A good access road is therefore another necessity. The limited amount of skiing (or, I should say ski-hiking) which now occurs in this area is fraught with serious risk. I feel that, in the interests of all the people, San Gorgonio should be opened for skiing, with adequate lifts and an access road. There is opposition to this view-that's why we are here today. The driving force behind this opposition comes from only one organization-the Sierra Club-a medieval institution which stubbornly, blatantly, and selfishly refuses to recognize the tremendous impact and change which skiing has made upon our outdoor recreational habits during the past 30 years. The pressure exerted by the Sierra Club amounts to dictatorial power over our recreational lands and, in the matter at hand, denies benefits to the many for the dubious sake of a few. The absurdity of the view held by the Sierra Club is even more clearly evident in winter, when many thousands of skiers must travel 650 miles in a weekend to avail themselves of reliable snow conditions, while the same snow conditions are only 85 miles away, but off limits. Gentlemen, I am both a camper and a skier. I know that the San Gorgonio area is thoroughly suitable for both summer and winter recreation. There are two valuable and distinct areas at San Gorgonio, and one of them is now being wasted. "The greatest good for the greatest number in the long run," a policy expressed by the Forest Service, is not now being followed. I propose, therefore, that the San Gorgonio area be opened for skiing. Minority influence upon the utilization of this area must cease. San Gorgonio is not the property of the Sierra Club; it belongs to all the people. Thank you. Mr. BARING. Thank you, sir. I would like to tell the witnesses that I believe this is not a rebuttal period. This period is supposed to be given to those who could not be present yesterday. Rather than an attack on an individual club, I think the testimony should be given in the line of some positive statement of why the skiing should be accomplished rather than a direct attack on an organization. [Applause.] Are there any questions? Apparently there are none; thank you very much, gentlemen. STATEMENT OF ROBERT N. RICHMOND, CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR, MEMBER, AND STAFFER OF THE BOY SCOUT TRIBE OF TAHQUITZ Mr. RICHMOND. I thank you for the opportunity to speak in behalf of skiing on San Gorgonio. I am a native son of California, and have been active in scouting, starting as a Cub Scout, on into the Scout movement, becoming a Life Scout, and a member and staffer of the tribe of Tahquitz, and have remained active as an examiner for skiing, archery, fishing, camping, and other sports merit badges. Scouting embraces skiing. In Long Beach, two Scout troops offer dryland courses each year, and had 85 boys in it last year. If there were ski facilities on San Gorgonio where the snow is reliable, every troop could, in the winter, offer this wonderfully healthy sport in their program. Long Beach has over 15,000 skiers who are forced to drive 350 miles or more in order to ski most of the year. Mammoth and June Mountains cater to over 7,000 skiers every weekend. In spite-well, when there is local snow, the weekend total runs well over 50,000. In spite of these numbers, the local ski areas are unable to expand their facilities to accommodate the growing number of skiers because of the lack of snow. Snow making at best is a pacifier. The area that the skiers are asking for is almost unused in the summer because it is above timberline, but it is not steep enough for climbers. They use the South Ridge. The number of skiers are growing each year at the rate of 20 percent. This public land should be put to work for all the people. It should be used all year. Giving this rightfully belonged land to the skiers will in no way work a hardship on the naturalists, but if it is allowed to remain restricted from the skiers, it will work a definite hardship on the skiing public of southern California. Thank you. Mr. BARING. Are there any questions? Apparently there are none, thank you very much, and we will call the next panel. The panel will consist of speakers Mr. Keith Wegeman; Sally Hudson, and John Blatt. First will be Mr. Wegeman. STATEMENT OF KEITH WEGEMAN, FORMER OLYMPIC SKIER, IN FAVOR OF H.R. 6891 Mr. WEGEMAN. Gentlemen, my name is Keith Wegeman and I am an ex-Olympian in favor of H.R. 6891. I speak as a skier, an ex-Olympian, and, also, as a mountaineer. In years past, a crucial time, someone put skis on my shoulder and a rucksack on my back and pointed me to the mountains and my life was never quite the same. With an extensive skiing background and mountaineering experience as well as an intensive interest in the youth of our country, I have been keenly aware of San Gorgonio and its potential for many years. Once again, the battle is joined in splitting the conservationists' camp