An Endeering Experience at Caspers Park

We hadn’t been on the trail more than 200 yards at Caspers Wilderness Park the other day when we spotted our first deer, just a baby. Then another, barely older.

Then Mama emerged from the trees into the meadow. Then Papa. Or maybe the other way around. I can’t tell them apart, except the last one seemed the biggest of the four.

I’m not a hiker by hobby or inclination, but I tell you, this was exciting stuff. Even my friends, Yoshi and Jackson Sellers, were enthusiastic. And they are veteran explorers of the wilderness. (Jackson carries a walking stick he picked up on an outing a few years back, and has cut a new notch with every trip since--putting you in mind of those old western gunslingers.)

Before our hike ended we came across two more deer, marveled at the sycamores and oaks enchantingly shaped by time and the elements, and enjoyed Yoshi’s delicious lunch of what she calls spirit of the fox sushi, and pickled ginger, which we ate sitting alongside an inspiring babbling brook.

All of this for a $2 admission to park our car, and no more than 10 minutes from the thick traffic of the Santa Ana Freeway.

Caspers to some means mountain lions, and minors now are prohibited from the hiking trails because of unfortunate incidents where some children have been attacked. But for adults, there’s safety in numbers, and whether you’re in its valley or the ridge top, Caspers is some of the best Orange County has to offer.

Sailing’s Friend: Crime isn’t a topic you’d hear much about at the exclusive Huntington Harbour Yacht Club. Its well-to-do members enjoy sailing and water sports and good camaraderie. But their serene world changed a little over a year ago, when popular member Jessica Uniack was killed by some wacko after no more than a fender-bender traffic accident.

The Yacht Club responded quickly with a Jessica Uniack Memorial Symposium, “Women Against Violence.” Turnout for it last year was so enthusiastic that it’s now an annual event.

The second session is today at the Yacht Club, 3821 Warner Ave. in Huntington Beach ($13 at the door). It’s a full day of discussions with experts on what women can do to protect themselves and even detect when someone is potentially violent. It’s also a meaningful reminder that a good friend won’t ever be forgotten.

Zero Bob: Robert K. Dornan of Garden Grove is the type of congressman that most newspaper people are glad to have around, in small numbers. We pride ourselves on our streaks of skepticism, and Dornan’s politics and philosophy always provide so much to be skeptical about.

Dornan does have two qualities that appeal to me. He’s always been genuinely polite to people any time I’ve been around him, and he always returns my phone calls. That usually goes a long way toward me liking someone. And anyway, over the years you develop a kind of immunity to him. His outrageous statements seem to have less impact these days because, after all, it’s just Dornan.

But Thursday night, watching the Republican debate in Arizona on C-Span, it was the first time that I’ve ever come to actually resent Dornan. He can’t even tip voter scales off zero within his own party, yet he’s taking up our time to contend he’s the only Republican who can beat Bill Clinton next November?

It wasn’t that Dornan didn’t have anything to say. I couldn’t tell much difference among Dornan, Pat Buchanan and Lamar Alexander. But these other men had a reason for being there. They’re real candidates. Dornan has a better shot at making the next moon landing than he does winning his current campaign.

I finally started using Dornan’s minutes in the spotlight that night to feed the cats and carry out the trash. His ego trip is interfering with a national debate important to us all, and I can only hope he stays home next time.

Titan Up: Part of Cal State Fullerton’s school spirit campaign: It wants to erect a sculpture of an 18-foot-high male African elephant (they’re the ones with the huge tusks) in front of McCarthy Hall, the science building. It will be called the Titan Monument. The university is hoping alumni will chip in to pay for it. For $300 you get a 6 1/2-inch replica, for $1,000 you can get one slightly larger--plus your name at the base of the monument.

Wrap-Up: With so many causes to consider, keeping up a healthy mountain lion population isn’t high on my list, especially since I’m scared to death of them. But I generally find at least intriguing any group opposing the National Rifle Assn. Like the Newport Beach-based Mountain Lion Foundation.

It’s upset with the NRA-backed Proposition 197 (on the March 26 ballot), which would remove mountain lions from protected status--and allow them to be hunted again.

Foundation spokesman Joe Mozdzen says Proposition 197 backers “have carefully disguised it as a way to protect the public. But that’s a gun lobby hoax. It’s for trophy hunters.”

The foundation is holding a March 7 fund-raiser in Newport Beach; (714) 723-4066. To even things a little, there’s also a Roseville-based group for Proposition 197 called Californians for Balanced Wildlife Management; (916) 783-8837.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling The Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or sending a fax to (714) 966-7711.