Minutes for Meeting of 07-18-2001

Ramblers,

About 12 people attended the meeting. For more information about the club,
visit our web site at [www.biocom.arizona.edu/ramblers]. Meetings are held in
307 Forbes on Wednesday evenings at 5 pm.

FUTURE HIKES

1) Andrew is planning a car camping trip to the Chiricahua National Monument
leaving Friday evening, July 20 and returning Sunday afternoon around 3pm. A
long hike is planned on Saturday, probably a loop through Echo Canyon and Heart
of the Rocks, and a short one on Sunday. Contact Andrew at
[arhodes@WESLEYAN.EDU].

2) Sky Island Alliance Blue Range Trip Mon July 23 to Sun July 29. Volunteer
your time to eradicate roads from primitive and wilderness areas. Can work the
whole week or parts of it. Rob will be going and can provide/share
transportation. Contact: [matt@skyislandalliance.org] or 624-7080.

2) Steve Newcomb and Rob Baker are leading a backpack trip to Wheeler Peak, New
Mexico, leaving Thursday evening 6pm, Aug 2, and returning Sunday, Aug 5, 2001.
Plan is to drive as far as we can Thursday night, car camp, then reach the
trailhead at the Middle Fork of the Red River Friday by noon. Then hike to the
Lost Lake at 11,495 ft and camp near the creek below the lake. We will attempt
Wheeler Peak on a day hike Saturday and return to camp along the Twining Blue
Lake Trail to complete a loop. Camp again at Lost Lake Saturday evening. Rise
early Sunday morning, hike out and return to Tucson. Rob is planning to take
his car and is more flexible in departure and return date. This is an A hike
due to elevation and steep sections of the trail. Contact Steve if you are
interested at [sanewcomb@yahoo.com].

PAST HIKES

1) Steve Newcomb led 7 Ramblers on a day hike on the David Yetman Trail in the
Tucson Mts. A car shuttle was used to hike the entire 5.7 miles, from the west
trailhead to the east (located at the end of Camino de Oeste Rd). Despite
leaving at 6 am, the morning was warm at the start and hot when finishing
around 10:30a. The original plan, to hike a few hours total out and back from
the east trailhead, would work better this time of year. Everyone brought 2
liters of water and agreed that this is a minimum for hikes in the desert. Some
beautiful hedgehog cactus were blooming with violet flowers crowning their
tops. A dead (and smelly) lizard was found on a window sill of the Bowen
homestead ruins.

2)Nicole, Dan and Angela went to San Diego on a 3 day road trip. They went to
the Zoo, beach and had a fish lunch. Cars were hitting bumper to bumper on the
road to the beach. This was likened to parking methods in Europe, where we are
told from our European Ramblers that cars regularly push surrounding cars
around while parallel parking. Jokes followed. They saw Panda (sleeping),
birds, and bonobos (one of humankind's closet relatives).

3) Rob and a friend hiked a 12 mile section of the Colorado Trail between
Durango and Silverton, caught 17 cut throat trout, ate 8 (threw back the rest),
camped out at 11000 ft and relaxed in a hot spring near Aspen.

4) Welcome back Jennifer, who returned from a 3 week trip to Peru. It was
amazing, taking in the views of glacier lakes north of Lima, hiking for 4 days
up to Machu Picchu at 3200 meters. Had to hike through snow on one pass. There
were all sorts of cool looking bugs that would have made Robbie jump for joy.
Also saw many plant species, all new and hummingbirds the size of robins,
waterfalls, jungles and rain forests. More to come, including slides.

5) Andrew and Massimo (separate trips) went to the desert museum this weekend.
Andrew saw a spiny tailed iguana with beads in its neck. Robbie said the beads
are to monitor them and keep them inside the open space within the museum. Saw
beavers cleaning each other in their hut, fat prairie dogs. Massimo went
Saturday evening (open until 10 p) and highly recommends it. Saw a rattlesnake
loose in the open area (probably a neighbor) and a tarantula. $9 entry, a great
place to go to learn about the critters and environment here in the southwest.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Need club gear? Contact Robbie before Friday if you need gear until he returns
on the 30th of July. Call 792-0970.

Ramble On,

Steve filling in for Wolfgang