Thursday, August 30, 2007

Hetch Hetchy


Gifford Pinchot and Hetch Hetchy
http://www.sierraclub.org/ca/hetchhetchy/ghosts_of_hetch_hetchy.html

Gifford Pinchot and Forestry
http://www.foresthistory.org/Research/usfscoll/people/Pinchot/Pinchot.html

Cord Meyer and world government under United Nations
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,794188,00.html

Cord Meyer Sr.
http://www.earlyaviators.com/emeyer.htm

I believe there was a friendship between the Meyers and Kennedys which has brief mention in a the biography of Rose Kennedy, called “Rose’ I think…

Teddy Roosevelt’s son Quentin was killed flying in WW1, and Cord Meyer Sr. named Cord Jr.’s twin brother, Quentin, and he was killed in WW2. Cord Meyer Sr. flew in WW1 too.

Mary Pinchot Meyer is Gifford Pinchot’s niece. Gifford Pinchot is famous conservationist.

John Muir and Gifford Pinchot quarreled mightily over what to do with the wilderness. Generally, Muir wanted it left alone, “pristine”, and Pinchot thought careful use of the resources the way.

The damn built at Hetch Hetchy, the other Yosemite, came about from Pinchot’s view. Muir was said to be broken hearted at this loss.

Now, this summer I hiked up the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, and from the trail start descending into Paite Valley I could see the east end of Hetch Hetchy reservoir. On the trail from there to Glen Aulin, 21 miles, I saw all together maybe six other backpackers.

Hiking up the Merced to Tuolumne this same time of the summer I would see more like sixty, most day hikers clambering up the Mist Trail to Half Dome. (Actually, hundreds as far as Vernal!) (And come to think of it, I think there were maybe forty or so hanging on to the cables, waiting for me hanging on the cables!!)

Muir’s meeting with Teddy Roosevelt, spending some time camping together in Yosemite is famous. And Gifford Pinchot was good friend of Teddy Roosevelt.

The wilderness as we know it today in America owes much to Pinchot, probably more than to Muir, though sentimental romantics, like myself, dote on Muir.

Paite Valley is said to haunted…some left over restless spirits from an Indian /Whiteman conflict. I don’t believe in no ghosts! But, after hearing ghosts stories told by a friend who does, and recalling a night of nightmares in Paite Valley, my dismissiveness wanes!!

In some ways, the story of JFK, is a ghost story. Most of the cast is passed on, but needless to say, still engage our imaginations.


Certainly the senior family members, some who lived long enough to see the unfortunate tale unfold, deserve mention.

Ironically, I found on my hike, the Grand Canyon of Tuolumne is now “pristine”, relative to Yosemite, because of the Hetch Hetchy damn.

Frank Sinatra sang a funny little song about a damn, one which found it’s way into JFK’s campaign. An advocate giving a talk incorporated it into his spiel to take down the Hetch Hetchy damn (it’s a violent little ditty actually), and I thought to myself, ‘no, no.no, just leave the blessed thing alone’.



DavidDavid

That, ladies and gentleman, is a "jfk post". There are many threads about the mysterious death of Mary Pinchot Meyer, and on reading the most recent over in jfk about Mary Meyer, I tonight spun yet another. It's not glued enough to the narrow realm of jfk, so wouldn't make it past the sysops likely...so I'll just post it here in the blog.
Duvall and Costner in a western, which has gone a long way with no gunfire, but it looks they're getting ready...
"Sounds like you got it all worked out.."
I think Duval's quoting Oliver's Stone's JFK!!
Well, the movie is about "open range"!!

DavidDavid
Tree in the Door
August 29, 2007

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