How's My Research Going?

Five months and three field trips later, I at last have land-access permission to start *really* digging at Kaweah. Here's how things have been going since late summer:

August, 2004: After receiving my BLM permit (which took three months), I head to Three Rivers for about a week to start the archaeological project. With the help of local historian, Jay O'Connell and two volunteers, Stacey Camp and Joanne Sidlovsky, I survey the remains at the BLM's "Advance" recreation area. Jay shows me photos of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp from the 1930's which would have obliterated most traces of the 1887-1892 Kaweah Colony camp. My heart sinks. But the one thing neither of us is convinced of is that Advance really was here at all - the historical photos just don't seem to match the current landscape. We hike down the road a short distance to look at another likely location, which, on comparison with the old pictures, seems to be a good bet. Except that it's on private land. For the next few days, Stacey and Joanne help me to record the "original" Advance location on BLM land, and everything we find seems to be from the 1930's.
During this trip, we camped in Sequoia National Park's "Potwisha" campground. It was over 100 degrees fahrenheit every day, and in the evenings our camp-neighbors went looking for bears with industrial-size flashlights. Indy requested that I never, ever take him to work with me again.



October, 2004: Back in Berkeley after the August trip, I contact the owner of the private land on which I am convinced Advance is located. I send a couple of letters, leave several phone messages, and hear nothing. I begin to think that either a) autumn is the wrong time to try to contact ranchers and b) they're hoping that, if they ignore me, I'll go away. In the last week of October, I travel to Three Rivers to attend a BLM public meeting (where I hope to introduce my project to the locals) and to track down, in person, the landowner. The BLM meeting is cancelled. I don't manage to speak with the legal landowner until 7am on the morning I am planning to leave, and he doesn't sound too encouraging.
At least I found good al pastor tacos - in a little stand in Woodlake called The Taqueria Super Taco.

December, 2004: It takes me over a month to steel myself, but by early December I am ready to go meet the landowner in person. I agonize over the design and content of an information packet for him, leave very early in the morning to make it to the meeting on (or before) the scheduled time, and...
He is altogether very pleasant, agrees to let me proceed with the project, and even has one of his employees give me a tour of the orange-packing plant that is part of his company. I think I may eat a lot of California oranges this winter, as a sign of karmic gratitude.



And now, I'm starting to plan a week of survey with student volunteers for the third week of March, 2005 - a Spring Break Survey Extravaganza!