E-News 92
June 2008
THE BETA
NATIONAL NEWS
Yosemite National Park Revises Schedule for Merced River Plan, CA
AREA UPDATES
Road Improvements at Muir Valley, KY
Corbin Crag–Post Falls Spokane River, WA
Graffiti Removal at the Northwest Branch, MD
AF NEWS
Increase Your Volunteer Numbers at Adopt-a-Crag this Year with Teamworks
Clif Bar Gift Card Benefits the Access Fund—Buy One Today
Travel and Win $500 in GORE-TEX® Gear!
EVENTS
MEMBER BENEFITS
Evolv Rock Shoe Benefits Access Fund
Complimentary Rock and Ice 2008 Gear Guide for Members
Free Membership at eConscious Market
NATIONAL NEWS
Yosemite National Park (YNP) is proposing a revised planning schedule for the Merced River Plan that could restrict climbing and camping access in Yosemite Valley. This plan could limit the number of campsites in the Valley and, in a worst case scenario, restrict climbing access to some crags along the river. This new project schedule, if approved by the court, will be completed in December 2011 and is in response to a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling requiring YNP to impose numeric limits on visitors in the Merced River corridor. For more background on this issue, see www.accessfund.org/pubs/en/e-news90.htm#_Two_Access_Lawsuits.
The court’s order directs YNP to establish new wilderness trailhead quotas and numeric limits in the management corridor (approximately ½ mile on each side of the river) to determine whether Wild and Scenic River values are protected and enhanced. YNP will now transition to site-specific planning in Yosemite Valley to analyze specific types and levels of public use, as well as evaluate the appropriateness of specific facilities.
The new December 2011 completion date envisions that the NPS will re-examine site-specific planning decisions for many areas formerly addressed by the 2000 Yosemite Valley Plan. A public scoping period will begin as soon as possible, and publication and distribution of preliminary alternatives will begin in summer of 2009. By January 2011, YNP will publish a Draft Merced River Plan. Both of these planning phases will be open for public review and comment with a final plan decision due around December 2011.
To stay tuned to the progress of the plan and to get involved, see www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/newmrp.htm. The Access Fund will continue to monitor the progress of the Merced River Plan to ensure that climbing access is not unreasonably restricted. For more information email jason@accessfund.org.
By Doris Edwards, Friends of Muir Valley, Co-Chairperson
On May 29, the half-mile lane leading back to Muir Valley was closed for one week so that it could undergo major rebuilding. This was deemed necessary by the preserve owners due to the increasing number of climbing visitors—close to 600 during the Memorial Day weekend alone.
Two large, blind hills were completely removed during construction to make the drive into the Valley much safer. Although not completely finished, the road was reopened on June 7.
By Rusty Bailie, Kootenai Klimbers
Some folks who read about the City of Post Falls acquiring Corbin Crag have been asking if it’s open for climbing. The cliff in question is on the far side of the river when viewed from the old concrete ramp in Corbin Park. The new city land is closely surrounded by private houses and the only access road is on closed private roads. One of the major purposes of this deal was to ensure the privacy and environmental integrity of the parcel. Given all this, it will take a great deal of careful and creative planning to devise a long-term public access strategy.
We are working with the Parks and Recreation Department to formulate a climbing plan. Anyone interested in helping out or exploring the area can contact us at baillie2@verizon.net.
By Ocean Eiler, Access Fund Regional Coordinator for Virginia
It was a hot, muggy morning as I walked outside with my first cup of coffee. The fog was thick and suffocating. Taking a sip of coffee, I smirked to myself. Of course the “first day of summer” would come on the day I'd planned to do a mini crag cleanup. Out of the fog, Gill appeared.
Forty-five minutes later, we were in the parking lot of Northwest Branch Park (NWB) with the leaders that managed the NWB Adopt-A-Crag two months earlier. Previously cold weather conditions had shutdown our plans to do graffiti removal from the boulders. Today, with temperatures predicted in the upper 90s, this was not a problem.
The players were Addison Helmke, Chris Irwin, Scott Kragen, Thomson Ling, Gill Lingenfelter, Nicole Martino, Libby Sommer, and myself. Donning protective eye-ware and gloves, we armed ourselves with buckets and brushes and headed off into the boulder fields.
Our main focus was a popular boulder called Reefer Rock. Over the years it has attracted many an aspiring graffiti artist. This translates to numerous paint layers.
Water, brushing, and positive thoughts alone would not remove this paint. We came armed with a secret weapon, Soytech. Soytech is a biodegradable (soy-based) graffiti removal product that was donated to us by Randy Frees at Soy Technologies, LLC. His huge donation made this venture a reality.
