Page 11 - oct mag5a_Neat

The Team also has fun and, as some of our sites are only accessible
by high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles, the trip can become an

adventure in itself. You might see the team hiking across the desert,
carrying ladders, camp chairs, photography and drawing supplies in
addition to their personal gear. One of the team members, James

Kotrba, arrives on his motorcycle after working the graveyard shift.
He is the designated
mountain goat. James
will use his rock
climbing skills to reach

the remote spots that
elude the senior team
members. The documentation of a particularly challenging canyon

would not have been possible without James’ training, rock climbing
skills and fearless attitude.

According to Chuck, “One of my most memorable moments came

when Lorrie Vavak and I were hiking to a remote site. Lorrie lost her A Gentle Reminders
for Poohhhch Owners
balance and sat on a well placed Beavertail Cactus. Being the Dont forget water for your pet.
Leave no trace of your pet.
gentleman that I am, I helped her remove the cactus spines from her Dispose of your dog’s poo properly.
nether regions. The group came over the hill and stopped dead on Keep your pet on a leash.
We don’t want your pet in the
the trail at the site of the emergency surgery. The great cactus food chain.
keister caper event has been embellished over years causing Lorrie

and me to be the butt of many jokes.

“Bonuses experienced by the eld drawers are the occasional
sighting of wildlife.” said Martha Burk. “Perhaps the very fact that
our work is exacting and requires quiet concentration is the reason
animals often show up either unaware of our presence or unafraid of

these humans sitting quietly. My favorite experience happened while
I was working with Claire McLaughlin in a serene canyon in complete
silence. A hummingbird ew up to the colorful Pictograph panels we
were drawing, Martha remembers, “It was just hovering there, inches
away, scanning the panel as if he was enjoying the images as much
as we were. That little bird never noticed us, but kept coming back
for look after look.

The Friends members working on the Cultural Resource Team share a

passion for the preservation of these fragile and threatened treasures
of Red Rock Canyon. They are racing against time to document the
remnants of our past before the images fade forever. The members
of the Cultural Resource Team are truly Keepers of the Canyon.

Page 11