Peak Fitness Challenge Begins Today

New Hiking Challenge for Far West Texas Launches Today

The Peak Fitness Challenge, a free hiking program for Franklin Mountains State Park and Guadalupe Mountain National Park launches today, June 21^st   at the monthly meeting of the El Paso Hotel Motel Association.  A joint program of the parks, the Texas Mountain Trail regional non-profit, El Paso’s GeoBetty.com and PhidevInc.com, the Challenge encourages everyone from beginning hikers to experienced trail runners to get out on the park’s trails.  Participants can earn prizes for their accomplishments.

“Hikers can use the program to build their fitness and confidence levels to reach the highest peaks in the Franklins and the Guadalupes, if they want,” says Don Baumgardt, GeoBetty.com creator and publisher of the El Paso Visitors Guide.  “Participation is easy and free.  Folks can go online to register, log miles hiked and compete for prizes.  This Challenge is for regional residents and visitors to Far West Texas.” 

Information and sign up is available at GeoBetty.com/Peak .   Hikers and trail runners can compete as individuals or team members.  Participants may count the miles they log on organized hikes or adventures they tackle with friends and family members.  Everyone is invited to join the Facebook community for the challenge at www.facebook.com/PeakFitnessChallenge

Planning for the Peak Fitness Challenge began last fall, when the new Superintendent of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and El Paso native, Dennis Vasquez, approached the Texas Mountain Trail for assistance in planning the park’s 40^th anniversary.  “The park had ideas for a hiking challenge similar to programs we’d been considering for some time,” said Beth Nobles, Executive Director of the Texas Mountain Trail, a regionally-based heritage tourism non-profit organization serving Far West Texas. “When we invited GeoBetty.com and their developer Phidev, Inc. to join the project and handle the technical aspects of the Challenge, the program really took off.  With the addition of Franklin Mountains State Park, we knew we had a winner.” 

From the beginning, the Peak Fitness Challenge was designed to encourage everyone to get out on our Far West Texas trails, including beginning hikers.  Adrianna Weickhardt, Parks Interpreter/Ranger at Franklin Mountains State Park, started Women’s Only Hikes earlier this year to encourage more participation at the park.  “They’re great opportunities for females of all ages who may feel some apprehension or fear about starting this new activity.  We cover the fundamentals of hiking, and we take a slower pace, starting with beginner level trails.  There’s an experienced guide along for the entire hike to lead them, assist, and answer any questions.”

To encourage new hikers, Nobles began a blog called, “One Foot in Front of the Other,” (www.onefoottostart.blogspot.com)  which features fitness tips and interviews with hikers, runners and cyclists.  The blog has several “Hiking 101” entries already addressing topics such as, “What’s a Trailhead?” and “How do I Find the Trail?”

Some of the trails are labeled “Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes,” to encourage participants to learn about the heritage of the Far West Texas region.  One trail runs past a historic stagecoach route, another was the site of a murder of a Texas Ranger.  The Texas Mountain Trail is a regional non-profit heritage tourism and economic development organization, representing the six westernmost counties of the state.  It participates in the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Heritage Trails Program.

In the days after the June 21^st launch, participants may choose join hikes organized and led by volunteers or rangers at the participating parks:

Franklin Mountains State Park:

Make your reservation by calling:  (915) 566-6441

Bring:  Water, snacks, sturdy hiking shoes/boots, hiking stick, camera, binoculars, a flashlight for the tin mines, a map and dogs are welcome on leashes!

Saturday, June 23 –“Couch Potato Hike” on the Lazy Cow Trail   

Start Time: 8:00 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Length: 6.3 miles/ 2 – 3 hours

Trailhead:  Meet at Chuck Heinrich Park/East side of the mountains (call for directions)

*Difficulty Level:  Easy to Moderate.  This single track trail is often used for mountain biking, but is a nice leisurely stroll as a hiking trail as well.  It is not difficult terrain to traverse, however, it is a longer distance and may be challenging for new hikers.  The plant and animal life in this area is readily seen and with the Franklins as a backdrop, this hike is beautiful.

