THE LAST WORD: Roger Siglin
Recently, we installed a new feature in THUNDERBEAR. This is something called "The Last Word". It is an interview with an employee who is retired from the National Park Service and thus is out of the reach of WASO or the Regional Office and no longer fears being "counseled" or having their career "enhanced".
To provide background for the next interview, we are going to have to go to the dictionary and look up:
GREENBLOOD noun 1. (Colloquial) A member of the National Park Service who is especially renowned for possessing outstanding expertise in the ranger skills of mountaineering, search and rescue, fire fighting, skiing, horsemanship, wilderness survival, firearms and law enforcement as well as a strong commitment to the ideals and mission of the national parks Synonym -- see US Forest Service -- Green Underwear.
Now the interesting thing about being an NPS Greenblood is that you can't apply for the position. There are no schools, Ivy League or otherwise, that offer a degree in being a Greenblood. It just sort of grows on you and accumulates, and, over the years, you are accepted by your peers as a Greenblood.
The key word is acceptance. You cannot proclaim yourself a Greenblood; self ordination is not allowed. If you were to do so, people would look at you funny, as if you had proclaimed yourself the Living Buddha. You are gradually accepted into the Greenblood Club which meets nowhere and everywhere, with a barely noticeable nod that indicates that your opinion really does count and is worth listening to.
 One of the gnarliest of the Greenbloods is Roger Siglin, late of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Gates of the Arctic, and other NPS points of interest.
Butch Farabee, former Chief Ranger of the NPS, author of several books on search and rescue, and no slouch as a Greenblood himself, says this of Siglin: "Roger was climbing Aconcagua (highest peak outside of Asia at 22,800 feet) with a group of friends. I was down there with another group of friends including Don Chase and Rick Mossman. Although we are climbing parallel and generally camping next to each other, we are not actually in the same group. We are all at the Berlin Hut which is the high camp at 19900 feet. I realize I have become so slow that my party has gone way ahead of me. I know something is wrong and decide to head back down. Don Chase and an ER doctor put a stethoscope to my chest and hear the Pacific Ocean in my inhalations and exhalations. I had HAPE or High Altitude Pulmonary Edema which will kill you if you don't get oxygen or go down. I started down and it took me about five times the speed to go down as it did to come up. At "The Condor's Nest" we had left a tent and I crawl into it as it is getting dark and very cold. As I lay, I could hear the gurgling in my chest, so to avoid this and to keep from panicing; I put my Walkman on and listened to FM from who knows where. At midnight I decide to take it off; "If I wake up, I am alive and if I do not, I am dead". I then catnapped for the next few hours. About 6 am Siglin breaks into the tent and yells at me to get my stuff together. "We are going down and he is going to get me there" So we stuff my sleeping bag, pad and whatever into both his and my packs and for the next 4-6 hours, he slowly baby sits me downward through the longest talus slope on earth; it seemingly switch backed forever downward. The next camp is at 13,500 feet. When I get there, although I was very weak and am starting to cough some, I know that I am probably safe. I credit Roger with saving my life." Veteran Yellowstone Ranger Robert Mihan says of Roger Siglin "Of the four Chief Rangers I worked for during 17 years at Yellowstone, I would put Roger at Number One!" Another NPS legend, Dave Mihalic, former superintendent of Glacier and Yellowstone remarked "One of Siglin's hallmarks was integrity. He always believed as Chief Ranger in Yellowstone that his troops should have the best equipment. The Division Chiefs all had big Chevrolet sedans with 454 cubic inch monster engines perfect for law enforcement. How the Division Chiefs came by the cars is unknown, but apparently, it was an ego thing. One year when the budget for vehicles was cut, he transferred his big sedan to the Old Faithful district, where it promptly became known as the "pig car", and drove a modest, mid-size Chevelle station wagon for the rest of his tenure. His colleague division chiefs mocked him, but the rangers loved him for it. It was a classic example of "leadership by example"; not too prevalent any longer in the NPS". Veteran Ranger Chuck McCurdy observed "When Roger was made Chief of Law Enforcement for the Southwest Region, I think Roger may have felt he lacked gritty hands at law enforcement. So he qualified to become a Santa Fe City Police auxiliary. Went through the training to be certified, wore the uniform, and went out nights as shotgun with a regular officer. Whatever he had responsibility to oversee, he wanted to experience it from the ground up." Mike Finley, former superintendent of Yellowstone says, "I watched him try to protect basic park values and resources when he was Chief Ranger at Yellowstone. He did a good job in spite of the erratic and mercurial behavior of his supervisor. To me, Roger always placed the resource first and his own self interest second. He has green blood. Rick Smith, who worked for Roger in the Yosemite Valley District, said of him "He adapted to the environment in which he found himself. He understood that there were non-traditional visitors who didn't want to attend the evening campfire program. He realized that not all rangers were, or wanted to be reincarnations of Oscar Dick or Howard Chapman, though respectful of what they had accomplished. It was a fun time to be in Yosemite. Later he brought some order to Canon De Chelley. He is one tough hombre." Siglin grew up on a farm in Iowa. He learned to drive a team of horses at 5 and a tractor at 7. No indoor plumbing until about age 12. He walked a mile each way to a one room grade school. Life on the farm established two views about work that have lasted his whole life.
