Minutes for Meeting of 02-26-2003

HOWDY RAMBLERS-

    -Ramblers meet every Wednesday at 5pm in the Forbes Bldg. in room 307.

    -FYI: THE PARKING LOT BEHIND PARK STUDENT UNION IS CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
(IMAGINE THAT) SO SPECIFIC MEETING PLACES WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE HIKE
LEADER.

    -Don't worry if you don't have a car. We carpool from our meeting place.

PAST HIKES:

    -Wolfgang joined the Southern Arizona Hiking Club as they hiked in the
Attascosa Mountains last Sunday. They hiked to Attascosa Lookout and Attascosa
Peak. The scenery and geologic formations were quite interesting and beautiful.
Wolfgang noted that one area was very similar, geologically speaking, to
Table Rock. The group saw a few wildflowers blooming between the scattered
patches of snow. The only non-human animals around were some squirrels and
a  lonely, lost dog.

    -Curvin visited the Pinacate Mountains in New Mexico last weekend. He
stayed for four days and car-camped and hiked throughout the area. He also
visited and hiked around Crater Elegante. The weather was gorgeous and sunny.
Wildlife sightings included lizards, and more lizards, various species of
hawks, some turkey vultures, chipmunks and squirrels.

    -Steve and Mary spent an extended weekend backpacking in the blue range
primitive area, located in the east-central portion of the Apache National
Forest. The trails were more challenging than expected, and the two feet
of snow in some areas slowed them down quite a bit. However, the views and
scenery were worth the extra effort. Unfortunately, they could not get to
all the areas they had planned because of the slow-downs. They saw a lot
of water flowing in the Blue River and a variety of animal tracks in the
mud alongside the river. The animal tracks included dogs, horse or cattle,
and probably elk among others. All in all, a worthwhile trip.

FUTURE HIKES:

    -Mary, is planning a trip to the Desert Museum for Sun. March 9th. The
trip will most likely leave around noon. A more definite time and meeting
place will be set later.  There is a possibility this trip will be FREE,
or
at a lower price than the $12 general admission fee. So if you would be interested
please send an email to me(Mary).

    -Steve is planning a trip to the Biosphere for sometime in the near future.
The admission fee is $12. Start saving up your money and be on the look out
for more info.

    -There will be a repelling workshop led by our own Rambler, Hanna, on
March 9th, either before of after the trip to the Desert Museum. This will
cover basic knot-tying techniques etc. for climbing and repelling. More info
later.

    -Steve will be leading a backpacking/carcamping trip to Bryce and Zion
Canyons in Utah over Spring Break. The trip will depart on Sunday, March
16th and return on Saturday, March 22nd. Most of the trip will be spent in
Zion Canyon. With a 1-2 day stop in Bryce. On the way home, we will make
a side trip down a canyon that leads directly to Arizona Hot Springs. There
will be an alternate plan for inclement weather. This is a trip for everyone,
as the level of difficulty is quite variable and can be somewhat tailored
to individual needs. Watch for more information. Contact Steve if you are
interested. An RSVP will be required. sanewcomb@yahoo.com

    -Curvin will be spending the entire summer exploring Alaska. If you would
like to spend any amount of time hiking, camping, and exploring Alaska this
summer, and you can transport yourself to Seward's Folly (the state of Alaska)
please feel free to check out Curvin's website and contact him to set up
some trips. www.redundancydept.com.

    -Ross is planning to walk from Tucson to Washington DC in protest of
a war with Iraq. His group will be taking a southerly route through the contiguous
48 and will be walking approximately 25 miles a day. The entire trip should
take about 110 days. They are planning rallies in front of the governors
mansion in Austin, Texas and Tallahassee, Florida. They departed Tucson on
Feb. 22nd. They intend to arrive in DC on June 12th. If you are interested
in participating in this walk for peace as either a walker, monetary/ material
supporter please contact Ross at 241-2022. If you know people in Texas, Louisiana,
Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, or
Virginia and you think they would be willing to support the group in any
way during their walk through those states, contact Ross as well. This is
a great cause and it needs your support! CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE http//projects.takingitglobal.org/bandofhope


ANNOUNCEMENTS:


    -Thanks Steve for another great slide-show! (and a great t-shirt design)