Desert Survivors Current Events 2004
This page will generally have the latest information complete with links to any new updates as they are posted on the website. If you are a frequent Desert Survivors website visitor, this page should be your first page to visit. I suggest you bookmark it for easy return.
Posted Thursday 30 December
On Saturday, November 27, 2004, sixteen Desert Survivors hiked into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Central Closure Area in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. The objective of this all-day hike was to observe on the ground any vehicle trespass into the Closure Area. Land within the boundaries of the 42,000-acre Central Closure Area was closed to vehicle entry in November 2000 to protect the Peirson’s Milkvetch, a threatened plant species. Vehicular trespass into the Closure on holiday and other weekends has been reported for many years. On this Thanksgiving Weekend, Desert Survivors wanted to see if off-roaders were honoring the closure and staying out of the Dunes, and if the BLM was enforcing the closure.
Click here to see pictures of Milkvetch.
Right Click Here to download a large size picture of Milkvetch.
Posted Saturday 27 November
On Halloween weekend a group of Desert Survivors joined with The Sierra Club for a car camp in the Mojave Preserve celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Desert Protection Act. The days were mild, in the mid to upper 60's while the nights were chilly in the 30's. We did three great hikes amid sagebrush and Joshua trees. We also listened to a lecture at the new visitor center on Sea Turtle conservation.
Rich Juricich sent along these photos.
Dave McMullen also sent along his photos of the trip.
Posted Thursday 25 November
It seems that somebody always forgets something on one of our trips. I have added a Overnight Backpacking Checklist of items to help you pack for your trips. Please email me with additions and I will get them on the website.
Posted Sunday 21 November
Another one of our popular Desert Survivors Holiday Parties is coming up on Saturday December 11, 2004 in San Francisco. Same location as last year. Check your last DS mailing package for the Buff colored page for all the details. If you cannot locate the sheet Click Here for all the information.
Posted Sunday 14 November
The Winter 2004/2005 Trip Schedule has been posted on the Trip Schedule Page. Start making your plans now for these popular Winter desert hiking trips. We have more than a dozen activities planned for the Winter period and as many of you know this is the more popular time to visit the desert with the heat of Summer just a memory away. There is the usual good mix of trips, service trips, a couple of parties and car camping! Hope to see you out on the trail!
Posted Sunday 17 October
Announcing:
The 2004 Desert Survivors Annual Meeting/Desert Conference
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Click Here for all the details on this years Meeting
Posted Friday 13 August
The Spring 2004 copy of the Desert Survivors Quarterly News magazine has been posted on the website. Thanks to our Communications Director Paul Brickett who has figured out how to make pdf copies of our popular news magazine. Expect to see all of our current Survivor past copies posted on the website about 3 months after they have been mailed. If you have a pressing need for the current issue as a pdf send me an email.
Posted Sunday 08 August
The Fall 2004 Trip Schedule has been posted on the Trip Schedule Page. Start making your plans now for desert hiking after the summer heat departs. For those of you that enjoy spending Thanksgiving on the Trail, Steve Tabor will once again, be leading a long Carcamp over Thanksgiving weekend. Join us, I am planning to attend myself this year.
First trip of the Fall 2004 series starts on September 17.
Posted Tuesday 13 July
Segment M thru P of the NV Desert Trail Dispatch has been posted. Read Bob Lyon's account of the longest and more frightening hike of the entire NV Desert Trail Series.
Segment "The End" of The NV Desert Trail Dispatches posted today. Read President Steve Tabor's roundup of our successful Desert Trail Relay and plans for the same in 2005.
Posted Wednesday 09 June
Segment L of the NV Desert Trail Dispatch has been posted. Read the continuing story of this long relay.
Coming up on this Sat-Sun June 12-13 will be the Desert Survivors, End of the Nevada Desert Trail Relay Carcamp. Help us greet and meet the last group on hikers who completed the toughest section of the trail. Call Steve Tabor now to reserve your spot for this wonderful end of relay event.
Posted Monday 07 June
Special Message From Steve Tabor:
To: Desert Survivors
From: Steve Tabor, President
Date: June 6, 2004
Subject: Desert Trail Relay now 251 miles, nearly complete
Desert Survivors:
As of this writing, Survivors leaders and members have completed twelve segments
on the 2004 Nevada Desert Trail Relay, through the Wonder Segment. The first
251 miles are done. As I write, Bob Lyon and two other hikers are in the
Stillwater Mountains, probably somewhere near Poco Canyon or Big Box Spring, two
days into their seven-day, 61-mile blitzkrieg of the Stillwater Crest. They
decided to do it fast, with light packs and no rest days. We're expecting to
meet them at the End-of-Relay Celebration on June 12 as they exit the mountains
in Copper Kettle Canyon.
