Access Fund Blog

Half Empty or Half Full?

Although the summit of Half Dome remains a symbol of the American Wilderness ideal, seeing photos of the 1,200 some people who hike the 8 mile trail to the summit daily during peak season is oddly reminiscent of a frenzied herd of cattle during feeding time. There seem to be two main issues rearing their heads in Yosemite National Park’s recently published Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan. One is regulating the sheer volume of visitors per day during high season, and the other is whether the metal cable “handrails” (that run the last 400 feet of 45 degree slick rock up the east face) are in compliance with the Wilderness Act of 1964.

 
Let us preface by saying….rest easy. No one has suggested a permit should be required to climb Half Dome via a technical route or to use the cables as a descent from a technical climb. The main issue is regulating the hordes of hikers who are flocking to Half Dome. To this end, the Park will likely impose new permitting guidelines that would limit the number of users allowed on the towering granite monolith to 400 people per day (300 per day after 2013 ). Before the trial permitting system was implemented in 2010, approximately 400 people used this trail on weekdays, while about an average of 800 people used this trail on weekends and holidays. Virtually no climbers will be affected by this new policy, other than fewer hikers to negotiate as you descend the cables.

The metal cables have assisted recreational users to access the breathtaking summit of Half Dome for almost 100 years—they were installed by the Sierra Club way back in 1919. There is, however, some controversy surrounding their existence, as Half Dome lies within a federally designated Wilderness area. The Wilderness Act mandates that lands designated as Federal Wilderness be areas “where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain” and that provide “outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined” recreation. The Act also prohibits structures and installations “except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area.” Even though the cables predate the Wilderness Act by 45 years, at least one advocacy group has suggested they are inconsistent with the Act and should be removed.

So, while this issue should not affect the technical ascent of Half Dome by climbers, most climbing parties use the cables to walk off the summit. Without them, it would be a much sketchier descent, and would probably require bolted rappel stations. The Access Fund supports the continued existence and unrestricted use of the cables route for descending Half Dome but does acknowledge the need for the NPS to address concerns related to public safety and wilderness values.

The Access Fund urges you to weigh in on this issue. Yosemite National Park is accepting public comment on the Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan until March 15, 2012. If this issue is important to you, then make yourself heard!

Visit Yosemite’s website for more information on the plan and the comment page to add your input.

 

I love it when climbers come to visit our office

~ Brady Robinson, Executive Director

If you’ve been following the Access Fund through social media, e-news, Vertical Times, or this blog, you probably have a good idea of the work we do. You probably know we have a powerful presence in Washington, D.C. and that we shape public policy to support climbing on public land. You may even know that we launched a new program last year in partnership with Jeep—the Access Fund Conservation Team—and that this team of professional trail builders consults with local climbers and land managers across the nation, helping to create and implement long-term stewardship plans.

You would have heard about our many excellent affiliate local climbing organizations (LCOs) scattered across the country, our base of 10,000 members, and the nationwide Adopt a Crag program that helps organize climbers to give back and steward the places they love. You’ve heard that we launched a revolving loan program to support the acquisition and conservation of privately held climbing areas, and that we have completed seven projects to date.

You may know all of these things, and that usually builds up an image in your mind of what the Access Fund office must look like. And that image is usually exaggerated.

Our office is small. No receptionist. No bronze statues. The carpet is getting shabby. None of the desks match, and a few are delaminating a bit. In spite of our recent growth and success, we’re still lean and incredibly focused on one thing: keeping climbing areas open and protected.

Visitors usually leave with the impression that the Access Fund punches far above its weight class and that, in such an organization, each and every membership and donation really does matter.

So thank you for your support and generosity—every membership and donation really does make all of our work possible.

And please do swing by to see us if you’re ever in town.

 

Access Fund Headquarters is located at 207 Canyon Blvd, Suite 201, Boulder, CO.

Conservation Team: Life on the Road

In their first two months on the road, Dave and Jeff (aka the Conservation Team), completed eight stewardship projects from Kentucky to the California coast. Check out this short recap of their 2011 tour, and stay tuned for upcoming details on the start of their 2012 tour!

2011 Conservation Team Re-Cap from Access Fund on Vimeo.

 

Crag Dogs: acceptable or not?

