Letter from Vince

As mentioned by Sycamore in the minutes of our July meeting, the following is the text of the message we received from Vince, who joined our group during our June meeting"


"Ron -
I wish I could make it to this meeting. I will try to make one meeting a
year, but it will most likely be the last one in June as it was this year.
I had a great time sitting in on that meeting.

Don't know if you are in email touch with Arizona Mike, but you may remember that he supplied me with two plastic bags - a grocery bag and a small kitchen trash bag - for me to collect trash on the PCT to Mojave Dam. I didn't remember seeing much trash on the way in, but once I was looking for it, I filled both bags almost to bursting on the hike out.

I checked out both of the other PCT trail heads - the one at the far end of
the Mojave dam, where you can just park off the highway (there is plenty of
room to park), and the one on 173 (is that the right number? Anyway, it is
the road up to Lake Arrowhead). As described, the trailhead is right before
the pavement ends, just as the road starts to climb up into Deep Creek
Canyon. It looks like a nice easy trailhead, but the only downside is
limited parking. I think that either of these trailheads would be fine,
both will be more secure for leaving your vehicle, and both will be much
more pleasant than hiking across the scrubland from the end of Deep Creek
Road to the PCT. I think that the trailhead on 173 should be an especially
nice hike, but will add a mile or so to the overall length of the hike.
From the end of Deep Creek Road it is about 13 miles round trip, and I
expect it is about the same from the highway at the far end of the dam. So
it should be about 14 miles round trip from the 173 trailhead. When I hike
it next year I'll measure it with my GPS.

I didn't mention this when I saw you at the meeting in June, but please let
me know where I can send a contribution for general DCV expenses. I can
afford it, and since I can't be there to offer more help, it is the least I
can do.

I will be interested in information on graffiti removal. There is a lot of
graffiti along the first few miles of the PCT above the Mojave dam, and I'd
be interested in helping to remove it if someone else doesn't do it before
next June.

Feel free to share any of this at the meeting or on the website if you think
it is of any interest.

I am in Ferndale, WA teaching a workshop, and then I will spend a few weeks meandering my way back to Tennessee. I have to be there for meetings on the 14th of August.

Wish I could join you all at DC. It is a very special place.
- Vince"