He had seven years of college with a master's degree in wildlife management, and three years in the army including one year in Germany. Siglin spent 27 years with NPS, starting as a field ranger at Big Bend National Park. Among his varied assignments was superintendent of Timpanogos National Monument, John Muir National Historic Site, Canyon De Chelly, Southwestern regional Chief Ranger, Chief Ranger of Yellowstone, and Superintendent of Gates of the Arctic. So you see, Siglin might have opinions to share with LAST WORD... So, let's ask him! TB: What is the greatest threat to the National Parks? RS: In the short run, it is the current administration. In the long run, it is man made changes in the environment, including air pollution and its effect on plant and animal life, climate change, and accelerating invasion by exotic species. This all raises some very interesting questions regarding NPS management of natural areas and wilderness:
TB: How can the Bush Administration be stopped? RS: At the ballot box is the obvious answer, but that will take too long. If the mid-term elections don't scare the Republicans, the environment is in even worse trouble. I think it is time for concerned citizens to start showing up en masse with peaceful demonstrations as long as the line is not crossed into civil disobedience. Not that I am against it, but I fear civil disobedience would lose support rather than gain it. The park protection group of retirees has accomplished a lot in terms of funding for the NPS, but I am not sure it has translated into better protection of resources. TB: What about "Monkey Wrenching" as described by the radical environmentalist, Edward Abbey? RS: "Monkey Wrenching" or environmental sabotage is a good example of what NOT to do. It is illegal, dangerous, and immoral and plays into the hands of the anti-environmentalists. In the most famous case, the band of Monkey Wrenchers was infiltrated by FBI agent provocateurs and the resulting mess was used to smear the entire environmental movement. TB: You were once superintendent of Canyon De Chelly. Recently, a Navajo protest group said that the NPS was preventing Navajo residents of Canon De Chelly from living modern lives. How would you respond to that? RS: This one puzzles me because I don't think the NPS has the authority to regulate very much of what the Navajo do. Sec 3 of the act establishing the park gives the Navajo the right to use the surface for agriculture, grazing and other purposes. Under Sec 3, the NPS is charged with care of the prehistoric ruins and other features of scientific or historical interest and to provide facilities for visitors. The June 27 issue of the GALLUP INDEPENDENT contains an article about the Navajo Nation taking over management of Canyon De Chelly under Public Law 93-638 (Indian Self Determination Act) which directs the Secretary of the Interior, at the request of a tribe, to contract with any tribal organization to carry out the services and programs the Federal Government provides to Indians. Regardless of whether this is a correct interpretation of the law or not, I think it is time to give the Navajo complete responsibility for the monument. It is a losing battle for the NPS. TB: Can you think of any other NPS units that should be "retired?" RS: Many should never have been added to the system. If they do not draw a significant part of their visitation from non-local areas or out of state, they don't belong. They should also be nothing but the best or most important of what they represent. Many of the recreation areas don't belong. Of course I am biased toward natural and cultural areas, but too many areas are added because the NPS is where the money is. TB: Could you list a few? RS: I can think of many, but in most cases, I don't know enough about their visitation or importance to the nation, but a few come to mind: Canyon de Chelly: This is a truly magnificent area and I include it only because the NPS is powerless to protect it. Only the Navajo can do that. Timpanogos Cave: A really pretty area with a not very natural cave system. It should be a state park. John Muir NHS: A worthwhile site, but only if it were managed to commemorate John Muir the naturalist and the conservation movement. Lake Meredith: This might make a decent Texas state park. Reading the news about it, the NPS is not making many friends in the area and probably can't, if any decent NPS standards are to be maintained. TB: What is your opinion of mountain bikes in the parks? RS: I have no problem with them on roads including paved and unpaved. With few exceptions, I don't think they belong on single track trails, including those used by horses. Reading the publicity generated by mountain bikers, it appears that riding the bike is the purpose rather than enjoying such things as solitude, natural beauty, and other aspects of parks that I think are the main reasons for their existence. I am sure many mountain bikers seek the same values as hikers, birders and other less strenuous users of parks, but in general, I don't think mountain biking on trails is compatible with other uses. An added concern is the sheer numbers of people it would attract. TB: How should we fund the parks? RS: I have never been opposed to users of parks paying more but parks are of value to those who don't use them as well. The mere thought of their existence has a tranquilizing effect on people. I think the general treasury should pay for those who enjoy them but don't physically visit them. I am opposed to heavy reliance on donations from businesses. Regarding volunteers, they are mistreated in the sense that they are given the jobs that paid employees do not like. Volunteers should get to do enjoyable work since there are few other rewards. TB: What was your favorite park and why? RS: John Muir called Yosemite the "gentle wilderness". Gates of the Arctic and Yellowstone come closer to the definition of wilderness, but Yosemite is a more enjoyable one. Add to that, the excitement (i.e. adrenaline rushes) of being a ranger in Yosemite, and it is my favorite. Yet I have moved to the Big Bend area, but that has as much to do with avoiding the crowds of California as anything. Plus the variety of flora and fauna in the Big Bend is more satisfying in my old age. Adrenaline rushes are a thing of the past I fear. TB: Speaking of the Big Bend country, do you believe there is a possibility of a Big Bend International Peace Park, combining Mexican and American park lands, as at Waterton Glacier International Peace Park on the US-Canada border? RS: The resource is certainly there! Every time I visit the Mexican side, I always came back a little dissatisfied with Big Bend National Park. Everything over there is grander and more spectacular. The mountains are bigger and even the vegetation is more impressive. However, due to the present tension on the border, the prospects of an International Peace Park, desirable as it would be, are currently very dim. For such a park to work, Mexico would need to see it pay dividends in lots of tourist dollars. That cannot happen without easy border crossings and a road and lodging infrastructure to support industrial tourism. Not sure if that would be good either, but the fact is that backpackers and mountain bikers don't drop enough money to get the attention of politicians. TB: Do you approve of the present policy of sealing the border in big Bend NP and allowing crossing only at Presidio? RS: It is a terrible policy that is destroying the little Mexican communities across from the park and it deprives the park visitors of one of the premier experiences in visiting the park. TB: You have been superintendent at cultural as well as natural units. How would you cope with the problem of a famous person's house being hijacked as a furniture/architectural tour? RS: You can preserve the historical integrity of a place and