El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 30

CA El Paso Times WW Sunday, Dec. 13, 1998 C3r 1 Hueco Tanks visitors adapt to changes r.iTP II I XV 1 i t. By Shana Newell El Paso Times Erin Stewart had heard of Hueco Tanks State Historical Park. Unfortunately, most of what she heard was simply untrue. Traveling across the United States and parts of Mexico on a rock climbing and sightseeing expedition with her boyfriend, Stewart is on her way home to Ontario, Canada, for Christmas.

But first, they wanted to check out Hueco Tanks, located about 20 miles east of El Paso, just off the Carlsbad highway. "We read in some rock climbing magazine that it had been closed, that you had to pay for the guides, that there was nowhere to go without the guides," Stewart said Friday. Unfortunately, that's the belief of many people, including those in El Paso and its surrounding area. Stewart said other rock climbers she met in Las Cruces "verified" the magazine article. "There's a lot of misinformation out there," said Elaine DuBois, a volunteer who helps out in the information building.

The misinformation is the result of recent changes at the park. In an effort to restore, protect and preserve the wildlife and cultural history that abounds at Hueco Tanks, Texas Parks and Wildlife Services instituted several changes Sept. 1 that have angered some park regulars. "There was a time when you could just go out there and hike, picnic, whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, within reason," El Pasoan Vikki Montoya said. "That's changed now, and it's not like it used to be out there." Among the changes: Visitors may only enjoy the park without a guide in what is considered the North Mountain area.

However, only 50 visitors at a time are allowed in the area, prompting park officials to suggest that guests make reservations in advance, particularly for weekend visits. Once the Northeast Mountain limit is attained, visitors are asked to wait until others leave, or to take part in one of the available guided tours, which Stewart did Friday while her boyfriend did some rock climbing. As many as 160 other visitors can be accomodated in the other areas of the park. Visitors to any other area of Visitor information Visitor information on Hueco Tanks State Historical Park: Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Oct. 1 to Mar.

31; 7, a.m.-7 p.m., April 1 to Sept. 30. Fees: Adults (13 and above) children (12 and under) Texas residents who turned 65 on or after Sept. 1, 1995, persons who turned 65 before Sept. 1, 1995, and veterans with at least 60 percent disability, free.

For visitors: Educational tours, hiking, birding, picnicking, camping and rock climbing. Prohibited: Bicycling, pets, charcoal or wood fires, public consumption of alcohol. Information: 857-1135. UNGUIDED ACCESS North Mountain is open for day use by visitors without a guide. Each visitor must first complete a 20-minute orientation session, renewable on an annual basis.

The number of visitors to North Mountain is limited to 50 at one time. Reservations may be made, but walk-ins are accepted until the limit is reached. Visitors must check out before leaving the park. Visitors must observe closures of any specific areas on North Mountain. Picnicking is allowed at the 10 tables closest to the headquarters.

Reservations are recommended. Walk-ins are accepted if picnic sites are available and the 50-person limit in the unguided area has not been reached. Any cooking must be done with containerized fuel. GUIDED ACCESS Hours: 9-11 a.m. (summer); 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

(winter). The staff offers educational tours to Native American picto-graph sites of the park, also covering the prehistory, history, geology, plants and animals of the area. Additional educational tours and hiking, birding, or rock climbing tours are led by request Wednesday through Sunday. Thirteen volunteers were recently certified to be guides and Hueco Tanks plans another 2'j-day training session, Jan. 30-Feb.

1, 1999. There are no costs in becoming a volunteer guide. For more information, call 857-1135. 14 V. Shant Newell El Paso Times Hueco Tanks Interpretive ranger Wanda Olszewski, left, pointed out Indian drawings Friday to Erin Stewart.

Victor R. Martinez Participation trophies don't mean much Walk into your son's or daughter's room. But be careful not to step on Archer, the Orgonite leader, or Chip Hazard, his archenemy of Small Soldiers fame. Those are the real rewards (we'll come back to this later). Look up on the dresser.

See all those trophies? There is one from the East El Paso Soccer League for the fall 1997 season, Carolina Recreation Center's Gus and Goldie Basketball trophy in summer 1997, another one from Gus and Goldie basketball for the fall of 1998, five trophies starting from the 1997 league from Sportspark El Paso for T-ball, another from the Desert East Optimist for the summer of 1996. Dust collectors And there it stands, the pride and joy of the trophy case, collecting dust in the corner. It's your child's first trophy ever, when he was just a year removed from pampers and pushed into soccer. There it is in all its glory, the Lil Peppers fall 1995 trophy. And those are just the trophies that are given out by the athletic organization that is sponsoring the league.