Bob is the sixth leader to participate. Twenty-eight members in all have been
on the hikes. There have been 53 participants in total. I am very pleased at the
level of interest and it looks like we are going to make the whole thing with
only a few minor mishaps. Hikers have been rained on only twice on the Relay,
and have weathered only a few heavy winds in the season best known in the state
for windy weather, Spring. Real heat has caused problems on only a few
segments, mostly just discomfort, not anything drastic.
We have not had a big interest from the media, despite two press releases to
Nevada newspapers and TV. This week I will call some reporters. We may get
another story from the Reno paper. Reporter Mark Vanderhoff may come down on
June 12.
I'm hoping more members will also come out to the End-of-Relay Celebration on
June 12-13. We have sixteen signed up but can use more. The Celebration will
be on the shore of the Carson Sink north of Fallon (north of U.S. 50). We'll be
meeting on U.S. 50 east of town on Saturday, June 12. We'll have a potluck,
drinks and a party, with a campfire at night. I'll lead hikes both days, in the
Stillwaters and in the sand dunes along the shore of the Sink. Call or e-mail
if you want to attend. We'll need to know how many people are coming so we can
plan ahead.
We've posted pictures and dispatches from the leaders on our website,
www.desert-survivors.org. We'll show slides and honor the leaders and
participants at our Summer Picnic in Fairfield on June 26, so don't miss that
party; it'll be a good one.
I hope to see you in the desert at the End-of-Relay Celebration, or if not
there, the Summer Picnic/party on June 26.!
Steve Tabor, President
Desert Survivors
PO Box 20991
Oakland, CA 94620-0991
(510) 769-1706
<StevTabor@AOL.com>
Posted Saturday 05 June
Dispatch from Segment H, I of the ongoing NV Desert Trail Relay have been posted. Fun reading from the folks out on the trail. Remember this coming weekend, 12-13 June will be the meet and greet party for the last group of hikers finishing the trail. Steve has reported a good number of DS members will be on this trip. If you have not yet signed up Call Steve Tabor now and come out with us.
Posted Friday 28 May
Coming up on Fri-Sat June 12-13 will be the Desert Survivors, End of the Nevada Desert Trail Relay. Help us greet and meet the last group on hikers who completed the toughest section of the trail. Call Steve Tabor now to reserve your spot for this wonderful end of relay event. Even your webmaster will drag himself and his way too big truck out there for this occasion. Hope to see you there!
Posted Thursday 27 May
Special Note: The following trip to Mount Jefferson has been rescheduled. It was previously set for July 10-12. It has been rescheduled to July 24-26. See the Trip Schedule Page.
5. July 24-26 (Sat-Mon)
Mount Jefferson Backpack (M/S)
Toquima Range, Central Nevada
These mountains are classics of the basin and
range province of Nevada. The journey begins along a stream and then ascends to
a high central ridge with views 60 to 80 miles in all directions. From the
cooler elevations we look down on forests, meadows, and finally the heat of the
plains. The journey is 18 miles, partly cross-country, with a gain of 5000' in
the first two days. Suitable for learning backpackers who are in good physical
condition. Limit 12.
Contact Leader: Craig Deutsche (310) 477-6670
deutsche@earthlink.net
Posted Monday 24 May
Summer is almost here and The Desert Survivors Summer Trip Schedule is now on the website. It is identical to the paper copy you should have received in the mail. As usual the number of trips is reduced due to the summer temperatures but this years trips are at higher elevations that should result in cooler evening and nights. Start making your plans now and call the trip leader today.
Posted Sunday 23 May
Dispatch from Segment B, D, E, F, G of the ongoing NV Desert Trail Relay have been posted. Very interesting reading. If you would like to hike on one or more of the remaining legs of the relay contact the Trip Leader now.
Click Here for the information on the NV Desert Trail and Trip Leader contact information
Click Here to read about the Nevada Desert Trail that is currently being hiked
Posted Thursday 20 May
Dispatch from Segment C of the Nevada Desert Trail posted this evening.
Click Here to read about the Nevada Desert Trail that is currently being hiked Segments A, B and C.
Posted Wednesday 19 May
The DS Webmaster has returned and I will get the
Desert Relay Dispatches up on the website as soon as possible.
Remember the Nevada Desert Rail is being hiked RIGHT NOW. Check the schedule and
call the trip leader if you wish to get in on a leg or two.
