Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Mountaineers Route work project

The American Hiking Society is sponsoring a Mountaineers Route work project. From their web page:


From their registration form:

Registration Fee: American Hiking Society Member, $245 for First Trip per Calendar Year (Early Registration Discount: $220 if registering before February 28, 2010)

Non-Member, $275 First Trip per Calendar Year (Early Registration Discount: $250 if registering before February 28, 2010)

I would sure like to sign up. Five days in the North Fork, and by the end, I'd be really acclimated for a quick summit.

Unfortunately, my family comes first, and then there is that $$ fee.

I would love to do something to help the Whitney Zone also. Five days of what is described as strenous level of work, taking that amount of time off work and then you get to pay for that privilage. WOW how could anyone resist?

I don't mind volunteering - but I'm kinda confused by paying to volunteer.

Do they feed me? Bring me scotch? rub my weary feet?

This group is awesome. Even get a chance to be shot at.

I'm told the food is fantastic. Don't know about the fondling female femurs part, but you can bring your own SM.

Free.

http://trailcrew.org/

And they'll probably be turning people away . . .

Better not let Kurt Wedberg see this - may give him ideas.

Hey...I like this group. You can volunteer for free. We should swarm them this season =) It would be fun, an entire group of us hiking, working on the trail AND someone else making our dinner. I'll bring the scotch!

Hi All - Steve C. saw my post on WPS and invited a comment.

The American Hiking Society engages in more long term projects (such as the MR project posted above) - one week in duration. For those of us not near mountains and no able to do short volunteer stints, it works well.

The $220 covers everything except travel cost, I figure it as about $19 / day after the tax benefit. I'm all-in w/tent, sleeping bag, clothes (and yes, I planned on bringing a gallon of hard something-or-another).

For some of these deals, AHS provides airport pick-up, pack animals, cooks, etc. Not so w/ Whitney (although one of their other Inyo deals provides everything but pick-up). But for me, loving Whitney, + deducting the airfare, etc. --- it's great. May not work for everyone, though.

Interesting people come from all over the country (and even off shore) to join these outings. The last Whitney project I did with them had hydrology experts, geologists, etc. and it was fascinating and rewarding.

Hi Bulldog34...

See? Now the Sierra Mountaineering summer schedule for the MR is gonna get real interesting . . .

Take it from a military guy. Pay to volunteer? Not on my watch and not in my lifetime. Aint' gonna pay to play.

And what effect will this have on the quota for the MR?

$275 can buy a whole lotta things. Just check out Adventure 16's or REI's websites. Yes, $275.00 can buy a whole lotta bullets, too.

John Muir himself would have a hissy-fit.

Tell me (and my wife) to be there to work the trails for nothing and we will be locked and cocked and ready to rock. We will manage our out-of-pocket expenses. The only thing we would pay for are the permits for the days we will work.

Other than that, + @ti2d rests.

Just my thoughts.

Have fun.

Since my comment about + @ti2d went away with the "Outsiders" thread, I'll reiterate:

"I check out anything + @ti2d has to say - topically relevant or not, it's iron-clad guaranteed to be entertaining!"

And yes, 'Tude, you were topically relevant. Very.

The Sierra Club has a number of "Service Trips." I checked on one, Habitat Restoration at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. For that one, workers are charged $495.   I think the AHS is working in a similar mode.

It has been my hope that the Mt. Whitney Hikers Association could organize a work project like this in the future, IF we had enough paying memberships to support it.

I am hoping we could pay the expenses of a trail crew project out of the WHA funds, so workers would just need to show up. That certainly seems like it would be more fun than the workers paying through the nose for the "opportunity" to work.

Steve - you hit on the key point. These things don't happen for free. If someone is getting free food, someone else is paying (thank you Dr. Friedman). Tools cost money, as do gloves, pack animals, insurance, paperwork, regulatory and tax filings, etc.

At dinner one night at my last AHS Whitney outing someone remarked "I've never seen people who were paid work harder" and the place erupted in laughter. But it was absolutely true...everyone worked to exhaustion.

Sometimes people value things beyond the wallet. Other people are willing to pack out improperly disposed wag bags...not much money in that, either. Wonder why it happens?

$495 seems extreme. I'm sure the AHS fee carries a certain amount to cover overhead and maybe there is a small amount of involuntary donation. My sense is, not much. If I really wanted to be angry about wasted money my next hike would be Washington, and for that place there is no shovel big enough.

If you get something going with WHA projects, please let me know. I think the only real requirement to make it tax deductible is a properly formed 503(c)(3) entity, then a lot of time and energy. Don't feel bad about covering your costs (after all, nothing is free) and keep me in the loop.

I dunno Steve - if someone's not making a buck, is it really "community service" anymore? Folks offering their time, backs and hands for nothing more/less than a desire to help a cause - what's the world coming to?! You renegade you . . .

As some may have read elsewhere - "Notable Quote" . . .

gregf, you rock!

What is so difficult about participants being responsible for their own food? Two days car camping in the Portal??? Sounds like food out of the bear boxes to me. I admit that the rest of the logistics would have to be scrutinized, but I can tell you this: Doug Jr., has done a heck of a lot of work on the Mountaineer's Route, and I know that his costs were minimal, and tools consisted of shovels, loppers, and a lot of elbow grease.

Sorry, but I get skeptical whenever Associations(nothing against WHA) and Memberships get involved in tasks that used to be done from the heart.

B

> I get skeptical whenever Associations(nothing against WHA) and Memberships get involved in tasks that used to be done from the heart

Well, having worked on "pro bono" projects where I did the work alone, and where I worked in a group, I can tell you for sure: working in a group is a lot more fun and personally rewarding.

"Travel Information: No airport pickup is available. Closest airport is Reno/Tahoe in Reno, NV."

This is a minor point, but ... the closest airport is not Reno, it's Inyokern, about 90 minutes south of the Portal, with 3 shuttle flights a day to/from LA.

Further to Steve's points, there is no such thing as grabbing a shovel and pick ax and heading to the NF for some ersatz trail work when the mood strikes.

These things are all carefully planned. Whatever work is done involves consideration of the water table, erosion, ecological impact, etc. Considerable coordination with the authorities is paramount. A lot of times, projects are revised on the spot based upon discovery.

If a group is involved (as it must be, given previous), the dynamic changes even more.

A lot of people make non-profits their vocation. No one makes a living working at anything for free. It is a lot easier for such entities to execute these outings, by virtue of the work involved and the presence of existing staffing.

The fact that people would be willing to work and pay is something to be celebrated. If people at AHS and Sierra Club get paid, I don't have a problem with it. We're not forced to make those donations - it's a matter of choice.

What Steve is trying to do is truly honorable...just like the SAR people, he isn't getting a salary. I'll support his effort 100%, and yes, I would pay to be involved.

By the way, isn't Doug Sr. the local chapter head of the AHS? Maybe a locally-coordinated, joint effort might work even better.