Sunday, June 23rd– Mine Shaft Exploration

Start Time:  8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Length:  1.4 miles / 1.5 - 2 hours

Trail:  Begin on West Cottonwood Springs trail, then enter the mineshaft to explore and end on the Agave Loop. *Difficulty Level:  Easy to Moderate.  Rocky along some sections, with a few short steep stretches.  The exploration into the mineshaft is fun and easy with one initial short belly crawl through the opening. 

Friday, June 29 – Women’s Only Hike – Upper Sunset Trail

Start Time:  8:00 a.m.

Length:  2.6 miles / 1.5 - 2 hours

*Difficulty Level:  Easy to moderate.  We’ll encounter some elevation gains, with some short steep inclines/declines, a few rocky/rough sections, and great vistas as we walk along the ridgeline.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park:  All hikes begin at 8:00. Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Saturday, June 23-- Devil's Hall

Start time:  8 am.

Length:  4.2 miles roundtrip, moderately difficult, but very rocky, 3-4 hours.  Meet at the Pine Springs Trailhead near the RV campground.  Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Sunday, June 24-- Smith Springs

Start time:  8 am   (2.3 miles roundtrip, moderately difficult, 2 hours) Meet at the Frijole Ranch Trailhead.  Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Sunday, July 1--McKittrick Canyon to Pratt Cabin

Start time:  8 am (4.8 miles round trip, moderately difficult, 3-4 hours) Meet at the McKittrick Canyon Trailhead.  Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Columban Mission Community Garden

The Columban Mission Center is found at the corner of St. Vrain and Magoffin in downtown El Paso, 816 Magoffin Avenue. (Map)


Visit and like them on Facebook.


The video was created by alternative energy expert and permcaculturist, David Williamson.

Join the Peak Fitness Challenge

Tomorrow, June 20^th, 5:09 p.m. the sun will be as far north as it will be for 2012. It’s the solstice – the sun stillness – as it seems to hover above for a couple more days in this northernmost reach. On Thursday, June 21, sunrise will occur at 6:01 a.m. Go outside just before that time and mark how far north of Cerro Alto the sun rises. Mark that spot and remember it. Perhaps like Naturalist, Donald Culross Peattie “[o]n this, the summer solstice [you] would enjoy lighting bonfires to the sun. . .”

On Thursday something very special is set to begin: Peak Fitness Challenge! Along with the Franklin Mountains State Park, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and GeoBetty.com, Texas Mountain Trail is launching a fun hiking challenge called the PEAK FITNESS CHALLENGE! Learn more at their web site as well as on their special Facebook page. Participate!

For walkers, the City of El Paso has begun a program called Move El Paso and has mapped out four short-distance walking courses so far: Downtown, the Segundo Barrio, the Mexican Consulate, and the Medical Center.

Remember that Scenic Drive is closed every Sunday morning from 6 to 11 a.m.  It’s a 4.1 mile hike from one side to the other and back. This walk takes in a dazzling panorama of El Paso and Juarez and a display of 500 million year old fossils! It’s a good recreational walk and can be done in an hour and a half. Join me at 7 a.m. this coming Sunday at the west entrance to the Drive (the intersection of Robinson, Rim and Scenic). Rumor has it that there will be some geology talk along the way.

Due to fires and the closing of some areas in the Glenwood area, the Auduboners are changing their Gila Wilderness trip this weekend (June 22-24).  They will be going to the Silver City area instead and will plan to bird Cherry Creek, Signal Peak, the Lake Roberts area, Gila  River and Cliff Dwellings, Nature Conservatory in Mimbres, the Big Ditch in Silver City, and the Gila River bird habitat area.  Those going may see  Red-faced Warbler, Bridled Titmouse, Painted Redstart, Broad tailed Hummingbird, Western Scrub-Jay, Pinyon Jay, Indigo and Lazuli Buntings, among others.  Field leader, Mark Perkins, will be camping at the Cherry Creek Campground.  The campgrounds are open and fires are allowed in the Forest Service pits or camp stoves.  For those who do not want to camp, there are motels in Silver City and cabins in Pinos Altos.  Those wishing to go on this trip need to let Mark know before this Friday, June 22. Contact Mark Perkins at 637-3521 or mperkins4@elp.rr.com.   They will send you itineraries upon request.

Keep an eye on all hikes posted through the El Paso Hiking Meet up Group and check out the June schedule of hikes in the Franklin Mountains State Park.

