Mark,
If Coe's 24-hour access policy is a ranger-protected and written clause,
what's going to happen to this if the Monterey District merges Coe into its
administration? I'm hoping Coe doesn't lose its 24-hour status to go the way
of FP. Is there any Park within the Monterey District that is open 24
hrs./day?
I'd be happy to discus this 24-hour issue with C.L. Maybe I can catch him
while I' at the Peak this Saturday near his house and ask how difficult
would it be to get FP to a 24-hour open status. He's usually in and out from
his house while were're setting up nearby.
Peter
> From: Mark Wagner <mgw@No-Spam>
> Reply-To: The Astronomy Connection <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
> Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 07:27:37 -0800
> To: tac <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
> Subject: [TAC] Re: A Friendly Reply from Ranger C.L. of Fremont Peak State
> Park(Monterey District)
>
> RNAPO said....
>
>> Thanks very much, Peter for all you checking and follow through.
>>
>> Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds as if we are in the
>> same boat, that is, our access is at the whim of the Ranger.
>>
>> I would think the park system has written policies about camping, hiking,
>> etc in the park. Other than a temporary maintenance situations, I'm sure
>> the Ranger doesn't just decide to close one or all of the campsites.
>> Or, close half or the park's trails. I would like to see the activity of
>> amateur astronomy brought up to the level of "normal" park use such
>> as hiking and camping.
>>
>> Thanks again,
>> Rich
>> ps I'll be happy to get involved again where it would help.
>
> Rich,
>
> Yes, it is back to what things were during Ranger Rick's tenure.
>
> Ranger CL Price may be a great guy, willing to accommodate amateur
> astronomy to the fullest of his abilities. That's great.
>
> But you are correct, it leaves everyone subject to the same drastic policy
> swings as were experienced over the past five years.
>
> One remark during this discussion crystalized the situation for me. Peter
> mentioned that the same conditions exist at Coe. That a friendly ranger
> allows us to do astronomy there. While there may be some validity to the
> remark, I think there is something much more basic at play.
>
> Fremont Peak closes 1/2 hour after dark. Coe is open 24 hours.
>
> This point was tacitly made by, if I am not mistaken, Lynne Rhodes at the
> 1999 meeting you arranged at Houge Park, between the CDPR, FPOA and amateur
> astronomers (referred to as TAC). She made the point that Fremont Peak
> closes. Then she asked about opening it 24 hours. The discussion was that
> opening it 24 hours might yield both positive and negative results. I
> think the lack of a ranger on site was the reason at that time for not
> having the park open 24 hours. It seems that now, with CL on site, the
> lack of a resident ranger is no longer an obstacle. Of course, CL may not
> want to have 24 hour responsibilities... although with campers in the park
> it seems he already does.
>
> But at Coe, none of these issues exist. The park is open 24 hours. People
> are allowed to hike past 1/2 hour after dark. People are allowed to enter
> the park past 1/2 hour after dark. There is no cessation to park user
> activities at all based on sunset and sunrise.
>
> It is a much more simple and friendly situation at Coe.
>
> It appears it is the Peak's "business hours" that creates the problem.
>
> So, perhaps it is time to ask Monterey to open the Peak 24 hours, as they,
> the CDPR, had previously suggested. Otherwise, the only time we can do
> astronomy up there without some form of special dispensation is, as was
> humorously suggested by the well remembered previous Supervising Ranger
> Mary Pass, during the daytime. Otherwise, all that is needed to return to
> Ms. Pass' sort of park use guidelines is, a change in ranger.
>
> Trivia question....
>
> How many rangers has Fremont Peak had in the past 5 years?
>
> I'll stay at Coe. :-)
>
> Mark
>
>