Russ Steele
For the last five years we have gone an family camping trip to Lake Tahoe. It was request from our four grown daughters that we go family camping trip every summer, "just like we used to do when they were growing up."
When our girls were in College and budgets were tight we often took camping vacations. Big Basin State Park was one of our favorites at the time. Often taking the boy friends, that would become husbands with us on the camping trip. Today the son-in-laws claim those rain camping trips were used to vet them as future husbands. You can learn a lot about a person's temperament and ingenuity when camping in the rain for five days.
Another favorite was Sugar Pine Point at Lake Tahoe which we discovered by accident. We had been camping at Red Fish Lake in Idaho, but had to leave early due to a scheduling problem. We still had couple of days of vacation left so we decided find a camp ground at Lake Tahoe. We did not have any reservations, but thought we would give it try any way. Pulling up to the entry station at Sugar Pine Point, the Ranger at the window said the camp ground was full. Just a we started to pull away, the Ranger behind her called out, "we just had a two day cancelation." We stayed two nights, and everyone had a wonderful time, hiking and cooking gourmet meals over the campfire.
Over the past five years we have camped at Sugar Pine Point. This year Sugar Pine Point reservations filled up in less than an hour, before Heather our camping planner could grab three sites. So, camping at Big Basin became our plan B. That is until the Governor decided to shut down both Big Basin and Sugar Pine Point campgrounds as a budget saving measure. Now plan C is camp at the Hereford Ranch at Hat Creek, a private campground beyond the Governors control. We hope.
This morning I was reading the San Francisco Chronicle about the state budget crisis and the parks closing. It was clear access to the state parks was more important today than it was before the budget crisis. Camping was a low cost way to take a family vacation. Opposite the budget story was a climate crisis story on the challenge in Congress to pass a CO2 Cap & Trade bill. Then I realized, the Congress is going pass a Cap and Trade bill and California will not need one? The Governor can layoff the 600 folks at CARB who are implement AB32's Cap and Trade program and use the money saved to keep the State Park open. If we are going to have a Federal Cap and Trade, why do we need a California one? Time for a layoff at CARB! Keep those Parks open!