still accomplish a separate goal. As you know, I tried at John Muir NHS. I suggested getting rid of the emphasis on filling all the rooms in the house with period furniture, except for Muir's study, and creating miniature orchards on the grounds that, if anything, commemorated John Muir the orchardist. I proposed using each room to tell the story of the conservation movement in America and use the grounds to impart Muir's philosophy with examples of plants and trees he described in his writings. It seemed like a great idea and Bob Barbee in the regional office thought so as well. However, the regional director said it needed to be proposed as step one in a five year planning process. Since I was not interested in planning and could think of nothing else I wanted to do at John Muir for 5 years, I asked for and got the Wawona district ranger job in Yosemite. TB: D o you have a solution for the bison/elk management problem at YELL? RS: Without increased winter range, there really is no satisfactory solution. Malcolm Forbes who owned a large ranch abutting the north end of Yellowstone tried to sell it to the Forest Service. I think it was Reagan who vetoed the bill that would have allowed that. The Church Triumphant under Clare Prophet bought it and turned it into a commune for religious lunatics. If you are referring to the brucellosis issue, cattle need to be removed from potential winter range and then bison/elk need to be culled when they cause problems inside or outside of that winter range. TB: How can "historic" use of snow machines in Alaskan Parks be justified? Did they cross on the Bering land bridge? RS: As a recreational activity it can't be justified as a historic use, but by dithering, the NPS has probably lost the battle in most of the Alaska parks. Years ago, I told the regional office they needed to decide if snowmobiles were to be considered a means of access for traditional recreational activities such as sightseeing, photography, etc. or a recreational activity in itself. Nothing ever happened with that suggestion and the NPS wasted too many years before addressing the growing problem. Unfortunately, in Alaska the NPS let each Superintendent fight off the snowmobilers and ATVers on their own without establishing a state wide NPS policy. Admitted, that is, and has been a tough fight in Alaska with the anti-park and anti-wilderness views of many Alaskans. TB: Do you still paint? RS: No, I did four pictures in 1972 and quit. Too sedentary an activity after sitting in the office all day. TB: One apocryphal study suggested that 87.3 percent of NPS managers were either Republicans or conservative "Independents". Would you put yourself in the 87.3 or the 12.7 minority? RS: I would put myself in the minority even though I consider the typical Democratic politician only the lesser of two evils. If the statistic is true, I hope the 87.3 like what they got in terms of park management by the Bush administration. TB: What was your favorite wilderness adventure? RS: It's hard to pick one, but a six day, 90 mile solo trip in Gates of the Arctic sticks in my mind. Some may not consider it a wilderness trip because of the method of travel, but a 5 week, 3400 mile snowmobile trip across Arctic Canada was my greatest adventure. TB: You climbed Mount McKinley at a fairly advanced age. How old were you when you climbed Aconcagua, highest mountain in our hemisphere. RS: I was a young man of 51 on Aconcagua (22,841) and 58 on Denali (20,320) TB: Which was the toughest? RS: Of the two, Aconcagua was the toughest. We had good weather on Denali and a beaten path to the summit. It took six days round trip. TB: Are you still at it? RS: Yeah, don't know when to stop! At 62, I tried the 6th highest peak in the world, Cho Oyo (26,906.) After two weeks camped at 18,000 feet, I was exhausted and only got to 22,600. This fall, I will try a hike up Ojos del Salado (22,600) in Chile, with Butch Farabee, and others. TB: Are you sure you're "too old for adrenaline rushes?" RS: Maybe not! (Laughter) TB: Thank you! RS: My pleasure! |
CASTRO AND THE EVERGLADES
Recently, through the joys of the Internet, I received an electronic petition to Congress asking that they repeal the restrictions on the right of Americans to travel to Cuba.
These travel restrictions are long standing, but when you think about it, rather strange.
For example, the U.S. State Department has no objection if for some perverse reason you would like to tour the national parks of Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea. Indeed for the adventurous American, a kayak trip down the Tigris River in Iraq with a farewell dinner in Baghdad, can be arranged.
Now the US foreign service officer might state in that prissy, Ivy League understatement of theirs, that "there might be certain unforeseen risks" if you undertake the above entertainments. However, they would not forbid you to go. Mercy, no! It's your time, your money, your life.
On the other hand, should you desire to go to Cuba, not, mind you, to see "Socialist Democracy in Action", but to drink rum, lie on the beach and ogle the famous Cuban women, the answer is a stern and unequivocal "NO! YOU CAN'T GO!"
If you ask "Why not?" You will be given essentially that same frustrating answer you got from an inept teacher in elementary school, "BECAUSE I SAID SO!"
If you point out to the U.S. government (allegedly your government) that you are no longer in the third grade and would like a bit more definitive answer, they will grudgingly comply.
It seems that the money you spent on "Cuba Libres" and other rum drinks, your hotel, the cost of the tour of Havana, the evening at the Tropicana, and so on, will be scarfed up by Evil Fidel and used against us, the Leaders of the Free World.
Well, gee!
On the other hand, I think it is apparent to most Americans that every time you buy a gallon of gas from our beloved "ally", Saudi Arabia, you are contributing to a "charity" that sets aside a small percentage of a penny to buy a block of C-4 to attach to the fuel tank of your children's school bus and the wherewithal to support the guy that does the attaching. Sooner or later, they will have sufficient funds.
But what of Fidel? Ah, poor Fidel! Age is not kind to athletes, actors or dictators. They have roles to play and when they persist beyond the age of credibility they become pathetic. Mike Tyson should have retired long before his last fight. Clint Eastwood should not cast himself as the suitor of girls in their 20's and Fidel should have retired to a villa in the south of Spain.
Ah, but Fidel in his prime! Now there was a worthy opponent! One to be reckoned with, most particularly when backed up by the only other major atomic player, the Soviet Union. Few who were alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1963 can forget Castro in his guerilla costume egging on Nikita Khrushchev to keep the missiles in position, bringing the world perilously close to Armageddon.
Sadly, time passes for us all, and Fidel is but a shadow of his former self. Indeed, he has become to resemble one of those Japanese soldiers who are found from time to time on remote islands, still carrying on the Second World War.
Fidel's beard is yellow white now. His gait is unsteady, and sometimes he simply topples over, as the elderly are prone to do. His heir apparent, younger, (but not that young) brother Raul, is rumored to have problems with alcohol. The economy is in shambles. A significant amount of hard currency income is derived from European and Asian sex tourists, with the enthusiastic support of the government. Cuba seems to be encased in a genteel but equally shared poverty. American cars of the 1950's, allegedly the epitome of planned obsolescence, continue to rattle down the roads of Cuba apparently for all eternity. The population is intelligent and well educated, but stuck in a Cold War time warp.
