This afternoon, courtesy of Dan (LazyK), I learned Thompson Peak is allegedly closed, or so say the Rangers who were up on the mountain this afternoon. Very surprised by the news, I began to seek out the name of the person who oversees McDowell Mountain Park. Fortunately I located his e-mail address and contact information rather quickly. As it turns out, after mountain biking with my uncle in the park earlier in the afternoon, I had the pleasure of meeting him as we were outside of his patrol vehicle escorting a tortoise across the roadway. His name is Don Harris, and he is the Park Supervisor. Wondering what we were doing with a fully marked Ford Expedition sitting in the middle of the roadway, he pulled up inquiring as to what we were doing. A brief explanation and a quick finger point in the direction of the tortoise (never did see the hare), and he thanked us for stopping to the ensure the safety of the tortoise. The timing couldn't have been better, as I had my introduction for the e-mail that was sent. Not having to worry about an icebreaker, I dove right into the subject, explaining geocaching, as well as providing links to a few of the resources available on geocaching.com to explain this sport. I inquired as to the status of Thompson Peak for hikers (or all peaks for that matter), and looked to win his blessing for the sport in McDowell Mountain Park. Hopefully he will have an opportunity to respond on Monday, and I will drive out to meet with him on Wednesday (time permitting) to settle the issues that appear to exist in this recreation area, or at least appear to by the Rangers who are roaming the area.
Just an FYI for everyone, and I will be sure to keep you updated on the status of my e-mail discussions or talks with Mr. Harris.
Brian
Team A.I.
I haven't lost my mind. It's backed up on disk somewhere.
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