That does not include the trophies the individual teams give the young players. There they sit, more than 20 trophies that mean absolutely nothing. Nothing except giving our children a false sense of accomplishment when, in reality, the only achievement is having parents who are motivated enough to put their children in an athletic program. Certainly there is nothing wrong with that, but what is the challenge or the reward for winning when nobody is keeping score andor everyone gets a trophy? It is popular these days to buy into the belief that we should put our children on a pedestal and worship them by making all their dreams come true without them having to work for it. Maybe I'm a little bitter because when I was kid, if my team did not win the league, all I got was a participation ribbon.

My team would sit there during the awards ceremony and watch some of us in tears as the champions walked, with their chins high in the air, carrying their skyscraper of a trophy past us and anyone else who did not win. We were not losers, we just weren't the champions. No shame in that, not at all. It made us more determined to practice harder, to improve ourselves, so we wouldn't have to stand there with blood dripping down our chins from biting our lower lip. The champions would always come back strong the following season because they too remember the look on our faces DuBois said she has seen a noticeable improvement in the three months since the changes were instituted.

"When you look at the big picture, you can really see areas in the park where the vegetation has come back," she said. "It's really amazing how you can see such a difference in such a short period of time." Stewart adds that the park could have limited visitors another way hiking prices. "If you go to the Grand Tetons or to Yellowstone, you're going to pay $20 a car just to get in, then about $14 to camp," she said. "This is a lot more affordable, so more people in the long run can enjoy it" Much of the complaining comes from regular rock climbers who have been accustomed to their freedom for decades, not the casual tourist. "I think the misperception is really the fault of the rock climbers," Stewart said.

"We're trying to make it work," Olszewski said. "But, we're sticking to our plan. We've got to." Before participating in a two-hour Rock Art tour, Stewart explored some of the North Mountain region on her own. After the tour, she said she had a very enjoyable time. "I don't think it was a problem, or an inconvenience," she said.

"I didn't think it was unaccessible at all." Another member of the tour group, Finley Stewart (not related) was visiting from Dallas to do research for a screenplay he was writing. He showed up at the last minute, and said the park officials were very accomodating. "I was surprised by how accessible it really is," Finley Stewart said. "It's a wonderful balance." The toughest obstacle in accommodating every visitor is in staffing, Olszewski said, but park officials are taking steps to fix that. the park are required to have a guide, although it is incorrect that the guides must be paid for.

Some guides, who offer special services, may charge a nominal fee, but most guides conduct tours for $4 including the park's regular Rock Art tour. Campers must make reservations and are limited to only three consecutive days of camping. Those wishing to camp must call in advance to request space. But Wanda Olszewski, an interpretive ranger with the park services, said the changes were necessary. Before the changes, nearly 70,000 people a year visited the park.

While a handful intentionally damaged the park, Olszewski said it was simply the sheer number of people that forced officials to make the changes. "That's a lot of feet," she said. "Most of the damage was compacted, meaning simply that the ground had been walked on too much." Doctors say hunting can be tough on hunters' bodies Get fit to hunt Here are tips for a healthy hunt Have a physical that checks your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Get In shape: Exercise regularly year-round. As hunting season approaches walk 30 to 45 minutes a day to build endurance.

Strength exercises: Do exercises for the lower abdomen and pelvic Building strength around the lower trunk helps prevent the spine from twisting out of position. Srt property: Don't sit in a tree stand with your back flat against a tree. Instead, stay on the ground leaning slightly backward, to reduce weight on your spine. Before you haul a deer Hunters should stretch first, to make sure they are limber. NFL FAN Buffalo Bills: Club meets at the Airport Hilton for every Buffalo game.

Information: 595-3177 or 585-863L Dallas Cowboys: No. 1 Dallas Cowboys Fan Club meets for games at Roberto's, 9841 Montana. Information: Luis Segura, 8560166. Dallas Cowboys Diehard Fan Club of El Paso meets for games at Sioux Street 1610 Sioux St at Montana. Information, Bobby Mal-donado, 855-1066 or 740-1418.

Cowboy Backers meets at the Airport Hilton for every game. Information: 592-8334. Dallas Cowboys Fan Club of El Paso meets for games at Friends and Flirts, 1550 Hawkins. Information: 598-8888; Pete or Ramona Espt-na, 857-3111. Buffalo Bills: Meets for Bills games at Airport Hilton.