How come? Well, nobody seems to know.
While we are not actually sharing toothbrushes with communist China and communist Viet Nam, who between them put nearly 100,000 Americans in premature graves, we are quite friendly with them. We trade with them (some say too much!) and you can generally go anywhere in China or Viet Nam that your wallet can take you. Want to arrange a kayak trip down the entire Yangtze River? Fine! A Chinese travel agency will be glad to oblige. Want to retrace the battles of your unit in the Viet Nam War? Excellent! A Vietnamese travel agency can assist you, complete with guide who can fill in the other side's point of view. Our state department will not object.
Then there is the Mother of all Communist Conspiracies, the raggle-taggle Former Soviet Union. Should you desire to one-up Roger Siglin and complete the epic journey envisioned by John Ledyard and Thomas Jefferson of a trip from St. Petersburg, Russia, across Siberia, the frozen Bering Sea, Alaska, Western Canada and down the Missouri drainage to St. Louis and on to Monticello to report to the ghost of Thomas Jefferson. The Russian government, envisioning snowmobile tourism, will wish you Godspeed and provide letters of introduction. Our Secretary of State and possibly the president will desire to be photographed with you. Russia is our friend and trading partner.
Ah, but should you desire to drink a Cuba Libre and smoke a forbidden cigar 90 miles south of Key West, well there might be some, umm, consequences. Such as a $60,000 fine. You say you don't have $60,000? Don't even have a job? Can't get blood out of a turnip etc etc. Don't fret! The State Department has a plan for the likes of you. They recently tried to garnish the social security payments of a retired librarian who spent a week in Cuba with an "unapproved" tour group. (She was rescued by her Congressman who believed that possessing the investigative skills of the CIA was not a job requirement for being a little old lady.)
So, what's the reason for more than 40 years of petulant bullying of Cuba?
Well, nobody seems to know. It could be argued that Castro made fools out of 8 US Presidents. However, when you think about it, that is really not hard to do, and Fidel should not be given undue credit for what comes naturally.
The Cold War? It's over, remember. Our side won.
Is it our irrepressible instinct to spread democracy throughout the world?
Possibly. However, that "irrepressible instinct" is quickly flagged if we need military bases or oil. We cheerfully flatter and trade with tyrannical medieval fanatics who regard free elections as blasphemy and behead people in the public square. Better cross off democracy as our motivation.
Now one of the interesting things about the bullying of Cuba is that it is so ineffectual. I mean Castro is still there. Why?
Devout leftists would say that the "Cuban People love the Maximum Leader!" Perhaps they do. They are certainly used to him and people tend to hate change.
But is that the only reason?
I mean if we were serious about getting rid of Castro (or at least turning him into a harmless figurehead like Queen Elizabeth), we would unleash mass tourism, against which there is no defense. The little kingdom of Bhutan, not wishing to have its culture stood on its head, has severely restricted the number of tourists allowed in. Castro, apparently beyond caring, has made no such reservations. Castro has said "Come on in!" All the US. State Department has to do is say "Go ahead." The Communist regime might be continued in name only for a few years after Castro's death out of respect for the old man.
So why haven't we opened the floodgates of industrial tourism? Why is Fidel still there?
Do you suppose that Greedhead Republicans have a stake in keeping Castro in power?
Now where did I get such a weird idea?
Well, like most Republicans, I don't read the corrupt NY TIMES, but get most of my wisdom from such publications as William F. Buckley's NATIONAL REVIEW.
The lead article in the July 18, 2005 issue is "How Sugar Interests Rip Off America and Harm the National Interest".
The author, Jason Steorts, gets the show on the road with a snappy lead sentence:
"In a hall of fame for corporate welfare queens, the sugar industry would occupy a place of special honor."
Mr. Steorts goes on to point out that sugar in the United States costs two to three times the world price. We are essentially being taxed by a bunch of Greedhead sugar barons who have a hammer lock on Congress.
Because there is such a heavy subsidy of domestic sugar, it makes economic sense to destroy Everglades National Park. (Yes! I know! The Everglades are being restored! But, gee whiz! It seems to be taking both forever and costing billions! That's because there are sensitive ecological interpolitical greedhead connections that scientists are only just beginning to understand. As John Muir once observed "When you try to take apart a Florida politician, you find him connected to everybody in the Universe" (or words to that effect)
This is where Castro comes in. Cuba is admirably suited for the production of sugar. With modern methods and equipment, Cuba could easily out-produce and undersell not only the Florida and Louisiana sugar cane producers, but also the sugar beet farmers of Utah, Idaho, and North Dakota.
The Greedheads might say " If we can just keep Evil Fidel in power (and if Fidel is called home to Jesus, see that the alcoholic brother gets in) then we will have some justification for keeping cheap Cuban sugar off the American market and the difference in our pockets!" Neat plan! Now the NATIONAL REVIEW article did NOT say that, I did, but it is a pretty slick reason for keeping tourists out of Cuba and Castro in power.
The NATIONAL REVIEW article suggests that "a coalition to oppose the sugar lobby could draw support from free trade advocates on the right, manufacturing and agricultural interests that stand to benefit from trade liberalization and consumer groups that object to high sugar prices. On the left, many environmentalists are opposed to sugarcane farming in South Florida because of the damage it inflicts on the Everglades. Groups concerned with the elimination of global poverty, such as OXFAM, are quick to point out that the US sugar program, along with European export subsidies for sugar beet growers depresses world sugar prices and keeps cane growing tropical nations poorer than they need to be."
Bravo NATIONAL REVIEW! Think of it neighbors! Here is a golden opportunity to strike a blow at one of the last bastions of Communist tyranny AND also strike a blow at Greedhead Republicans! Such opportunities do not come around that often, so write your Congressman and insist on your right to travel to Cuba to undermine Castro and the US Sugar Lobby and save the Everglades!
