Page 22 - 2004 DT 9 Issues

March ○ ○ ○ ○ Ansel Adams, continued from page 1 Exploring the Mojave Preserve

with gusto, meeting influential people by Dan Wray
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Desk Schedule ○ ○ such as Harold Ickes, Secretary of the In-
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terior. When Adams published his book, n Saturday, January 24 , an
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Mon/1 A. Berg F. Rhea ○ ○ Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, he intrepid group of volunteers
sent a copy to Ickes who showed it to O ventured into the wilds of the
Tues/2 J. Geier E. Rothfuss
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It so Mojave Preserve ably led by Rangers
Wed/3 D./V. Wray C. Gilmore ○ ○ captivated FDR that he asked Ickes if he Jim, Scott, and Kate.
Thurs/4 G. Sayles D. Powers ○ ○ ○ could keep it for the White House. Adams We set off at 8 a.m. in cool but sunny
Fri/5 L. Landry E. Schliepp ○ ○ sent Ickes another copy. Adams never weather and made our way down Inter-
turned back from being a highly state 15. We, naturally, showed our
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Sat/6 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck ○
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vocal supporter for the protection of passports at the border with The Peoples’
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Sun/7 B. Saperstein P. Kepner ○ ○ Republic before climbing up from
S. Valladao ○ ○ ○ Stateline (Primm, Nev.) into California.
Mon/8 J. Frank R./M. Augulis ○ ○ ○ We turned off at Cima Road for a
brief stop at the convenience store where
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Tues/9 J. Geier E. Rothfuss ○
we noticed that gasoline cost $2.95 per
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Wed/10 N. Kresge C. Gilmore ○ ○ gallon. It was too early in the year to see
Thurs/11 G. Sayles J. Geier ○ ○ ○ in bloom the masses of Joshua trees lin-
Fri/12 M. Slagle D./V. Wray ○ ○ ○ ing the road. Joshua trees in the National
Sat/13 R. Conductor M. Lolich ○ ○ Preserve have suffered from the drought
and the depredations of rodents which
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M. Lolich ○
have gnawed through the bark in search
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Sun/14 I. Hayman E. Meeks ○ ○ of moisture. Apart from a group of trees,
L. Landry ○ ○ ○ which we noticed near Halloran Summit
Ansel Adams
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Mon/15 D./V. Wray D./V. Wray ○ ○ on our way home, the Joshua trees we
America’s natural environment. If John saw seemed healthy enough.
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Tues/16 T./N. Hughes E. Rothfuss ○
Muir painted the wilderness with words, Our next stop was some ten miles fur-
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Wed/17 T./N. Hughes D. Powers ○ ○ then Ansel Adams painted with photo- ther down the road at the Teutonia Peak
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Thurs/18 G. Sayles J. Barrett ○ ○ ○ graphs. Although they were of different Trailhead. We walked the sandy trail
Fri/19 J. Geier P. Kepner ○ ○ generations, the harmony of both is re- through masses of Joshua trees, noticing
Sat/20 J. Kisosondie G. Gabbert ○ ○ flected in the book, America’s Wilderness on the way the outcrops of granite spar-
– The Photographs of Ansel Adams with kling in the sun.
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Sun/21 E. Meeks L./M. Utah ○
the Writings of John Muir. When Muir By now, the wind had increased and
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Mon/22 D./V. Wray F. Rhea ○ ○ ○ saw the Sierra Nevada as “ . . . the most the chill in the air was more pronounced.
Tues/23 J. Geier E. Rothfuss ○ ○ ○ divinely beautiful of all the mountain The more adventurous and hardy in the
Wed/24 N. Kresge C. Gilmore chains I have ever seen,” he saw it with group went on to climb the peak for the
the same appreciative eye as Adams. views over Cima Dome, although the
Thurs/25 G. Sayles J. Barrett
When Ansel Adams died at age 82 only person with definite proof of his ef-
Fri/26 E. Schliepp D. Powers on April 22, 1984, he left a true legacy of forts was Richard Augulis who had
Sat/27 P. VanDooremaal N. Kresge artistic expression and appreciation of the checked the elevation.
Sun/28 T./N. Hughes L./M. Utah American wilderness. His friend, Bill The remainder of the group checked
Turnage, said he was “the direct heir to out the two fenced-off mine shafts in the
Mon/ 29 P. Christensen D./V. Wray
John Muir’s mantle as the emotional and area and did some bird watching. We
Tues/30 N. Kresge E. Rothfuss ideological leader of the environmental were lucky enough to see the black and
Wed/31 J. Geier C. Gilmore movement.” It all came together in pho- yellow Scott’s Oriol, a house sparrow
tographs, like the “Oak Tree, Snowstorm, which seemed strangely out of place so
Note: Saturday and Sunday shifts Yosemite” (1948), and in the close-ups far from habitation, and a flock of Juncos
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. are needed during busy of leaves and blossoms, as well as the that entertained us with their erratic flight
season. Call Scott to sign up. grand and towering Half Dome. Shortly and the display of white tail feathers they
after his death, a grateful Congress des- make when landing.
ignated over 200,000 acres near Yosemite After a snack, we proceeded to Cima
Changes? Call Scott Bahan(515-5371) as the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area. Store and Post Office, which turned out