurant, 208 W. Main St., Visalia.
Please RSVP to Bev at 559.732.3785 or gmachine@psnw.com.
Oct 21 (Sat) – 8:30 AM – Outing – Marble Falls – 7 miles, 1500 ft gain. This should be a nice fall hike
from Potwisha to Marble Falls. Marble Falls is a series of powerful whitewater cascades over multi-
colored marble on the Kaweah River. We will parallel the river up the canyon to the falls. We will meet
at the Taco Bell at Mary’s Vineyard (Ben Maddox & Noble) at 8:30 AM. For more information contact
Joanne 559.733.2078 or Allen 559.739.8087.
Oct 23 (Mon) 5:30 PM – Executive Committee Meeting at Baker’s Square Restaurant, 3301 S.
Mooney Blvd., Visalia. All members welcome. To RSVP, gmachine@psnw.com or contact Bev at 559.
732.3785.
Owens Peak Group For further information call Dennis Burge, Chair 760.375.7967 Jim Nichols, Hikes
760.375.8161 email: dennis93555@yahoo.com Ridgecrest, Maturango Museum
Sept 23 (Sat) TABLE MOUNTAIN TRAVERSE (TABLE MOUNTAIN is between the Middle and the
South Forks of Bishop Creek, 11711 ft elevation; 2600 ft gain; 7.4 mi) This nice mountain traverse will
take us up and over Table Mountain, which lies between Lake Sabrina and South Lake. There are 6 or
more lakes and several meadows along the route. The high point of Table Mountain overlooks South
Lake and the mountain structure matches the topography of Coyote Ridge just to the east. Moderate hike
due to distance and elevation gain. Note early meeting time. Meet Sat, Sept 23 at 7:00 AM at the
Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot. Call Dennis Burge at 760.375.7967 or Jim Nichols at 760.375.8161 for
more info.
Sep. 25 (Mon) 7:30 PM. FOUR CORNERS. Jean Bennett will present a CD slide program on a
backpack trip (a few years back) to the spectacular Grand Gulch area of the 4 Corners country. This was
a trip taken by local people. Meet at Maturango Museum.
Oct 21 (Sat) ASPEN GROVE TOUR (Kern Plateau, 8500 ft elevation, 1500 ft gain; 6 mi RT) Leisurely
hike to visit and photograph the best of the groves turning golden with fall splendor. The locations will
depend on climate, seasonal variations, and maybe the current fire limitations. Hooker, Jackass,
McConnell, Albanita and other meadows may be included. Easy/Moderate due to length and elevation
gain. Meet Sat, Oct 21 at 7:30 AM at the Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot. Call Dennis Burge at
760.375.7967 or Jim Nichols at 760.375.8161 for more info.
Oct 23 (Mon) 7:30 PM. Janet Westbrook will present a program on Norway: Oslo to Bergen via trains
and ferries, then on the Lindblad ship Endeavour up secluded fjords along Norwegian Coast and Lofoton
Islands, continuing to Bear Island and an amazing 5 days around the Svalbard Archipelago and Spitz-
bergen, with spectacular ice shots, many sea birds, and 42 polar bear sightings! Meet at Maturango
Museum.
THE ROADRUNNER 7