for both skiers and hikers and campers and that particular group. We want the hikers on one side and the skiers on the other and that is the way they want to categorize them. Lincoln once said, "When you understand the man, you can't hate him." There is much bitterness in this fight. How can we arrive at a constructive solution unless both sides understand the whole of the problem? I must say that skiing or skiers in general evidence a far greater understanding of the total issue than do the opposition. With wide experience as a mountaineer in all its phases, I am quite cognizant of the legitimate claims on both sides as well as the emotions involved. I claim somewhat of an objectivity in this résumé. For the record, as an ex-Olympian and world championship team skier with six national victories and a ski jump record of 426 feet that has stood for 15 years, I speak somewhat as an authority for all who love the sport of skiing. Skiers long for the opening of San Gorgonio. All local areas lie below the dependable snowline and are dangerously overcrowded after our rare snowfalls. The details of the travesty upon the inability of our skiers to get to snow easily, and so forth, have been so well elucidated that I will not go into them here. On the other hand, I have been a professional mountaineer-guide, climbing instructor, and so forth, and also an avid birdwatcher. I have been known to take photographs of the few Alpine flowers. So, as a hiker and a true conservationist, I concur heartily with my brethren that the wilderness and primitive area should be conserved in as natural a state as possible but, I also add that they should allow for the fullest enjoyment by the greatest number. Even as man was not created for the benefit of the state, even so, was it not recreated for nature; but, nature for man. So, to spite my natural proclivity to keeping these pathless woods to myself and for my kind, as a conservationist, I have a responsibility to the needs of other people who would like to enjoy the area at a different time than-and in a completely different way. I am speaking of skiers. I would not stand for a Coney Island or a Griffith Park-type development, but one that would cater to the true winter sportsman who needs only the simple essentials of a sport and need not be hampered by crass materialism. Both as a skier and a conservationist, I urge the development of San Gorgonio for recreational skiing. I am going to curtail my report here because the one important factor that I would like to mention, in keeping with your request, sir, is one that perhaps was not brought maybe by my colleagues here; but we are also ex-members of an Olympic team representing America. As a member of the Olympic team, I have noticed something very important and I want to talk to you for just a moment. It is of a wider implication for San Gorgonio as a ski area and a place to train potential Olympic athletes. With one of the largest population centers in the world to draw from, we can fully expect to see some of the greatest ski athletes in the world developed only 19 miles from Los Angeles. Most of us feel it is important to win the missile race. Some here feel it is important for the same reasons, many of the same reasons, to win the ski race. Let me elucidate. In 1952 Russia had a ski team, an Olympic ski team, ready and waiting to come to the Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Just 2 weeks prior to the games, where we athletes from 20-some countries were training there, Russian coaches and advisers flew in to observe the strength of the competition. When they determined they could not win that year, they returned to Russia, the coaches and the advisers returned to Russia, and withdrew their teams from the competition. But, only a few short years later, 1960, at Squaw Valley, Calif., Russia completely swept the games and, with a total point score of over twice as many as second-place Sweden, they walked off with the 1960 winter Olympic games. America was a poor third showing. This makes little difference to many people, I suppose, but it makes a great difference actually; because, to the rest of the world looking on, it has a pretty wide implication. The rest of the world is looking to the greater battle between communism and capitalism. Any international showing in any sport reflects our way of life, whether we like it or not. Russia's recent wins have put them in very high esteem in the world. San Gorgonio is more than a local political football. I think it is an opportunity for those of us who are interested to help develop some potential Olympic skiers and we can do a great credit to our country. Thank you very much. Mr. BARING. Thank you, sir. The next speaker will be Sally Hudson. STATEMENT OF SALLY NEIDLINGER HUDSON, FORMER OLYMPIC SKIER Mrs. HUDSON. My name is Sally Neidlinger Hudson, a former Olympic skier and the mother of two future hotshot