THE SAFETY MESSAGE
Yes! You've finally found it! The only reason you are using government time and a government computer to access THUNDERBEAR: The Safety Message! As park Safety Officer, your job is to provide safety awareness to both staff and park visitors and THUNDERBEAR'S bi-monthly Safety Message is the A#1 method of getting the safety lesson across.
This month, as it is summer, we will address the timely question "Is it True that George Bush causes heat stroke?
Not directly.
Heat stroke and heat prostration are directly caused by the sun, that large, hard to look at and hard to ignore object in the summer day time sky, and not George Bush.
Now there is no evidence that the sun is getting hotter. It seems to be a steady state nuclear reactor that will keep churning along at roughly the same temperature and energy output for the next billion years or so, plus or minus a few millennia.
However, there is some evidence that the earth is getting a little bit warmer. Since we can't blame the sun, who can we blame?
Over in Scotland, at the G-8 Summit, President Bush sort of lowered his head, stubbed the toe of his cowboy boot in the heather and grudgingly allowed as how the Earth's climate was getting warmer and how it is entirely possible that Man may have had something to do with the warming trend (Understandably, George does not want to take the fall for the whole human race, and I don't blame him!).
So, can we blame heat prostration in the National Parks on the President?
No, that would be "Junk Science" as Karl Rove would say.
If there has been an increase in heat related incidents in the parks, it is probably due more to better treatment and better record keeping than in the past rather than the action or inaction of George Bush.
Heat safety issues in parks have been around long before the advent of Bush and will remain long after him.
Heat causes more deaths in the US than all the tornados, floods, avalanches, forest fires, rattlesnakes, blizzards, bears, hurricanes, landslides, falling trees, and lightning strikes put together. Literally thousands die of heat each year, many of them elderly, many of the deaths are preventable.
Since most people visit national parks and monuments during the hot summer months that is the time of the greatest danger.
However one heat safety problem is the perception of danger. As Charles Lindburg always remarked to his children "It is not the expected danger that gets you, but the unexpected, the one you haven't planned for."
I had not planned for heat in Shenandoah National Park.
Now of course I knew it got hot in Shenandoah. It is, after all, summer.
Still, my perception of hot weather was, like most people's, based on extremes. Most Americans and all but the dumbest Europeans avoid Death Valley National Park in the summer time. This is true also of Big Bend, Joshua Tree, Organ Pipe and most of the other desert national parks and monuments, where summer visitation is by only the most desperate of illegal immigrants.
Like I say, most people are aware of the dangers of the summer deserts. What they do not always realize is that they can get into a world of trouble heat-wise in the more humid parks such as Shenandoah or Great Smoky.
The threat is hidden. Everything is green and growing. Life is everywhere. There is even running water from time to time. How could heat be a problem?
The paradox is that heat can be a problem because of the presence of water.
You see, when we humans were evolving on the semi-desert savannahs of Africa, God equipped us with a simple, but effective swamp cooler device that worked on the principle of evaporating sweat cooling the body. The system works much less well in hot, humid, muggy areas where sweat doesn't evaporate. (The Great Bear suggested a better all-around cooling system, but God was cutting back on R & D for mammals at that time, so we're stuck with what we've got.)
Hot, humid, muggy sort of describes Shenandoah in the summer time.
Now what was I doing in Shenandoah? Why, testing out raingear for the Pacific Northwest!
John McIntosh, the Chief Scientist of Pacific Rim National Park on the Island of Vancouver had invited Joan and me to hike to Della Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island.
Now Della Falls is variously described as (A) the highest waterfall in North America (Yup, higher than Yosemite (B) The highest waterfall in Canada and, more modestly (C) The highest waterfall in British Columbia. It depends on how you measure.
Part of the attraction of Della Falls is the hike itself. First, you travel around 20 miles up fjord like Great Central Lake from Port Alberni to the trail head. You then hike in for 8 miles to camp at the foot of the falls and, if you feel like it, hike an additional two miles up to Love Lake for the best view of the falls.
It is often hard to get an estimation of the difficulty of a trail from hikers, as no one wishes to be thought wimpy or easily impressed. However, several of McIntosh's hiking buddies had referred to the trail as "tough" which, coming from taciturn Canadians, should give one pause.
I therefore felt that it would be best to test gear and personnel before setting out to British Columbia. The problem was compounded by the fact that, due to a bad back, Joan could carry nothing but herself, not even a fanny pack. To overcome this problem, we had invited along, Deidre "The Scenic Sherpa" a delightful young woman who was good at most everything and was very strong. Between Deidre and myself, I felt we could carry for Joan, and even permit emergency rations of single malt Scotch to celebrate.
So, just to make sure, I organized a trial run at Shenandoah National Park. Now Shenandoah has almost nothing in common with Strathcona Provincial Park climate wise, but it does have steep, rocky trails with excellent elevation gains.
Heat and thirst would be the least of our problems on the Della Falls hike. It rains constantly, bugs were a disaster, and snow persists until August. So I arranged for it to be wet and cold in Shenandoah. At least I thought I did. We planned a wilderness hike on the Matthews Arm Trail roughly the same length and elevation gain, with Shenandoah's famously angular trail rocks. We asked the backcountry manager to schedule us for days when it would rain buckets. I believe we were the only taxpayers who actually insisted on bad weather.
The idea was that the three of us would do the ten mile Matthews Arm circuit hike in Shenandoah during rainy, inclement weather as sort of a dress rehearsal for Della Falls which would occur in August. Deidre and I would pack the rain and snow gear, food, cooking, sleeping bags, tents, everything we would need. Joan would supervise. The test would be if our equipment, particularly the rain gear would be adequate and if we could carry for three people.
The weather prediction for our two day hike was "favorable" in that the remnants of a hurricane would drop a Noah-like deluge on Shenandoah.
The day before the hike, Joan suffered a torn meniscus (knee) while pursuing her hobby of Scottish country dancing. However, she insisted that the experiment continue without her, as after all, we were the ones to carry the packs. We agreed.