Information: 585-8631 or 595-3177. Chicago Bears: Meets every Sunday for NFL regular league games at Hudson's Grill, 8041 N. Mesa and 1770 Lee Trevino. Fee: $16 annually. Information: Dennis Ostrander, 581-9820.

Denver Broncos: Meets for Broncos games at Charley's Restaurant 1550 Hawkins, information: Carlos Marquez, 860-1442; Rod Beach, 821-5817. Green Bay Packers: Club meets at Kazi's Bar and Grill on the West Side. Information: 532-5231. Miami Dolphins: Fan club meets at The Mine Shaft 6201 Gateway West, next to the Quality Inn. Information: Richard Gonzalez, CLUBS 590-7330, Henry Gonzalez, 8450899.

Minnesota Vikings: The Minnesota Vikings Fan Club will meet weekly for games at Tony Roma's, 8030 Gateway East Information: Richard Beechum, 598-9151. Oakland Raiders: Meets at Teddy's Flame Room at Holiday Inn at Gateway West and Airway, for every Raiders game. Information: Rick Portilk), 287-0836 (pager). Pittsburgh Steelers: Meets at Starz Bar and Grill, 127 Pioneer Plaza, inside San Francisco Grill, for games. Information: Fred Trotter, 545-1386.

Another group meets at Kings 4119 N. Mesa, for games. Information: 532-4015. San Diego Chargers: Meets for games at Main Event Information: 594-2881. San Francisco 49ers Faithful Fan Club: Meets weekly at the Main Event 2230 Tra-wood.

Information: 598-9290 or 857-1025. Tennessee Oilers: The Tennessee Oilers Fan Club will meet weekly for games at the Gridiron, 3317 Dyer. Information: 564-5232. The Tennessee Oiler Fan Club meets at the Main Event 2280 Trawood, for all Oiler games. Information: George Brown, 821-4301.

Washington Redskins: Original Redskins Fan Club meets at Nak-ye's Stadium, 1580 George Dieter, weekly for games. Information: Jaime Garcia, 592-9616. The Washington Redskins Fan Club meets at the Marriott weekly for games. Information: Hector Escaraga, 772-2268. had shot, said Brown County Sheriff Mark Milbrandt.

Schmit apparently had gone to get his three sons to help him haul out the deer. Exactly what set off the attack cannot be proved. However, gutting a deer and flipping it over to drain the blood "is a strain; it gets your heart rate going," Brown said. "I'm 45 years old, in pretty good shape, and it does the same to me." Deer hunting also can damage the back if it's not done carefully, said Dr. Keith Javery, a pain management specialist at Metropolitan and Holland, Community Hospital.

Hunters typically set themselves up for injury by sitting still for long periods with bad posture, Javery said. Hunters often haul the wrong way as well. They bend and twist as they haul. The torque they generate invites a wrenched back. Instead, hunters should tie the carcass to their hips and walk out, preferably with a buddy helping, By Ira Dreyfuss Associated Press Pulling the trigger is the easy part.

Now comes having to drag the deer out of the woods. And this, say doctors, is the part that many hunters are unprepared for. The risks in hunting go well beyond gun safety. Hunters simply may not be up to the physical demands and could pull a muscle, hurt their spine or even worse. "They drag out a deer and die of a heart attack," said Dr.

Allen Da-vies, director of cardiology at Metropolitan Hospital in Grand Rapids, "It's extreme exertion, especially if they are sedentary." Three or four Michigan hunters a year die of heart attacks, he said. A Frederick, S.D., man was among this season's victims. The body of 60-year-old Larry Schmit was found Dec. 7 by a farmer. Schmit had died Nov.

22 of a heart attack after gutting a deer he Javery said. "I don't see any forethought," Javery said. "The guys I see, they don't have any plans on how to get this animal back." as they strutted past us "middle of the packers." Awards not earned This is not true anymore. Every summer and fall, Sportspark El Paso, the East Side Soccer League, the YMCA leagues and the numerous other organizations herd children through like cattle handing out small tokens of appreciation in the form of small, insignificant trinkets. If a trophy breaks or is lost, chances are your child won't even notice it's missing.

But if you lose an arm off Archer or Chip Hazard, you won't hear the end of it. Why? Because Archer and Chip mean something. They are possessions that are cherished, there is a value placed on them because they are special unlike a child's many trophies. Coaching T-ball this summer and fall, I noticed how much the children wanted to win for the sheer feeling of superiority over their opponent. Yes, they do care about winning at the 6- and 7-year-old level.

