Palomar Mountain News

Members of your Save Palomar Mountain Task Force had a great day with two men that work with NextEra Energy/ Horizion West, Fred Bauermeiste and Eric Oesterling. They are here with George Ravenscroft and Jim Hamerly, our SMP Task Force Chairman. They accepted our invitation to come from the Bay Area for a day on Palomar Mountain. Of course, our goal was to introduce them to this ‘Treasured Gem’ and voice our concern and reasons why we were asking them to ‘skirt the mountain’ with the 500,000 volt transmission lines.

We met up at Lake Henshaw to drive what we have learned through the bidding process and referred to as the the SDGE ‘orange line’ route (shown on our website). However, thankfully, SDGE did not get the contract for construction. NextEra did win the contract and our Task Force has been working to learn what their route options might be and do everything possible to keep the route off Palomar. We met up at Lake Henshaw and following the ‘orange line’ map, began our drive up East Grade Road, with many stops planned along the way. I did show on the map that this is our only east/west road and that we would be driving all roads.

We took off up Panorama Trail, paused at both the Will and Dyche Valleys then pulled in to George Ravenscroft’s property. George explained his land was used to stage the Fire Department during one of our last fires, the fact that Palomar has been used as Indian Villages for centuries and mentioned endangered species. That fire did jump his home and met up with the back burning started along the grade. With the fire and wind history, topography and many other reasons, it doesn’t make sense to us that the lines be installed anywhere on the mountain.

Fred and Eric were very familiar with our website, and knew of the over 600 comments that have poured in from all over the United States and 20 countries showing public use support. We drove across Crestline, out to Birch Hill, past the Fire Station and popped in at the General Store and then to out to the Observatory. We cruised down to Bailey’s Resort, through the State Park and up to Boucher Lookout. Have you been there lately? You are invited to check it out like we did! Take the steps up to meet with the volunteers. It was so interesting to hear about the important service they provide at the Boucher Hill Lookout. Mike Downs (in uniform) and Kurt Barnhart (green cap), tell about the process of finding and identifying locations to report ‘smokes’. We checked out Doane Pond and a loop in the campground.

Much our our conversation was about the potential of increased fire danger with the mountain’s history, strong winds and topography. We discussed the small roads and the fact that all our housing areas come to a dead end as they do not have another way out. If an evacuation was needed for residents, researchers, campers, vacation rental folks and visitors, everyone would need to go out the same direction and potentially cross, maybe multiple times to leave the mountain, under 500,000 voltage lines.

It was time for lunch! Perfect timing as we had arranged to slip in along with hundreds of kids at the Christian Conference Center. Aaron Nelson (center) was our host and is the new Director at the camp. They have a few more weeks of summer campers and we got to experience it in full swing.

It was a very productive day and a pleasure to meet Fred and Eric. They are so knowledgeable and we’d love to have them join us here on Palomar. Just no 500,000 volt towers, please….

Will keep you posted!

Bonnie Phelps, Tour Guide for NextEra and Palomar Mountain Task Force Member