skiers. I urged this committee to open a portion of San Gorgonio to skiers 2 years ago in Las Vegas, so I thought you might be interested in the day I almost changed my mind. The Alpine Ski Club of Los Angeles was holding their annual spring race in San Gorgonio and graciously asked me to forerun their slalom. I innocently said "Yes," and we planned a family excursion up the mountain. The campout in Slushy Meadows was a wonderful experience for all of us. Next morning I shouldered my skis and bid the children goodbye. They were to climb up to watch the race without skis, so gave mother a headstart. We had with us a member of the British Olympic team and she set the pace-after 5 minutes up the trail I swore I'd give up smoking. Within half an hour I was far behind the eager skiers and realizing my skis weighed a ton and my head ached in the altitude, I staggered slowly up, stepping aside frequently to let the other skiers pass. Hours dragged by as I plodded along. Finally I found a friend who actually walked as slowly as I. We sat for lunch and I enjoyed his knowledge of the birds and the area. What was the hurry to reach the top? But, finally we rounded a corner and there was the race course-and my kids who had beaten me up by another route. Five minutes to the start as I hurried to put on my boots and skis. Climbing on snow was faster and I made it to top gate in time to have the starter say 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-go. Swish. Half a minute and I was down the few slalom gates. It was over-I'd skied in San Gorgonio. We sat in the snow to watch the other racers and I felt my convictions wavering I'd climbed it and so should everyone else there should Then I be no easy route to take away the glory of this moment. thought of my boys who were unable to lug their skis up, and of all the Los Angeles kids whose mothers can't climb up with them; my personal triumph was a small part of the picture. We need an easier way for more people to enjoy San Gorgonio. Gentlemen, I urge you to consider the possibility of a ski lift in San Gorgonio for old ladies and little children. I don't know if I can climb up to the top again, but I do know I have lots of years of good skiing ahead; down is easy when you can ride up. Thank you. Mr. BARING. Thank you; and, we will now have our next speaker, Mr. John Blatt. STATEMENT OF JOHN M. BLATT, CONTRACTOR, INDIO, CALIF. Mr. BLATT. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I am John M. Blatt, a contractor with offices in Indio, Calif. I wish to speak in favor of H.R. 6891, the family winter recreation bill introduced by Congressman Ken Dyal. I am appearing on behalf of the sport of skiing although I am aware that the greater number of users of such a magnificent area would be "snow players"-those many youngsters gaining for the first time their beneficial snow experience. It is from the ranks of these young folks that skiers, both pleasure and competitive, gaining their love of a wonderfully healthy outdoor sport and a deep love of nature. I am also appearing on behalf of the many unorganized skiers and winter sports enthusiasts as well as the Junior Skiers of Southern California, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted solely to the training of junior ski racers. I am currently a certified instructor-member of the Far West Ski Instructors Association, a coach of the aforementioned Junior Skiers of Southern California organization and a former member of the U.S. Olympic ski team-1948, St. Mortiz, Switzerland. We need San Gorgonio in southern California; that is, we need to make accessible these excellent north-facing slopes above 9,000 feet for all the people. Any and all statistics now available on the number of skiers in southern California would fade into insignificant figures once the opportunity to ski daily was given to a recreation-minded people. Many of my friends have skis in their garages, et cetera, which are never used because at present no real opportunity exists for them to be used. Why should the southern California skier be forced to drive 700 miles round trip when this superb mountain consistently provides a 4- to 6-month snow season. Now, when it comes to the training of junior skiers, it is absolutely mandatory that they make use of the natural training ground which lies right in their own backyard. Would it make sense to send the Swiss ski team to Norway for their training? Of course not. And it makes no sense that a band of Sierra Club-oriented opponents should deny San Gorgonio to the outdoor winter recreationist, stating it would spell the demise of their private wilderness area-this simply isn't true. I have never really understood the reason for the opposition in the first place. In my 32 years of skiing, I have never known a skier who was not also a conservationist. The fact that he utilizes ski development to gain access to the beauties of nature can in no way |