Finally, Insights Science Museum now has the Marty Martin fossil exhibit.  Eric Kappus says, “Go check it out!” So . . . go check it out.

Excelsior!

Council Saves 2% for the Arts

Good news.  Item 5A on today's City Council agenda was an attempt to strip the 2% for the arts from street construction projects. Council members Acosta, Ortega and Niland argued forcefully for keeping the 2%. In addition, Ortega and Niland made the argument that to change the policy on funding of the arts should be something that originates with Council and not the City Manager and the staff. By a vote of 5 to 2 the item was deleted, in effect deep sixing the de-funding of the arts. Ann Lilly voted against deletion but had already said that she would go with a compromise proposed by Mayor Cook for funding 1%. No surprise: Dr. No voted no. Representatives Robinson and Holguin voted for deletion. Rep. Byrd is absent today.

Save Arts Funding in El Paso

How we treat our environment and relate to our ecosystem are just two facets of what makes life for us and our grandchildren’s grandchildren sustainable. But sustainability also has to do with cultural issues and what it is to be truly human.

Our ancestors who lived more than 40,000 years ago were not much different anatomically from us today. However for over a million years before a marvelous event of 40,000 years ago man-made artifacts consisted of nothing more than crude tools and weapons fashioned mainly from rocks. Then something happened. Archaeologists call it the Great Leap Forward for it was a quantum leap in culture that would affect humanity and human society henceforth. Suddenly, there were paintings, carvings, figurines, ornaments and murals such as those at the Lascaux Caves.  Human culture, the brilliant blooms of the human spirit, was born not from engineering or mathematics or scientific achievements – but from art. Indeed, art not only preceded all other human discoveries, it foreshadowed, foresaw and nurtured them.

Whenever a government cuts funding for the arts, it is a fatal mistake. There is plenty of research to suggest that children enriched by fine arts do better than other students. There is something about the warp and woof of our brains that, with a musical tempo or a swirl of color and shape, our minds conceive quantum mechanics and relativity, unlock genetic codes and can solve Fermat’s Theorem or twist a Rubik’s cube so that each side has a single-color. It is always foolish to cut-back on the arts to penny-pinch a budget to balance. Any municipality that does this, does so with an atavist’s nostalgia for the good old days before the Great Leap Forward. It does so with total disregard of what makes a City vibrant and worth living in and worth visiting.

Yet, the City of El Paso is on the verge tomorrow of de-funding the arts. Item 5A on tomorrow’s agenda introduces an ordinance to cut funding for the arts for (they claim) six years. The public hearing for this ordinance is scheduled for June 26^th but it would be great to contact your representative now and nip this one in the bud.  There are many good reasons for City Council members to say “NO” now and Arts Advocate, Katherine Brennand (who is also a member of the PSB), makes the case. Please read her powerful argument to deep six this new ordinance at its introduction.  Then, please contact your City representative. (Just click on the image of your rep and follow the links to contact.)

Also in regard to our sustainability as a people and culture, we need to be mindful of the education we provide our children and all citizens. We are all familiar with the sickening scandals that have rocked the El Paso Independent School District. Thanks to real public heroes such as former Senator Eliot Shapleigh and diligent journalists such as those at the El Paso Times, we know the story. Yesterday the Times took the unprecedented but necessary step of publishing an editorial on its front page.  That piece written by the editorial board of the paper called for the immediate resignation of five of the EPISD board members. The El Paso Times is right. They also published the names of the five board members who should resign now and gave their email addresses. They urged readers to email these persons and demand their resignation. The Times editorial board wrote: "It will take a strong public outcry to get these board members to finally do the right thing."


Here are the names and email addresses:

David Dodge, jaddodge@earthlink.net  

Patricia Hughes, phughes@episd.org  

Isela Castañon-Williams, miselacw@yahoo.com  

Russell Wiggs, russell.wiggs.b4mc@statefarm.com  

Joel Barrios, jbarrios@episd.org

Please email them if you agree that they should go. 