Although wet, cool weather was the goal of the hike, we realized that, being July, hot weather was definitely a possibility. Deidre and I each carried two one liter water bottles as well as a water filter to make more potable water as needed.
Deidre and I arrived at the Matthews Arm trail head under satisfyingly oppressive black storm clouds. It was bound to rain in biblical proportions and possibly break the sauna like heat that enveloped us like a shroud when we exited from the car, portent of things to come.
Our 6 mile descent was uneventful. Shenandoah's famously slatey, pointy trail surface gave boots and ankles a good workout. The heat, even toward sundown was oppressive. A rain would feel good.
Except that the rain did not come. We pitched camp. I put up the three person tent, Deidre pitched her one person tent.
Thunder boomed promisingly in the distance. Lightning lit the sky like God's cannon flashes, but no rain.
I lay in my tent on top of my sleeping bag, wishing I knew enough Yoga to levitate at least 3 inches above its undesirably warm clutches. Sleep would not come. Even if it did, heat induced nightmares and claustrophobia surely would follow. I had never been this hot before, at least in this incarnation; perhaps maybe when I had been an Indian Medicine man in the Amazon basin or a New Guinea head hunter, but not recently.
Deidre was also having trouble sleeping.
I decided to pass the time with a conversational gambit that has long made me in demand as a hiking partner: Bible Study for Christian Campers.
"Deidre, why do you think Christ made Paul his first disciple?" I called over to her tent.
"PJ, how the hell would I know?" She replied in a tone that she not only did not know, but did not care to be enlightened.
"Because Jesus was interested in the Wilderness Experience and Paul made the best tents in Israel. Christ could not have done his 40 day trek in the Wilderness if he didn't have one of Paul's tents. It was made of closely woven goat hair, light, easy to pack, did not require a rain fly, and beat the hell out of Gore-Tex. Christ was impressed. That's why he made Paul his first disciple!
There was a moment of silence from Deidre's tent, then a question: "PJ, ARE YOU BULLSHITTING ME?"
"God's truth, Deidre," I responded "It's in the Bible, well most of it, the important parts."
Actually, it was neigh onto impossible to bullshit Deidre, which was one reason she was still single. She is an interesting polymath, good at almost everything she tries. She is a biologist by profession, ran labs for Cornell University and the University of Maryland. Has incredible understanding of spatial relationships and small hand skills, permitting her to become an electrician and carpenter as well as a costume designer and seamstress for the Boston ballet and finds time to volunteer for the National Park Service. She is a skilled and competent outdoorswoman, rather dishy in a quiet sort of way, with soft Celtic features and a great mane of walnut brown hair that our cat, Thomas, loves to play with. Ah! So you would like to meet Deidre? No, I am not making her up. Meeting Deidre will be no problem at all, you need only to journey down to Dry Tortugas National Park in October where she will be volunteering as their campground host.
"Try to get some sleep and be sure to hydrate, the tents are stuffy." She said.
I wished she hadn't said that. Claustrophobia set in, alternating with special effect nightmares, when snatches of sleep occurred. I didn't "hydrate" I just wanted to switch channels. That was mistake number one.
I awoke the next day with the twice miserable feeling of a hangover without the preceding joy of alcohol.
Deidre was indomitably cheerful.
The next 6 miles would be the return half of the circuit, around 6 miles, mostly uphill. (Yes, I know, you do that every day, with an anvil under each arm; that was my problem, I didn't do it every day, at least not in this heat.)
I had two liters of water in the side pockets of my pack. Mistake number two. Water works only when it's inside you. Anything that slows down getting water is hazardous, you should have some sort of plastic bladder, hose and teat arrangement that supplies water on demand.
We filtered water and refilled our bottles at every water source, but I seemed to be using water faster than I could drink it.
Deidre noticed that I was beginning to stagger, I needed more and more periods of rest.
Now, neighbors, back East where there is no snow pack on the peaks and ridges to provide constant melt water, there comes a time when you reach what might be termed the Water Crest that is the geography gets steep enough so there is not much surface water except just after a rain. This meant that my needing water faster than I could drink it was becoming moot, there was no water to drink. Mistake #3, we did not carry enough collapsible water carriers.
Around 2 miles from the trail head (so near yet so far!) Deidre called a halt. "We'll have to drop your pack and come back for it later, otherwise you will not make it."
I could agree to that.
"What we can do is rest through the heat of the day, then come out." I said sensibly.
"Can't do that! Joan would be worried! We have to get to a phone." Deidre replied
Mistake #4 You should be driven by the existing circumstances of the hike, not the necessity to meet an appointment. If it is necessary to lie over for a day to rehydrate, wait out a storm or whatever, it should be built into the hike. (If you really want to cheat, even in a Wilderness Area, you can carry a cell phone, at least in the lower 48.)
"PJ, your pack is the heaviest. I'll carry your pack out and we'll leave mine and pick it up later."
I tried to protest but was interrupted by hiccups, a rare but debilitating side effect of heat exhaustion. The hiccups would last seven hours through all sorts of home remedies and folk medicine. One big problem with hiccups is that no one takes you seriously and you cannot give orders. Can you imagine what might have happened if Abraham Lincoln developed hiccups while giving the Gettysburg Address or if Jesus Christ had gotten them during the Sermon on the Mount?
I stacked the pack and we started up the trail. Deidre was strong, but she was tiring.
We trudged on silently through ever increasing heat. I soon finished the last of my water. No percentage in hoarding it, it doesn't work except inside you.
Deidre hauled out the last of her water.
"PJ, Drink the water!" she said
"Deidre" I said between hics, "You can't carry a pack without water. You drink it."
Now Deidre's eyes are normally deep jade green except when she is angry, when they turn gray.
PJ, DRINK THE GODDAMM WATER! Her eyes were gray as Shenandoah slate.
I drank the water.
We finally made it to the Matthews Arm trailhead, water, and the blessed relief of Toyota's air conditioning
"Must get to a 7-11, call Joan, Get GATORADE" She croaked.
