One of the Longest-Running Walks Among Wind Turbines Worldwide
NEWS RELEASE
Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter
P.O. Box 3357
Bakersfield, CA 93385
For more information contact: Tony Swan, 661-363-5106 or Paul Gipe 661-325-9590
The Kern-Kaweah chapter of the Sierra Club will lead a hike among the wind turbines on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) at 9:00 am on Saturday May 10, 2014 near Tehachapi, California.
The Sierra Club’s local chapter sponsors the hike to spotlight a little-known section of the trail as well as the 3,500 wind turbines in the Tehachapi Pass. The event marks the 29th year of the annual spring hike.
Tehachapi’s Windmill-Wildflower Hike is one of the longest-running annual walks among wind turbines worldwide. More than 800 people, from children to octogenarians, have taken the six-mile walk across Cameron Ridge since the event was first launched.
The hike leaves the PCT trailhead kiosk northeast of the junction of Cameron Road and Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road promptly at 9:00 am. (Note that this is a new departure point for the annual hike.) The PCT Cameron Ridge segment kiosk is on the south side of Cameron Road, 100 to 200 feet northeast of its junction with Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road.
Spring weather at 5,000 feet in the Tehachapi Mountains is unpredictable. The temperature can vary from near-freezing to sweltering. And it can be very windy. Hikers are advised to dress appropriately and bring a hat, jacket, sunscreen, and at least one quart of water per person (two quarts per person recommended). Hikers should also pack a lunch.
The six-mile hike is moderate, but with steep uphill and downhill segments. Total duration of the hike is about five hours, including lunch among the wind turbines.
The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from Mexico to Canada following the crest of the Sierra Nevada for much of its length. The route over Cameron Ridge offers sweeping vistas of the Mojave Desert, the Garlock Fault, and thousands of wind turbines.
Depending upon conditions, the PCT’s Cameron Ridge segment can also provide dramatic displays of spring wildflowers, including grape-soda lupine (Lupinus excubitus) and desert mariposa lilly (Calochortus kennedyi).
The Sierra Club is a national environmental group that supports the responsible development of renewable resources, including wind energy. The hike will be led by local Sierra Club member Tony Swan.
Paul Gipe, an international authority on renewable energy, will be available to answer questions about the wind turbines and about wind energy.
A carpool will leave from Bakersfield at 7:30 am. For more information on carpooling from Bakersfield call Tony Swan at 661-363-5106 or Paul Gipe 661-325-9590.
For more information on past hikes, visit Windmill-Wildflower Hike.
-30-