Don't De-Fund the Arts

El Paso Arts Advocate, Katherine Brennand (who is also a member of the PSB) fought for a 2% for the Arts ordinance for years.  Cities all over the country were already funding arts in this manner - some at 1%, some at 2%. In fact, the federal government passed a law (as did the State) years ago that required that any construction paid for with state or federal funds had to set aside a certain portion for public art.  Beginning in the 90's, Katherine began efforts to see El Paso take similar action. Such an ordinance eventually passed although, under Mayor Joe Wardy, it skipped and jumped around, and the ordinance changed from including revenue bonds to not including Certificates of Obligation. But in 2006 City Council finalized the 2% ordinance to include ALL bonds. Therefore, any municipal construction would include 2% for Public Art. Now Council is being asked to consider waiving that source of funding from the Street Infrastructure Capital Plan. An ordinance will be introduced tomorrow (Item 5A on the Agenda) with public hearing tentatively scheduled for June 26th. One hopes Council will deep six this matter now. The introduction to the ordinance suggests that in lieu of the 2% requirement, "street construction projects will incorporate a public art component as part of the design." (See attachment to the agenda item.)

Ms. Brennand writes:

"The commitment has been made that, if the 2% is waived for 6 years, then, in lieu of that requirement, the City would incorporate art into each of the reconstruction projects.  The rationale is that when the larger Quality of Life bond issue is presented in the Fall, Public Art will be adequately funded.

An alternative, suggested by the mayor, is to reduce the 2% to 1%, given the size of the obligations.

Any responsible, committed arts advocate will question these proposals for the following reasons:

• Without a doubt, having a 2% for the Arts Ordinance is quite enviable, although many, many cities across the country have this same ordinance.  In El Paso’s case, it took about 20 years of hard and consistent work to achieve this goal.  Once the 2% is suspended for any reason, and for such a lengthy time, it will be extremely difficult to get it reinstated….no matter the promises.

• How can the City be promoting a Quality of Life bond issue, and, at the same time, want to cut a fundamental funding base of Public Art?

• This sends a message to our artists, to our community, and, most importantly, to our children, that the arts can be funded whimsically….or not.

• It sets a precedent.  Even if the 2% for the Arts is reinstated in 2019 (!) what is to keep this from happening again?

• If the City is making the commitment to incorporate art into the road construction projects, which will cost money, why not leave the 2% in place and let those monies pay the expense?

• 2% of these bond issues is a minuscule amount compared to the city’s needs.  Is it being said that with the 2% going to the arts that it’s too much??  If that is the case, why aren’t we intelligently discussing  alternatives that will keep the 2% ordinance, but will augment/enhance  how we are using it?  Perhaps the amendment  should  include salaries and/or administrative costs for the Public Art program.  Why has there not been an opportunity to discuss proposals that could greatly benefit the community and the City?

• The 2% for the Arts from bond issues is the ONLY source of funding for this program.  As we know, bond elections happen every few years, not once a month.  Budgeting for the Public Art Program is difficult.  Administrative costs for the program cannot be taken from the 2%.  That means  cash flow for the program can be compared to a roller coaster ride. Without bond elections, the monies from the 2% for the Arts diminish quickly.

• El Pasoans seem to be very excited about a Quality of Life bond issue. The economic impact  from it should be impressive  This city is on the move….things are happening….we are “growing up”… young people are excited!  Suspending the 2% for the Arts for any reason at this point is completely regressive and will not be well received.  Reducing it from 2% to 1%  is even worse.

The arts are NOT the icing on the cake . . . they are more like the flour and butter.  They hold us together, soothe our souls, lift our spirits, give us hope.  It is a known fact that some children stay in school and do not drop out because of their interest in an art form - theatre, dance, painting.   It is also documented that children who are exposed to the arts score significantly higher on the ACT and SAT.  It is the creative output from the arts that we leave to future generations: the terra cotta warriors and horses from Xian, China, rock art paintings and murals that have endured for thousands of years, the renown works of Renaissance painters, the output of great literary artists, the great architectural edifices.  The list is endless.

 So, why do we EVER diminish the importance of artistic endeavor???  But we do!  We are doing it right now with the proposal to suspend the 2% from the streets infrastructure bond issue.  And, here’s a question.  Can we afford to make this cut?  The answer is simply: 'NO, WE CANNOT!'"

Conservation Workshop Scheduled for November 2nd

Click on image to enlarge.