I could not see the importance of the last task
"We need to replace electrolytes" GATORADE normally tastes like perverted lemonade, except when you need to replace electrolytes, then it tastes like the nectar of the gods. I guarantee we will drink a half gallon each!" and we did.
Mistake #5, although no substitute for water, you can buy powdered electrolyte compounds that you can add to your water to keep you chemically "in balance". We did not bring any.
So, a number of lessons learned; the chief one being that heat is perhaps the greatest overlooked hazard in the summer national parks, indirectly causing many accidents due to heat impaired judgment, reflexes, exhaustion and so on.
If you haven't done so already, it might be a good idea to print up a bunch of park heat safety suggestions along with some good Hoofnagle type cartoons to keep things from getting too heavy.
Enjoy the heat!
GETTING RID OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
The Cato Institute, a Think Tank for the Greedhead wing of the Republican Party once postulated that most of the non- military public lands of the American people could be privatized within 20 years. That would be most of the public lands. The National Parks would take a bit longer to privatize, probably around 40 years, due to the "sentimental and emotional" attachment that some Americans have for these lands.
Now, neighbors, I have never for a moment doubted the skill and ability of Greedheads, nor the Jesuitical Casuistry of the Cato Institute when it came to finding a reason for getting something done, no matter how odious the project.
Privatizing the public lands administered by the Forest Service, The Bureau of Land Management and even the Fish & Wildlife Service would pose no mystery and not much difficulty. You see, unfortunately for the environment and the American public, these agencies were born with the built in Trojan Horse of Multiple Use. That is, the Forest Service and the BLM were saddled with "tenants" who were able to help themselves to the wealth of the public property they were leasing at ridiculously low rental rates.
To use a favorite buzzword of the Bush Administration, It would be only "Common Sense" to allow the tenants who had been looting these lands to pick up the degraded remains at fire sale prices. The Fish & Wildlife Refuges could be sold to private hunting clubs. Texas, which is fast becoming a model for the rest of the country in delivering tardy health care and speedy executions, also leads the nation in the lack of public lands for the purpose of hunting or just simply standing around without somebody telling you that you're trespassing. The former federal refuges could be provided with draconian Texas style anti-trespassing laws in which the unauthorized nature utilizer could be shot, pistol whipped, or otherwise maimed for life if he/she "trespassed" on the newly privatized property.
Ah, but getting rid of the National Parks would be a bit more difficult, due to our aforementioned "sentimental" attachment to them.
The Greedheads are going to have to overcome more than a hundred years of such "sentimentality" and knee jerk public support for the nation's parks.
Can it be done? Well neighbors, it will be an uphill battle, but where there's a will, there's a way and Greedheads can acquire most any thing.
So, 40 years to get rid of the National Parks? Sounds about right!
How is it to be done?
Well, until recently, I had no idea.
Support for the National Parks is pretty much bi-partisan with some pretty conservative Senators and Congressmen in the same corner and ball park with John Muir and the Sierra Club. The American people REALLY like their national parks, and they tend to agree with the British ambassador, Lord Brice, who famously remarked that "It was our best idea."
A frontal assault on the parks would be bad public relations, might even result in a backlash, creating even MORE parks.
So what to do?
Like I say, I had no idea how the Greedheads could possibly prevail until I came across some correspondence from a good friend and associate of mine, Dr.Owen Hoffman.
Dr. Hoffman is an eminent scientist in the field of toxicology, and even if you have not had the pleasure of meeting him, you will encounter him vicariously as our environment grows more and more toxic.
Important as his work is, Dr, Hoffman's great love, aside from family, has been the national parks. He worked as a long term seasonal ranger at Crater Lake, Zion, and Yosemite, where I was his supervisor. He was a creative, charismatic naturalist who was a great ambassador for the National Park idea.
Dr. Hoffman continues his interest in the National Parks and visits them whenever he can.
He shared with me his experience at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our most visited (and some would say, besieged) national park.
In a letter from Dr. Hoffman:
"It sounds to me that privatization of our public lands is well along the way to becoming the norm not the exception. The train seems to have left the station. The only hope is to bring the American People into the equation.But does anyone really care? The few who scream "outrage" will be simply dismissed as elitists having unrealistic expectations during time of war and funding shortfall (and being on the wrong side of the ruling political party.)
Recently, I visited the Great Smoky NP. I hiked with my son into Abrams Falls for a pleasant mid-morning stroll. During my entire time in the Smokies, I saw two uniformed persons.
I actually met and talked with one, a new-hire (with bandana, but no hat) who had one week's experience as a fee collector (now called visitor use services) He told me he would be unable to answer any detailed questions about the natural history of the park as he was new, not an interpreter, and had only one day of formal training (although he had worked in similar positions in 11 other park areas). He was using his one day a month "park orientation time to walk the trail for the first time.
While hiking back from Abrams Falls, I asked the newly hired fee collector a few questions. I asked him what role VIP's were playing in the park. He said the VIP's were now being used extensively to the extent that all information activities at the Sugarlands VC were essentially run by VIP's. Uniformed personnel could be found in the backrooms, however.
He told me that the NPS is now providing many new RV spaces for retirees who travel to the Smokies to serve as VIP's. I wonder how many other national park areas are doing the same?
It's obvious that times have changed. Although I have fond memories of different times in the past, I don't see hope for a reversal of this accelerated trend toward systematized privatization/volunteerism in our public lands; not unless the American people truly care about the subtle difference that is coming about. But even then, I do not believe the present Administration is going to listen. It has a clearly different set of priorities. The train seems to have left the station.
One of the more unpleasant experiences for me was the stop and go bumper to bumper traffic along the narrow Cades Cove loop. There just has to be a better way to experience the Cove than to drive it during times of peak traffic. The traffic was so dense that bicycling or even walking the Cades Cove loop would not be a safe or enjoyable option.
The five mile roundtrip walk to Abrams Falls itself was quite enjoyable, and my first time out to that area in a few years. Everyone out on the trail was in wonderful spirits, despite the high temperatures.