MIDGEBUZZINGS
DURING MY backpacking years I felt as most of my wilderness-loving friends do about the experience of
solitude in the wild. We would go long distances to avoid other hikers and campers, and we reveled in
those days when we saw no one but each other. We had standing jokes about Boy Scouts and church
groups, and we avoided them with studied determination. When I take out the photos from those days I
feel again the pleasures of skinny-dipping in icy lakes, gazing in profound silence at incomparable
sunsets, or sitting undisturbed with an early cup of coffee, mesmerized by the beauty of distant peaks
and glaciers.
Some fortunate people can keep up the strenuous effort of backpacking for many years beyond their
sixties, though most of us stop for various reasons, including physical necessity. For many of us who
cannot continue, the longing for wilderness remains throughout our lives. We sometimes find other ways
of getting there, including the use of pack animals, though such plans usually involve necessary com-
promises with the purity of earlier experience.
During my earlier years in the Kern-Kaweah Chapter, some of us enjoyed car camping in the desert. We
went with friends from Ridgecrest, astute desert-lovers who continued camping well into their eighties
and who knew where to go to find solitude. Even though those expeditions involved vehicles and dirt
roads, we got away entirely from crowds and enjoyed the silences and the dazzling stars of desert nights.
Thanks to those wonderful days I have not been enthusiastic about the idea of ordinary car camping
because of the inevitable noise and traffic connected with it. So it was with surprise and delight that I
found myself enjoying very much a car camping experience in the Owens Valley two weeks ago when a
friend and I decided to take a chance on finding a good place without reservations, and on a weekend at
that.
We drove up the valley to a place about four miles north of Bishop, and turned at the sign for the Mill
Creek Campground. There were plenty of spaces for tents, and we were soon engaged in setting up
camp. We fired up the Coleman stove and lamp, ate a good supper, and then sat in folding chairs to
enjoy the evening sky. Most of the “noise” was the laughter of children, who played until their bedtime.
The next day we hiked the Rock Creek Trail. We started at nine thousand feet and walked to the fourth
lake, for an altitude gain of another thousand feet. The leisurely climb and return involved about five
hours, including a stop for lunch. Since it was a weekend, we encountered many people, but they were
all as enchanted as we were with that incomparable beauty, and sharing their joy was a pleasure. Driving
back we explored the Rock Creek public campgrounds and found them beautiful and inviting.
On the way home we went into the new Visitor Center just south of Lone Pine, where we found an
excellent map of Highway 395 and the adjoining country, as well as a brochure listing public and private
campgrounds in the valley and in the Inyo National Forest. Included in the list are the numbers of sites
in all campgrounds, the dates they are open, drinking water availability, fees, and reservation informa-
tion. I’m ready to look for a tent of my own. I have everything else I need for car camping plus, after all
these years, an impatience to get started. Want to come along? Ann Williams

HUG A SEQUOIA. (cont‘d from p. 1.) As always, seeing old friends and meeting new people from all
over the country are the best part of these outings. Talk with the activists who worked to protect these
forests and groves for a quarter of a century and who continue to fight the Forest Service’s latest plans to
log in the groves under the pretext of restoration.
Before heading home Sunday we will hike to a hidden glade in a spectacular stand of Sequoias in a
candidate Wilderness area. Sadly, just this week the Forest Service destroyed the main trail by bull-
dozing it to 5’ width, thus allowing trespass by ORV’s. We can document the damage and then go cross-
country to find a Sequoia that may well have been a seedling when Cleopatra was crossing the Nile. If
enough of us make the trip, we just might be able to stretch all our arms around one single tree. Others
8 THE ROADRUNNER

may chose to continue to walk to the Bush Tree at the bottom of the Freeman Creek Grove, others may
elect to hike to the Needles Lookout perched on a granite spire overlooking the Kern River Canyon and
the Golden Trout Wilderness.
Participants will need their own food and camping gear. Tents are recommended but not required. We
will provide the group campsite, spare gear on request, liquid refreshment, maps, advice, and lots of
information. Details about this popular annual outing are available by e:mailing Carla at <cac@ocsnet.
net> or by calling 559.781.8445. Be sure to leave your name and contact information. RESER-
VATIONS ARE REQUIRED BY SEPTEMBER 24th. Participants are NOT required to be members of
the Sierra Club. More information will be sent to you when you make your reservation.
KERN KAWEAH CHAPTER OFFICERS AND MEMBERS for 2006:
Chair: Lorraine Unger (Bksf), 661.323.5569; Vice-chair: Georgette Theotig (Tehachapi), 661.822.4371; Secretary: Harry
Love (Bksf), 661.589.6245; Treasurer: Janet Wood (Min King); Treasurer liaison: Richard Garcia (Min King), 559.
592.9865; Mary Ann Lockhart (PMC), 661.242.0432; Ara Marderosian (Kernville), 760.378.4206, Gordon Nipp (Bksf),
661.872.2432; Arthur Unger (Bksf), 661.323.5569
Meetings: All Sierra Club members welcome to attend. Call Chair to verify meeting times, places.

hhhhhhhhhhh
Very special thanks to all the persons who contribute to The Roadrunner, particular to the group re-
porters and the mailers. It just wouldn’t be possible to produce this newsletter without their generous
help month after month.
hhhhhhhhhhh

MAGIC
Read the Roadrunner and more—on the web!
Put Sierra Club Home Page into your search engine.
Follow the directions from there. Easy as pie, really it is!