Posted Tuesday 13 April
Due to the fact that many of our members are still using modem dialup for Internet access we have reduced the size of the photos for the Nevada Desert Trail Segments, Introduction and A through H. If you could not view the pictures previously due to long downloads then try again with the smaller photos.
THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF
ROOM ON MOST TRIPS! If you want to go, call a trip leader right away. With the
publicity we are seeking and getting, we will get more calls from non-members in
the next two weeks, so trips may fill up fast.
We're especially looking for hikers and party-goers who'd like to meet Bob Lyon
and crew when they come out of the Stillwater Range Wilderness at the end of the
Relay on June 12-13. We'll be doing a celebration on that weekend on Stillwater
Road north of Fallon on the shore of the Carson Sink. Join us!
Click Here for information on this years Desert Trail Relay starting April 30, 2004.
Posted Thursday 08 April
Joshua Tree National Park was originally envisioned as a desert wilderness stretching all the way from the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the Colorado River. Although the early proponents of Joshua Tree were unable to achieve this grand vision, what these early desert activists of the 1930’s were able to accomplish is still inspiring; a national monument of nearly one million acres. But, in the 1950’s, Congress removed 265,000 acres from the southeastern corner of the Monument to allow development of the massive Eagle Mountain Open Pit Mines by Kaiser Steel.
Posted Tuesday 30 March
Routes maps have been added for the first 8 stages of our upcoming Nevada Desert Trail Relay starting April 30. Space is still available for some of these trips so phone the trip leaders now.
Click Here for information on this years Desert Trail Relay starting April 30, 2004.
Posted Wednesday 24 March
Pictures on the Nevada Desert Trail are now linked to each segment. We expect to have all the map links in place too before the relay begins. Follow the link to view the new photos.
Click Here for information on this years Desert Trail Relay starting April 30, 2004.
Posted Monday 22 March
Guide Books of The Nevada Desert Trail are available for purchase from Desert Survivors President Steve Tabor. If you are interested in additional information about the Nevada Desert Trail that is coming up starting April 30 then having one of Steve's guidebooks will help you better understand the experience you will encounter during your trip.
Guidebooks have now been written describing the first 1161 miles of the
Desert Trail in California and Nevada, from the Mexican border north to the
south edge of the Black Rock Desert. Hikers on Desert Survivors’ 2004 Nevada
Desert Trail Relay may want to purchase one or more of the guidebooks for the
segments covered, to aid them in hiking the routes and to gain an understanding
of the country. All of the guidebooks are designed to guide the hiker through
the desert, explaining the route and its features as he or she proceeds north.
Routes are traced on full-scale topographic maps of each segment. Climate,
geology and ecology are detailed in the front of each book. Details on geology,
plants and animals are interspersed throughout the text. Plant and animal lists
are included. The objective of publishing these guidebooks is to avoid the
lock-step, treadmill-style hiking of other long-distance routes like the
Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest, in favor of a more engaged experience
based on the appreciation of the desert’s beauty and its natural history.
Click
Here for Guide Books on the 2004 Desert Trail Relay
The Nevada Desert Trail Relay Information has
been extensively rewritten. Check it out for new information added today.
Click Here for information on
this years Desert Trail Relay starting April 30, 2004.
Posted Thursday 18 March
Starting April 30, Desert Survivors will hike the first
half of the Nevada Desert Trail in a 312-mile relay of 13 trips over six weeks.
All hikes pass through remote desert and mountains, four in BLM Wilderness Study
Areas, culminating in a nine-day backpack on the crest of the Stillwater
Mountains. Hikers may combine segments for longer trips. Contact leaders for
more details. We'll visit some of Nevada's best desert in spring, the best
season, when wildflowers are finest. Detailed guidebooks describing all segments
are available.
Limit of 15 on these backpack trips.
Click Here for Guide Books on the 2004 Desert Trail Relay
Click Here for information on the 2001 Desert Trail Relay. This years trips will be similar. Note that not all the links will work correctly on that website. Use your back button to return to Desert Survivors.
Click Here for information on this years Desert Trail Relay starting April 30, 2004.
Click Here for segment "A" map for the 2004 Desert Trail Relay. I am planning to have maps of all the segments posted before the relay begins.
Posted Wednesday 17 March
RENEW ON THE DESERT SURVIVORS WEBSITE !!
NEW SERVICE IS NOW AVAILABLE VIA "PAYPAL"
Due to popular request, we've put a new feature on the Desert Survivors website.
