Today I was filing away some of the old emails that had built up in my in box and I came across a Bakersfield Californian article from February 5, 2003.  OK, so some of the emails in my in box are VERY old, and its original sender has been long deceased.  But, I digress.  My point is that re-reading quotes and predictions from five years ago can yield great insight on people's credibility today.

The article, entitled "Road rules concern activists", reported on a rule adopted by the Bush administration Interior Department that was to "make it easier for states and local governments to claim title to roads on federal lands."  Motorized access advocates often refer to such roads as RS2477 routes, a name reflecting the intent of a 1972 federal law which protects historic, established routes of travel from being closed.

Let's look at two quotes from this article of five years ago and see which prediction was more accurate.

Visitors to Death Valley are being especially rewarded during their March visit this year. Now in mid-month, the abundant fields of radiant Desert Gold flowers north of Furnace Creek have past their peak. However, the show spreading to other parts of the park ,such as along Highway 190 near the east entrance of Death Valley National Park. Higher elevations will see fine blooms into late Spring, but now is still the time to see the easiest-to-reach and best roadside shows.

Wildflower experts at Death Valley National Park caution us not to expect a spectacular recurrence of the flower seasons following the 1998 and 2005 El Niño winters. Nonetheless, we think this is the best flower season in at least the past few years, and we encourage you to get way for the weekend and come to Death Valley for a remarkable and colorful experience.

Death Valley National Park periodically updates a flower report on their web site:
http://www.dvnha.org/morning_report/WildflowerUpdate.pdf

DeathValley.com has learned that Alan Stein replaced Richard Crowe as the Bureau of Land Management's lead on the Surprise Canyon EIS project.  Stein is the Deputy District Manager for the BLM's California Desert District Office in Moreno Valley and has served in the past as Interim District Manager.  As the signing officer for the 2002 Notice of Intent for the project Stein is well versed in the issues and history of the road that has been under a temporary closure since February 2001.

Crowe was replaced due to his recent retirement.  Many members of the access community expressed concern over Crowe's service as the project lead once they learned that he owned property in the disputed area within Surprise Canyon.

  The following is an account of a 600-mile trip taken in 1932 from Los Angeles to Death Valley.  It was written on Furnace Creek Inn stationery by my grandmother, Grace Bartlet Kissam Duryee.  Sadly, I never knew my grandparents, but Grace and her husband, Harvey Duryee, personified the self-sufficient ideals of the turn of the last century.  They moved from New York to Redlands, California in 1898.  Soon after, they moved to Los Angeles and got into the real estate boom in turn-of-the-century Southern California.

DeathValley.com would like to help Inyo County by finding readers who traveled three long-time Death Valley area roads at least twenty-one years ago: Petro Road (also known as Greenwater Road), Lost Section Road and Last Chance Road.