Death Valley Trotty - Michele Digonnet - A Smash N' Grad

[DeathValleyDazed]

Like many of you, my admiration and gratitude for Michele J. Digonnet runs deeper than Salt Creek under the valley floor playa. Digonnet is now seventy one years of age and appears to be going strong with new publications about the greater Mojave Desert and Preserve.

I was going to produce a write up of Digonnet but located a respectable one over at DesertUSA.com 

https://www.desertusa.com/desert-people/...onnet.html

Digonnet's applied physics technical skills are equally outstanding as his hiking and exploring skills. In fact, my knick name for him is Death Valley Trotty. Digonnet's world travels remind me of our very own netllama and MojaveGeek.

Digonnet's publications in applied physics are note worthy. Imagine if he had chosen geology? (GowerGulch44 - are you paying attention here?) 

https://academictree.org/physics/publica...pid=628088

Side note: April 2024 I parked my rental Jeep Gladiator on Highway 190 between the Mesquite Sand Dune and The Devil's Cornfield for the day while I hiked Trellis Canyon on the northeast slope of Tucki Mountain. Upon returning late in the day the Jeep had been "smashed and grabbed" with shattered glass covering the interior.

Besides most of my camping, photo, and computer equipment being stolen was my copy of Digonnet's "Hiking Death Valley." Losing that rabbit eared bible of DEVA pissed me off more than losing the other stuff! I just re-ordered a replacement from Amazon.

Second Side Note: The NPS park ranger was most helpful logging his detailed police report. (I actually spoke with him on the phone twice. He said the smash and grab did not seem to fit into a pattern of serial crime inside DEVA) I checked a few dumpsters and trash cans in the park for my discarded stuff but nothing found. The losses were covered by my American Express rental agreement in which I declined the extras offered by Enterprise. Glad I chose that option.

However, the claim process was painful because DEVA NPS is not allowed to directly provide their police reports to the victims, rather one must go through the arduous process of FOIA Freedom of Information Act with The Department of the Interior. My first online request was lost. The second snail mail request was eventually honored and passed along the the insurance company who would not pay the claim without a police report. The mess was finally cleared up November 2024 seven months later.

Post title should read Grab instead of Grad

[MojaveGeek]

Wow what an ordeal on several fronts, DVD. I'm sure we've all parked along the paved roads and gone out hiking for the full day many times. This is the first I've heard of theft like that, but we always have a rule of thumb to never leave any thing valuable visible in the car. Of course it is easier to do that if you have a lowly sedan with a trunk. I'm guessing from your description that you had all your gear in the Jeep because you were camping out of it. I assume this happened during daylight hours, from your description?

Did you call park dispatch or 911? I wonder if we'd be better off, in this situation, getting CA highway patrol as a responder - 190 is a state road after all. I have used 911 within the park, but it does not go directly to park dispatch.

As for Digonnet, I have felt that we might be kindered spirits - my day job was at MIT, his at Stanford - and we've both done a lot of time in DEVA, though he of course way way more than I. And now you tell me we are even similar ages

I was pretty well immersed in DEVA and the Mojave in general when his book came out. I was simultaneously in shock - here was someone publishing info which would bring "crowds" to places I had discovered on my own, and appreciated the minimal signs of visitation - but also in awe of how much new places he opened my eyes to.

Of course I have also learned a ton more from folks here on this forum, in its various incarnations. I suspect you have too. We do have to remember though that anything posted here becomes viewable, and probably searchable, by the whole world. A good aspect of this sort of "location centered social media" is that with a relatively small community, we have a certain ability to sense the abilities and sensibilities of others and thereby calibrate our own abilities and willingness to, e.g. take an exposed route, with each other. Much of the best advice comes behind the scenes, but the public forum is how we make contacts. And, for those of use who live some distance away, a chance to keep in touch with what's happening in the area.

I think I'm getting off topic