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The Southwest Chapter of OCTA was started in the fall of 1987. The chapter has remained small, but continues the active pursuit of OCTA's goals along the trails of the Southwest. Many trail buffs do not realize there were southern trails to California, which were actively used from the time of Kearny's Army of the West, until after the building of the railroads through the area. The purpose of the chapter is to research, explore, map, mark and protect the historic emigrant trails of this area.
The most active group within the chapter at present is the Southern Trails Mapping Committee, co-chaired by Reba Grandrud and Rose Ann Tompkins. We try to have two field trips per year, each lasting about a week. This project has continued for more than ten years. Additional time is spent researching these trails before the field work and analyzing data after the field work. USGS 7.5' topographic maps are updated, using OCTA's Mapping Emigrant Trails manual.
Chapter members doing this mapping have adopted the name "Trail Turtles" to identify themselves. The group travels slowly along the trail as they search for signs of the trail. They carry their homes with them in the form of their vehicles rigged for back road travel and self-contained living.
Over the years the group has perfected several techniques useful in the unforgiving high desert terrain. Just locating the long abandoned and forgotten trail has been part of the challenge. Certain landmarks are well known, but the path from one to another is often a problem to be solved. Main stays continue to be diary accounts, other historical literature, and maps. Equipment such as FRS radios, multiple GPS units, digital cameras and computers help the process. But in the end, it is the legs and eyes of the Trail Turtles that get the job done. SWOCTA has a dedicated group.
Links to mapping trips are provided below.
February 2005 During this mapping week, we returned to an area of New Mexico which we had mapped previously. Using new technology, this visit was to confirm and expand information previously obtained.
Recent copies of our newsletter are available, see Desert Tracks
Updated 9/12/05
Assistance in constructing the webpage was provided by Harland Tompkins. The chapter would also like to thank Steve Berlin for constructing the graphic used in the heading.
If you would like additional information about joining OCTA and the Southwest Chapter, you may contact the chapter webmaster, or the OCTA Home Page for the particulars.
Return to OCTA's Home Page
Return to Tompkins' Home Page