Upon finishing my day in the Smokies, I found it difficult to repress the thought that, although our parks have immense value as vignettes of our cultural and natural heritage, with enormous potential to serve the public as centers of learning and inspiration, their primary importance politically and economically is to promote vacation travel and attract tourist dollars to local communities.
The realities of local economics and politics of course are what prevent the closure and/or restricted access of the Cades Cove loop to the private automobile. Yet, there no doubt in my mind that Cades Cove would be best experienced without the presence of dense traffic.
The other uniformed person I saw was a LE female ranger who I noticed at a distance while I was in my car leaving the park. She was attending to a traffic problem near the Little River Sinks"
Now neighbors, Dr. Hoffman didn't have a really BAD day in the park. Nobody burgled his car at the trail head, he didn't break an axle in a pot hole, he was not insulted by an overstressed park employee, and the park concession food didn't poison him. So what's he complaining about?
Actually, from a park privatizer's point of view, Dr. Hoffman had EXACTLY the right experience; a so-so, middling, sorta average, sorta zilch experience; the kind of experience you get in a run down theme park that has seen better days and is going to be subdivided. Lack of uniformed staff, traffic jams. Not enough to get totally outraged and write your congressperson; just a feeling of creeping mediocrity. A feeling that you should be taking your presence elsewhere. If the privatisers are able to provide say, 10 or 15 consecutive seasons of not outrageous, but just sort of mediocre park experience, then the public will be ready for the siren song of the privatizer-developer "The XYZ corporation has an excellent history of running Enviro-ecological Destination Resorts (Formerly, Your National Parks) so why don't we just turn the park over to them and save taxpayer money?"
Heck! It may not even take 40 years to privatize the parks!
Is there an alternative? Sure is, neighbors!
I observed it last year at Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
We entered the park from the Blue Ridge Parkway. We didn't get too far, the park road was blocked a few miles in. Seems a mass murderer had barricaded himself somewhere up the road in the park.
The park visitor center was open, so we gave that a shot. A most gratifying experience! A bank of about 8 uniformed naturalists stood behind the info counter (Not a volunteer in sight.) they were dispensing calm, up to the minute information on the location of the murderer, as well as what trails and waterfalls could be accessed without potentially accessing the killer. Information on weather, camping and the status of the rhododendron bloom was dispensed enthusiastically as if the customer was a favorite relative. At first, I thought I had lucked out with an unusually bright employee, but I was curious enough to observe them all answer questions. They were all highly intelligent, brilliantly trained, and brilliantly led. It was a tour de force of interpretation and quite a show!
Is this facet of Great Smoky the wave of the future? I hope so. It beats the alternative.
A CLOUD ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL HORIZON NO BIGGER THAN A POLICEMAN'S FOOT
Recently, a young Scottish policeman was on foot patrol in the rolling hills outside of Edinburgh. He had been told by his supervisors to be on the look out for "Suspicious" persons" or "suspicious activity". (Now when you think about it, this would not be an unusual assignment as that pretty much sums up a law enforcement career.)
However, the assignment was unusual in the sense that the policeman's duties involved protecting the President of the United States who was in Scotland to attend the G-8 Conference. The policeman was on the periphery of the event, and it was unlikely that the president would require his assistance.
Still, he was on the alert for suspicious activity or persons. In the long twilight of the Scottish summer evening, he could sense or perhaps hear, a faint hissing sound, as if a bicycle was approaching rapidly. He half turned to investigate the sound, when he experienced a searing pain in his foot and a heavy blow to side and shoulder. Stunned, the policeman went down like a pole axed steer. As he fell, his peripheral vision registered a large flying object, which thudded to the ground just beyond him.
As the policeman tried to collect himself, the object coalesced into a human form with bloody hands which towered over him.
"YA OK, PARTNER? A twanging voice inquired.
The policeman peered up at his questioner and recognized the television familiar countenance of the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush.
The policeman allowed as how he was OK, thank you. Sir. To be on the safe side, the policeman was taken to hospital. He had been struck by the President, "an ardent and aggressive mountain biker" who was ardently and aggressively pursuing his hobby.
Our indestructible President broke his own fall with his head (he was wearing a helmet) and, aside from bloodied hands, was none the worse for wear. The policeman's injuries also proved superficial and he was provided with a life long anecdote to tell over pints at the pub.
It was a small, amusing story, a segue into the larger G-8 conference story.
The only problem is the part about Mr. Bush being an "ardent and aggressive mountain biker." The mountain biking hobby is something generally not well known about the President. The fact that they have a First Biker in the White House will not be overlooked by lobbyists for the mountain bike industry and its attendant organizations.
For Federal land managers, particularly NPS managers, Mr. Bush's hobby is a cloud on the horizon at present no bigger than a policeman's foot.
At present, mountain bikers are pretty much limited to various fire roads or jeep trails in parks such as Canyonlands National Park. This could change if park managers are easily buffaloed by the idea of a mountain bike riding Chief Executive who has no patience with any restrictions on his favorite sport.
Now the president has issued no such pronouncement.
However, the Mountain Biking community would be less than organizational if they were not to let slip that they had a First Biker in the White House. (After all, Eisenhower did a world of good for the game of golf!
The retired Superintendent of Hawaii Volcanos, Jim Martin, councils co-option and cooperation rather than confrontation, which is probably a wise stance as it is a bit hair splitting to say that four wheels can go down a fire or "administrative" road, but two wheels can't. According to Martin, Hawaii Volcanos received excellent cooperation from the mountain biking community.
According to Martin, allowing mountain bikes on designated two lane roads "had the immediate effect of greatly reducing bike use on hiking trails and cross country use in the desert area -- managing a previously unrecognized activity that had high potential for degredation of the resources of the park. There was no demand to "share" the hiking trails with hikers (though ironically enough, hikers are now using the once forbidden administrative roads with the bikers)
So far, so good. But stay alert! You may not hear "Dubya" coming around the bend until it's too late!