They certainly do not play and win for a trophy that is no big deal to them because everyone gets one at the end. What's the fun in that? Victor R. Martinez covers recreation issues on the East Side. Call him at 546 6166 with story ideas or suggestion; SKI REPORT New Mexico Ski Apache: 10-new powder, 18-30 base, 41 trails, 6 of 11 lifts, snow making. Angel Fire Resort: packed powder, 17-23 base, 16 trails, 4 of 5 lifts, snow making.

Pajarlto Mountain: Plan to open mid-December. Red River: packed powder, 12-25 base, 35 trails, 3 of 7 lifts, Friday-Sunday. Sandia Peak: Plan to open Dec. 18. Ski Santa Fe: packed powder, 29 base 29, trails 3 of 7 lifts.

Taos Ski Valley: packed powder, 38-51 base, 68 trails, 11 of 11 lifts, 95 percent open. Colorado Arapahoe Basin: Plan to open after next big storm. Aspen: packed powder 15 base, 5 of 8 lifts, 40 percent open. Aspen Highlands: packed powder 21 base, 4 of 6 lifts. Beaver Creek: packed powder, 14-25 base, 22 trails, 6 of 14 lifts.

Berthoud Pass: 5-new powder, 21 base, 1 of 2 lifts. Breckenrldge: packed powder, 18 base, 14 of 19 lifts.j Farmington TvQ-O Raton New Mexico ski areas op Santa Fe)0 )uquerqueg tl 1. Angel Fire (800) 633-7463 Sf. 2. Snow Canyon (800) 333-7542 sgx 1 3.

Enchanted Forest (505) 754-2374 Z2b i 4. Pajarito Mountain (505) 662-7669 yfS I 5. Red River Ski Area (900) 468-7669 1 6. Sandia Peak Ski Area (505) 242-9052 I 7. Santa Fe Ski Area (505) 983-91 55 P-- 8.

Ski Apache (505) 257-9001 9. Sipapu (505) 587-2240 Ruidoso towell-- 10. Taos Ski Valley (505) 776-2916 Alamogordo J'rv---4tL6rtesla Lordsburg (.10 El Paso I'- I. Snow reports call: (505)984-0606 Highway conditions: (800)432-4269 State Police, Alamogordo office: (505) 437-1313 Buttermilk: packed powder, 12 base, 4 of 7 lifts. Copper Mountain: packed powder, 14 base, 17 trails, 7 of 21 lifts, 18 percent open, snow making.

Crested Butte: packed powder, 25-23 base, 10 of 14 lifts, snow making. Cuchara Mountain Resort: Operating. Eldora Mountain: powder, 26 base, 6 of 11 lifts. Keystone: packed powder, 18 base, 12 of 20 lifts. Loveland: packed powder, 20 base, 20 trails, 5 of 10 lifts, snow making.

Monarch: powder, 33 base, 34 trails, 4 of 4 lifts, 63 percent open. Powderhorn: packed powder, 15 base, 1 of 4 lifts. Purgatory: powder, 39-71 base, 52 trails, 4 of 11 lifts, 90 percent open, snow making. Sliver Creek Resort: 10 Inches powder, 3 of 5 lifts. Snowmass: packed powder, 21-34 base, 21 trails, 9 of 20 lifts, 25 percent open, snow making.

Steamboat: packed powder, 23-22 base, 9 of 22 Sunlight: Plan to open Dec. 12. Tellurlde: packed powder, 36 base, 54 trails, 11 of 13 lifts, 80 percent open. Vail: packed powder, 20 base, 29 trails, 12 of 30 lifts. Winter Park: hard packed, 20-29 base, 26 trails, 10 of 22 lifts, 14 percent open, snow making.

Wolf Creek: 2 inches new powder, 68-74 base, 50 trails, 5 of 5 lifts, 100 percent open. Utah Alta: packed powder, 47 base, 8 of 13 lifts, 85 percent open. Brian Head: packed powder, 40-50 base, 45 trails, 5 of 9 lifts, 80 percent open, snow making. Park City Mountain Resort: packed powder, 42 base, 37 trails, 7 of 14 lifts, 40 percent open, snow making. Powder Mountain: packed powder, 33 base, 2 of 6 lifts, 50 percent open, daynight operation.

Snowbird: packed powder, 46 base, 7 of 9 lifts, 85 percent open. Solitude Mountain Resort: packed powder, 41 base, 7 of 7 lifts, 100percent open. El Paso Times.