Roughly four hours later we had made a significant dent in the graffiti covering Reefer Rock. I would love to say we removed all of it but the layers of graffiti were just too dense in places. However, as we surveyed our work I think we felt good about what we had done. These first steps are part of a much larger commitment to the Northwest Branch crag.
Thank you to Mid Atlantic Climbers, Access Fund, and the Maryland, Virginia, and DC climbing communities that help support us. A special thank you to Randy Frees at Soy Technologies, LLC, without his help this project would not have been possible.
AF NEWS
On May 9, Access Fund Grassroots Coordinator Charlie Boas facilitated a public climbers’ meeting at Sacramento Pipeworks. Thirty climbers attended and discussed forming a local climbing organization for the climbing areas east of Sacramento, including Lovers Leap, the Grotto Areas, and Auburn Quarry. The group decided to host Adopt-a-crag events and act as a liaison between land managers and the area’s growing climbing community.
There is a second meeting scheduled for the end June, also at Pipeworks, to vote on a mission statement, name, and board of directors. For more information, please contact Charlie Boas, Grassroots Coordinator charlie@accessfund.org.
Are you organizing or participating in an Adopt-a-Crag this year? If you are a climber, you should. Adopt-a-Crag is one of our most powerful advocacy tools because it shows decision makers that climbers take care of the places where they play. Do your part!
Help us reach our goal of 140 events nationwide by registering your Adopt-a-Crag event today. Trash clean up? Trail maintenance? Hardware replacement or climber signage? Invite the local community out to celebrate their crag!
To register an event or to find one in your area visit: www.accessfund.org/adopt.
The Southeast Climbers Coalition and Regional Coordinator Brad McLeod have embraced the TeamWorks program to promote stewardship and conservation by partnering with local climbing gyms and youth teams. Six gyms in the Southeast have registered as TeamWorks participants and increased Adopt-a-Crag event turnout by up to 30%.
See: http://www.seclimbers.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=433&mode=&order=0&thold=0
TeamWorks is an exciting program that, with the cooperation of team coaches, allows indoor, youth, climbing gym teams to earn points for participating in Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag events. As a reward for their stewardship efforts in taking care of the places we all play, the 10 teams with the most points will win cash grants between $250 and $2,000 for their youth programs.
If you would like to learn how to get your local gym involved with TeamWorks and Adopt-a-Crag events, visit www.boulderproject.org/teamworks or email Charlie Boas at charlie@accessfund.org.
UClimb is a fun event dedicated to bringing people across the country closer to the outdoors. Learn to climb or improve your skills in a comfortable, small-group setting with other amateur climbers. Professional instructors will guide you through the basics of climbing, safety, and conservation. This weekend adventure is an ideal introduction to the world of rock climbing.
This is a great way to bring your family together. Check out some of these upcoming events:
New River Gorge, WV, June 21 - 22, 2008
Donner Summit, CA, July 19 - 20, 2008
Estes Park, CO, August 23 - 24, 2008
Exit 38, North Bend, WA, August 30 - 31, 2008
Red River Gorge, KY, Sept. 13 - 14, 2008
The Clif Bar Family Foundation introduces On Your Behalf, a unique gift card program that encourages charitable gift exchange and allows gift card recipients to make contributions to the organizations of their choice. To increase exposure and provide essential funding to grassroots organizations, On Your Behalf has partnered with 23 beneficiary groups focused on a wide array of social concerns including environmental restoration and conservation, sustainable food systems and agriculture, and public health.
Similar to other gift card programs, gift givers can purchase the On Your Behalf Gift Card on the Clif Bar Family Foundation website in any denomination. Once received, the gift card recipient can then donate the card’s balance to one or more of the On Your Behalf partner organizations.
It’s the perfect gift for the climber who has everything.
www.clifbarfamilyfoundation.org/onyourbehalf
The GORE-TEX® brand, with help from the Adventure Travel Trade Association, identified the Top 10 GORE-TEX® Footwear Summer Travel Destinations where travelers can experience the diversity of both outdoor adventure and urban leisure travel.