Members can now renew using their credit cards. We have contracted with a
"secure server", the commercial service known as "PayPal", to handle these
transactions. Costs are paid by Desert Survivors. You are charged $20 for your
renewal, same as always.
Now you can "pay up" at any time. You will be notified by "PayPal" when your
transaction goes through. No hassle, and you save Desert Survivors the cost of
sending you a renewal letter in an envelope, with a renewal notice on card stock
with its own envelope. You also save us the time to prepare the mailing, the
postage we incur to send you the notice, and the work of processing your check.
You'll know we recorded your renewal when you read the label on your next issue
of THE SURVIVOR. Pay Pal will also notify you via e-mail when it records your
transaction.
Try "PayPal" for your renewal and see how it works. Check your latest SURVIVOR
label to see when you're due. The next renewal cycle is in the Spring of 2004.
If your label says, "Spring 2004", you're due. If it says, "Fall 2003", you're
overdue. Those who use this new feature before March 31, 2004 will save us the
work and expense of mailing a notice. We'll be sending out renewal notices the
first week of April.
You can also buy tee-shirts and hats on the website using "PayPal" in a similar
manner. And you can send donations separate from your renewal. It's so easy. New
members can also enroll via "PayPal"; we have already signed up a few. On these
transactions also, Desert Survivors absorbs the cost through "PayPal". (The
"Shipping and Handling" charges have gone up for hats and tee-shirts; these
increases were made to pay increased postage costs for these items, NOT for
"PayPal".)
So try this new service on our website and see how you like it. You'll certainly
be making our lives easier. Let us know what you think of it; we'd like
your feedback. You can call Steve Tabor at (510) 769-1706, or e-mail <president@desert-survivors.org>.
From the Homepage of the website click the Renew Membership button to renew at anytime.
Posted Wednesday 03 March
Subject: [DSOL] DTNA Service Trip Cancelled
The DS Service to the Desert Tortoise Natural Area is cancelled in order for members so inclined to attend March 20 anti-war rallies planned around the country.
Posted Sunday 08 February
Another of our Trip Leaders, Craig Deutsche, has posted additional information on an upcoming trip. It is trip #8 in the Spring 2004 trip schedule. Look for more of these links tied to the trip listing to be posted on the Desert Survivors Website.
You will start to see "Click Here For Additional Information" links in blue. That is your tip that additional information is on the website.
These links will take you to a new page that has in-depth information concerning
the trip. Use your browsers back button to return to the previous page.
8. April 16-19 (Fri-Mon)
Birds, Hiking, and Service (M)
Northwestern Mojave
On Saturday and Sunday we will assist BLM specialist Marty
Dickes in closing and disguising the boundaries of the Bright Star Wilderness
Area to illegal ORV entry. Friday will be a long exploratory hike (S) down the
largely unknown Bright Star Creek, ending at the uniquely named Burning Moscow
Mine. On Monday we will visit the nearby Butterbrecht Springs ACEC with a local
resident and expert birder. Join us for all or any part of the weekend.
Contact Leader: Craig Deutsche (310) 477-6670
deutsche@earthlink.net
Click Here For Additional
Trip Information
Posted Wednesday 04 February
Starting April 30, Desert Survivors will hike the first
half of the Nevada Desert Trail in a 312-mile relay of 13 trips over six weeks.
All hikes pass through remote desert and mountains, four in BLM Wilderness Study
Areas, culminating in a nine-day backpack on the crest of the Stillwater
Mountains. Hikers may combine segments for longer trips. Contact leaders for
more details. We'll visit some of Nevada's best desert in spring, the best
season, when wildflowers are finest. Detailed guidebooks describing all segments
are available.
Limit of 15 on these backpack trips.
Additional
Information on the Nevada Desert Trail Relay is here.
Nevada Desert Trail Relay Trip Dates are here.
Nevada Desert Trail Relay Map is here.
Posted Monday 02 February
The Annual DS Earth Day Party will be held
Saturday 24 April, 2004. Information was mailed out last week with the Spring
2004 Trip Schedule.
Click Here For Additional Party
Information
The Annual Earth Day Fair will be held
Saturday 24 April, 2004 in Berkeley.
Once again this year Desert Survivors will be staffing a table at the Berkeley
Earth Day Fair in the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park on MLK Way.
Click Here For
Additional Information
Posted Friday 30 January
Here it is!
The Spring 2004 Trip Schedule has been posted. Get your calendar out and start
planning! You should have received your snail mail paper copy by now but if not
the schedule on the website is exactly the same.
Note also the highly anticipated
Nevada Desert
Relay Series is at the bottom of the page.
Older Current Events have been moved to: Current Events 2003
