Where:
The cache page coordinates should get you to the campground
where we'll be staying. We have a group site set aside
starting March 7th, Friday evening; departing Sunday March
9th. Along with the required work portion of this CITO Event,
there will be the obligatory campfire and the burning of
marshmallows in effigy. There are numerous hiking
possibilities within the Park, anywhere from pleasant strolls up to
Bear Gulch Reservoir, spooky hikes through the Bear Gulch Caves
(flashlights required), all the way to all day deathmarch
ordeals. The only caching within the Park boundaries is
limited to a fairly high concentration of Earthcaches.
Update 12/21/2007: Group Sites 86 and 87 on loop G have been
reserved for our group.
Camping and a Gate Pass for the weekend are free and graciously
provided by the National Park Service as a thank you for
volunteering. The campground has pretty full amenities, which
include restrooms, water, and a swimming pool. The group site
is for tent camping only. Starting (hopefully) December 1st,
the campground on the East side of Pinnacles will be changing over
to NPS management and reservations for the RV/pop-up tent crowd
will be available on the NPS Reservation site:
NPS Campground Reservation Website
Update 3/4/08: The Campsites have been updated in
the paragraph above. If you're arriving late, my instructions
are to just go to the Campsite(s) and get settled. A pass
will be issued in the morning. If you arrive before the Park
Kiosk closes up for the Evening on Friday, just tell them you are
part of the VIP Group.
The water situation in the Park is a bit unclear at this
point. There should be water available for the work part of
the weekend, but for the camping part, I would suggest bringing
enough for your own needs.
Since it looks like we might have a fairly substantial size
group, we may get TWO worksites to choose from:
Weed Eradication: The Park needs some
hoarhound removed, in what sounds like, the newly acquired
section of the Park. Gloves and equipment will be
provided.
Trail Maintenance/Construction: This project, led by the
Trail Crews, will be up on the Bench Trail. The work will
consist of "digging holes, breaking and raking soil into a
trail bed. There will also be some wheelbarrow work."
Both work sites will be within walking distance of the
Campground. Definitely bring some sturdy boots or shoes, and
a *favorite* pair of gloves if you prefer using your own .
What:
Everyone is perfectly welcome to join us for as little or as
much of the weekend as they please, but in order to log an
Attend/Find on this CITO Event, you must attend the work portion of
the weekend that will be taking place on Saturday, March 8th.
The exact work has yet to be determined, but expect something that
requires a moderate amount of exertion. The ideas that I
suggested to the VIP Coordinator were on the order of native plant
restoration in the newly acquired Pinnacles Ranch area, restoration
work in the campground itself. We will get an early start on
Saturday morning 10 a.m. (try to arrive a bit earlier to fill
out some of the paperwork mentioned below), so if you are
driving down for the day, plan to get an early start. Be
prepared to bring plenty of water, lunch, sturdy pair of
boots/shoes, and gloves. We will more than likely be hiking a
short distance (e.g. less than a mile) to the worksite.
There will be a bit of paperwork for everyone to fill out (a
sign up sheet for adults, a release form for minors), and a brief
safety orientation.