It’s a hotly contested topic among climbers, not far behind the “to bolt or not to bolt” debate. We aren’t here to condemn or condone, but to offer some insight on when and where it’s legal to bring your dog and some guidelines for appropriate crag dog behavior.

Where and how dogs are allowed

National parks—The National Park Service (NPS) permits dogs in most front-country areas if leashed or “under physical restraint” at all times. Dogs are prohibited from backcountry areas, with some exceptions.

Forest Service lands—The United States Forest Service requires that pets be restrained or on a leash at all times while in developed recreation areas.

BLM lands—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has the least restrictive policy concerning dogs, only requiring a leash where habitat or wildlife restorations exist.

State parks and local government lands—Policies vary, so be sure to check regulations before heading out to climb with your pup.

Private lands—Policies vary and aren’t always clear. If in doubt, we recommend asking the landowner or leaving your dog at home.

Guidelines for happy cragging with your mutt

Use common sense. When visiting a popular area with lots of climbers or planning to climb long multipitch routes, or if the day is hot and the approach is long, consider leaving your pet at home.

Respect the rights of others. Tether dogs in high-use sites like bouldering areas or staging areas for climbs to keep them out of the way of spotters, belayers, and other visitors, and to prevent packs from being pilfered for food.

Respect the rights of your dog. Make sure your dog has plenty of food and water, and let others know your dog’s name so they can get your dog’s attention if need be.

Keep your dog under control. Be sure your dog responds to verbal commands and can be kept under control, especially around others. Train your dog to stay with your gear and not someone else’s.

Clean up after your dog. Canine feces are unsightly and smelly and can become a problem underfoot. Pick it up and pack it out.

Has your dog reached crag dog status?

The answer is probably “NO” if …

• He barks and/or whines incessantly
• She shows any signs of aggression toward people or other dogs
• He likes to dig
• She doesn’t respond to verbal commands

 

Tell us what you think. Leave a comment.

Top 10 Victories for Climbers in 2011

As the new year approaches, all of us here at the Access Fund would like to thank you for your support in 2011 and share our Top 10 victories from the year. Mobilized climbing conservation with the launch of the Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team, staffed with expert trail builders who travel the country 10 months of the year, improving climbing access trails and helping climbers and land managers create long term stewardship plans for their local crags. The Conservation Team completed eight projects from Kentucky to California in their first two months on the road. Continued to strengthen the grassroots climbing advocacy network by hosting the National Access and Stewardship Summit, which brought together climbers from across the Americas to share best practices in climbing stewardship, land conservation, policy, and local support and mobilization. Prevented astronomical fee increases for climbing Mount Denali and Rainier, showing the federal government there needs to be public participation prior to implementing drastic recreation fee increases and that climbers are willing to pay their fair share but will not be an ATM when budgets get tight. Fought for adequate funding for American parks and public lands, testifying before congress and commissioning an economic survey to showcase the economic benefits of climbing and other human-powered recreation. Awarded over $40,000 in grant money to support local climbing access and stewardship projects across the country and, for the first time this year, gave you the ability to rate grant projects and influence how your membership dollars are spent. Continued to push federal agencies for a clear policy to allow the use of Fixed Anchors in Wilderness, conducting a nation-wide survey of the climbing community to solicit input, and advocating for clearer guidance from land management agencies. Expanded the Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign to support emergency stewardship action when the access road was washed out at Bolton Quarry, allowing CRAG-Vermont to immediately repair the road and re-build their stewardship funding. Raised $75,000 to protect and steward Jailhouse Rock in California, with generous support from the Conservation Alliance, Planet Granite, Touchstone Climbing Gym, and dozens of individual donors in the Bay Area. The money was put to use this fall when the Access Fund Conservation team and local climbers came together to create a new access point and trailhead. Offered local climbing organizations the opportunity to leverage the infrastructure and administrative capabilities of the Access Fund through a new joint membership program, allowing local advocates to focus on local issues. Brought together individual climbers, leaders in the outdoor industry, and Access Fund board members past and present to celebrate our 20th anniversary and recommit to the mission of protecting America’s climbing. These victories, and many more, were made possible because of YOUR support. Please consider making a special, tax deductible, end-of-year donation to the Access Fund. Your contribution will help us continue to expand the work of the Access Fund and protect America’s climbing into 2012 and beyond. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Your Friends at the Access Fund

Pay to Play: The Debate over Access Fees on Public Land

The Access Fund has long represented the voice of climbers in debates over access fees to recreate on federal public land. Just last fall, word spread that the National Park Service was set to dramatically increase fees for the 2012 mountaineering season at both Denali and Rainier.