EVENTS
Make any event an Access Fund fundraiser and/or member drive. It’s so easy—register your event online and we’ll set you up with the membership materials you need and the swag to get people excited. www.accessfund.org/events/eventreg.php
06/21—06/22 New River Gorge, WV. 2008 UCLIMB EVENTS sponsored by Mountain Gear, 800-829-2009, www.uclimb.org
06/21—06/21 Dome Rock near the Needles, CA. Southern Sierra Climber's Association, Slideshow Under the Stars, www.southernsierra.org/sscahome
06/27—06/27 Sheraton Harbor Island, Bayview Lawn, San Diego, CA. Allied Climbers’ of San Diego Summer Celebration, www.alliedclimbers.org
07/19—07/20 Donner Summit, CA. 2008 UCLIMB EVENTS sponsored by Mountain Gear, 800-829-2009, www.uclimb.org
Please register your crag clean-ups as an Adopt-a-Crag to strengthen our communal efforts. Adopt-a-Crag is the largest climber volunteer effort year after year and land managers notice. Be a part of it! www.accessfund.org/cons/aac.php
06/28 Castlewood Canyon State Park, CO. The Castlewood Canyon Climbing Comp & Clean Up, is a TeamWorks Adopt-a-Crag event hosted by the ROCK Climbing Center Junior Team, Front Range Climbing Company, the Mountain Chalet, and REI Colorado Springs. Lara Groshong, info@climbingtherock.com
07/09 Tettegouche SP, Silver Bay, MN. The North Shore Adopt-a-Crag, an Adopt-a-Crag event hosted by the Minnesota Climbers Association; the University of Minnesota, Duluth; and www.minnesotaclimbing.com. The event starts at 10:30 am. Kaija Webster, kwebster@d.umn.edu
07/12 Backbone State Park, IA. The Clean to Climb at Backbone State Park, an Adopt-a-Crag event hosted by Far Reach Mountaineering. For info, call 319-929-5467. Travis Nissen, nissen2008@netins.net
MEMBER BENEFITS
Get member-only discounts on all the new stuff in the Access Fund MemberSHOP! www.accessfund.org/membershop
Evolv QUEST-AF 1% of all sales go to the Access Fund.
Dear fellow climber,
On behalf of Rock and Ice and the Access Fund, please check out this complimentary digital edition of our 2008 Gear Guide. This year, I'm pleased to say that the Gear Guide is more useful than ever and is loaded with critical reviews of gear, from rock shoes to harnesses to bags and tents. Back by popular demand, we've also included our B.I.G. (best in gear) awards. To earn a B.I.G., a piece of gear has to prove itself in the field by being more innovative or better (or both) than all the rest. Please click here to view the digital edition and see for yourself.
*You must allow pop ups for www.realread.com.
Safe climbing,
Duane Raleigh
Publisher and Editor in Chief Director
Rock and Ice
eConscious Market is the Internet's largest philanthropic eco marketplace featuring eco-products for your home and office, work and play. Every time you shop, you give too. 50% of net profits from your purchase will be donated to the Access Fund!
For a free eConscious membership:
Go to: www.econsciousmarket.com/site/Become-A-Member
enter: accessfund (no spaces all lowercase) as your promo code
enter email and password and verify password
select Free (PROMO CODE REQUIRED, includes member only discounts)
100% Organic Cotton prAna T-shirts. Designed for a comfortable fit and ideal for steep sport climbs, bold runouts, or just hanging out. Artwork by Jeremy Collins. $20.00 non-member / $15.00 member. NOW IN STOCK!
The perfect block heater for long ice-routes, crisp bouldering sessions, or a bad hair day. 100% Merino wool. A soft fleece lining adds a little extra protection from the elements. Tastefully co-branded with the Access Fund and The North Face logos. One Size. $15 non-member / $13.50 member. NOW IN STOCK!
Cruise to the AF website and play ASANA PackWorks' video game Gunther's Big Day (www.accessfund.com/extras/game.php). Click through to ASANA's site to purchase the full version. Ten dollars from each purchase made through this link will be donated to the AF. Go, Gunther! Thanks, ASANA!
AF Ambassador Timmy O’Neil “takes care of business” in Indian Creek www.accessfund.org/extras/tic.php
AF Ambassador Chris Sharma sending a first ascent in the boulderProject promo spot at www.accessfund.org/extras/promo.php
Are you a federal employee? Did you know that you can donate to the Access Fund through the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)?
Federal employees, including federal civilians, military personnel, and U.S. Postal Service workers, can donate to AF through the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign. The CFC is a charitable fundraising program that enables you to give to the Access Fund through automatic payroll deductions.
If you are a federal employee, please look for the Access Fund (agency # 12047) in the official CFC listing of eligible donors. You can also make your contribution online by going to (www.conservenow.org), clicking on “Search for a Charity,” typing in “Access Fund,” and making your contribution there.
If you have additional questions on these programs, please contact Ellen Jardine at ellen@accessfund.org.