From: eugene@orville.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya)
Subject: Re: question -- x-country ski places
Organization: NAS, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 20:38:37 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.113858.828@hellgate.utah.edu>
allen%asylum.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Allen Sanderson) writes:
>There are a few huts run by the Sierria Club in and round Donner
>Summit.  I have stayed in one of them before and it was great.
>Unfortunately,  we got a big run around of who is actually in charge
>of the huts within the Sierria club so we just went out there and
>stayed for free.  One hut is the Bensen hut which is between Sugar
>Bowl and Squaw near Tinker's Knob.

Yes a problem in the past.
The Director of Huts is Dick Simpson (rsimpson on one of the earth science
machines at Stanford), I'd have to look up which.  Reservations are
handled by Jeff Hartley at the Sierra Club Clair Tappan Lodge at Donner
pass (in the phone book).  Ask Jeff for reservations.  Dick has tried to
pawn the Directorship off to me (and others).  Cost $5 per person per
evening during the winter.  I help maintain the Benson and Grubb Huts.
Four different groups each taking one hut maintain them.  Redwood Chapter
in Santa Rosa maintains Benson, Loma Pieta maintains Grubb.

We would prefer that 1) people reserve and pay to use the huts
(we have to replace the roof on the Benson soon, this will cost $Ks and
many loads of roofing materials), and 2) only burn the fire wood if
you are staying over night.  Free day use to having lunch with
no wood burning, and emergencies are okay.  I am one of the people charged
with cutting the fire wood at both of these huts.  Conserve the fuel,
some one may need it.

A novice aquintance died going into the Grubb hut two years ago.  Bob didn't
make it.  On my last trip, on the way out, an SC trip we were paralleling
had a woman (a nurse, too) fall and fracture her arm.  Chuck Kring did
a nice sling job, I carried skis, and she walked out.  This is easy terrain,
but you get into trouble.

>The is also the Ostanger (spelling) in Yosemite.  It is on the Glacier
>Point road - 13 miles from the road head.

Ostrander.
National History Association, Yosemite Natl. Park.
9 miles.  Close.

>I have no idea of the current conditions - some else can comment them
>Eugene ??

The Grubb's fire wood is nearly burned out.  This is amazing.
We have cached some wood around the cabin, but that is for next year.
To give you an idea, we burn a 6 foot diameter tree per year (downed
wood usually).  Seems people can't read the signs on the wall.  Literacy.
The people who burn the wood during the days in the face of these signs
are incredibly selfish or illiterate (nice people other wise, I know many
of them, but pushed against the wall, you can't depend on wood in these huts
(the more popular ones in an emergency).
Benson should be running low as well.  The last snow depths were measured
about 3 feet.

Dick just gave a local talk about the huts in CA.  There exist about 2 dozen
open to the public with reservations.  Oh yes, Dick is the person to
thank for he is the only one brave enough to bury the outhouse materials.
Lo, he truly is Director.

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@orville.nas.nasa.gov
  Resident Cynic, Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers
  {uunet,mailrus,other gateways}!ames!eugene
This is the Usenet: do you expect anything other than gross generalizations?
Ref: Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning, vol. 1, G. Polya