Want to contact Roadrunner editor?

Mary Ann Lockhart,
jmal@frazmtn.com or 661.242.0432

Want to change your address for Sierra Club publications?

Call 415.977.5653 and listen to menu. We are not able
to do it locally. Good luck!

dddd
Help preserve and restore!
Making your estate plans?
Include the Sierra Club.
Call John Calaway, Director of Planned Giving.
Learn about options and opportunities
that will ensure your gifts will be used as you desire.
Phone: 415.977.5639 for more information.
dddd
THE ROADRUNNER 9

Help preserve and restore!

When making your estate plans include the Sierra Club.
Call John Calaway, Director of Planned Giving to learn about options and opportunities that will ensure your gifts
will be used as you desire.
Phone: 415.977.5639 or e-mail planned.giving@sierraclub.org for more information.

From the Chair Lorraine Unger

We just returned from the Le Conte Memorial Lodge in Yosemite Valley. The Valley is stupendous and
the water was running high in the Merced River while we were there. The Lodge which was built and
maintained by the Club has been deeded to Yosemite National Park but we still supply staffing for the
summer months, May-September. The Club employs a professional curator, Dr. Bonnie J. Gisel, who
performs an outstanding job providing the public with the Sierra Club message. I would like to
encourage you all to consider a week’s commitment at Le Conte; it’s a wonderful experience and an
opportunity to learn about the founding of the Park and the Sierra Club.
The Le Conte Memorial Lodge is quite interesting with something for every visitor. There is a
Commerative Wilderness Quilt Project hanging over the doorway. It is composed of squares based on
drawings made by visitors of their Park experience. There is the feel of a quiet library and the book
shelves are full of texts on nature, Joseph Le Conte, John Muir, climbing, the building architecture, etc.
One corner is dedicated to children with appropriate books and toys, plus projects for them to work on.
Displays depicting the history of the Club, John Muir’s life, and Joseph Le Conte have been designed
and constructed with staff/Le Conte Committee cooperation. One of our Chapter members, Harold
Wood has been Chair and a long term member of the Le Conte Committee. His wife, Janet, has also
been very involved in assisting in running the facility.
You need to sign up early to volunteer so plan ahead. Your responsibility is to work 3 hours per day for
five days. Also, you are committed to assisting the curator at two evening programs. You will be
provided with a camping place that you share with other volunteers. But the end reward Is a real sense of
the history of the Club and a feeling of where you fit in with preserving our environment. To volunteer
call (209) 372-4542 www.sierraclub.org/education/leconte

ANNUAL FALL GATHERING OF THE KERN KAWEAH CHAPTER

Time Again To Catch Up On Old Friends And New, Nov. 18th.
Fall is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to make plans to attend our annual Chapter Dinner
Gathering. This year we will again enjoy a 6-course Chinese dinner at Bill Lee’s Chinese Chopsticks
Restaurant, 1203 18th Street, in Bakersfield (661.324.9441). Our lively Social Hour begins at 6 PM,
with a no-host cocktail hour. Dinner will begin at 7 PM. A mere $16 reserves your complete dinner,
including tax and tip.
During dinner we will be given special updates by our hardworking Chapter activists on local and
national issues of importance. This is your chance to learn first-hand about the conservation efforts our
Chapter works so hard on. After dinner, we will have a special presentation by Carla Cloer, the longtime
active protector of the Sequoias. Reservations are a must, to be received no later than Wednesday,
November ???? Questions? Call Georgette Theotig, 661.822.4371, in Tehachapi. Please send a check
(no cash, please) for $16 per person, written out to: Kern-Kaweah Chapter, Sierra Club, and mail it to:
Georgette Theotig, PO Box 38, Tehachapi, CA. 93581. We hope to see our friends for an evening of fun
and celebration!