The parks announced their intention to raise mountaineering fees—from $30 to $50 at Mount Rainier and an unprecedented 150% increase at Denali, taking the price from $200 to $500. The intent to raise the fees was announced without an open public process to determine their need or an assessment of the mountaineering programs and budgets for either park.

Left unchecked, fee increases can set a dangerous precedence of federal agencies unfairly shifting more of the burden of the budget onto climbers, or using the increase to support services that were not required or wanted by climbers. We want to avoid a “pay to play” model where “playing” costs the agencies nothing, and climbers are priced out of their own national parks and recreation areas.

In the case of Denali and Rainier, the Access Fund teamed up with the American Alpine Club and the American Mountain Guides Association to protest the proposed unilateral fee increase and push the Park Service to open a public process to determine the validity. After many months of working with the parks, National Park Service officials in Washington, D.C., members of Congress, and concerned climbers, the NPS initiated a public input process, reconsidered its position and instituted fee increases that were significantly lower than originally proposed. The increase for Rainier landed at $43 (a $13 increase), and the fee increase for Denali landed at $350 (a $150 increase).

The Access Fund supports user fees on public lands in many situations, such as where services are provided or agency budgets are substantially burdened by climbing access. The excellent public education and search and rescue program in Denali National Park is one such example. However, the Access Fund will continue to push agencies to be transparent and include public input before making significant changes to recreation fee programs.

The Access Fund will also continue to actively oppose recreational use fees where administrative support is neither required nor desired by climbers and where climbing impacts do not significantly impose on agency budgets or degrade the environment.

Jailhouse gets a makeover

~Joe Sambataro, Access Director

November 12, 2011 marked a special day in the history of Jailhouse Rock. Although I haven't logged countless hours and years underneath the impressive amphitheater, this Adopt a Crag was a special moment shared with great people. The numbers are impressive: 50 fence posts, 300 tons of gravel, 3 gates, 1/4 mile of trail work, 1/2 mile of decommissioned trail, 1 waste bag dispenser, 32 parking spaces, and 1 trailhead kiosk—all in one weekend!

But, those numbers are just part of the story...

In 2010, Access Fund worked with the landowners, Marta and Steve Weinstein, and a team of volunteers to secure conservation and access easements in the wake of new plans for a subdivision on part of the 1000-acre property. Over the course of last fall, after a site visit in September, I sat behind my computer drafting conservation easement language, e-mailing attorneys to request legal counsel, and mapping new parking areas on Google Earth. Twenty, fourty, eighty—the hours were adding up, but this wasn't your average Jailhouse 13b project. When all of those hours finally paid off, this time last year, the perpetual easements were recorded and we had completed the most complex land conservation project in Access Fund's 20 year history. And then the Jailhouse climbing community came together (beyond any and all expectations) to fundraise for a new access point and trailhead.

This November those dollars were put into action as 45 climbers spent the day with shovels in hand to start a new era at Jailhouse, ensuring that climbers can safely park their cars at a trailhead half the distance to the crag. The new Access Fund Conservation Team organized dozens of volunteers in its most extensive project to date. Thanks to great sponsors and Tom Addison's shwag wrangling skills, everyone walked away with a small token of appreciation.


Of special note, ranchers from Kennedy Meadows worked in concert with climbers to establish new access. With the proper gates and fences installed, hundreds of pack horses will continue to graze during the winter months while climbers kneebar their way up basalt roofs above Tulloch Lake.


Local climbers are largely responsible for maintaining a positive relationship with the landowners over the last two decades, and it was this foundation that made the project possible. Our collective success at Jailhouse shows that it pays to be stewards of the land and not just users.

We owe a big thank you to everyone that made it happen. I hope you enjoy the video.

Looking to log a trip to Jailhouse this season? Visit www.accessfund.org/jailhouse to learn more.

Conservation Team in Bishop

Dave and Jeff hit Bishop to help the BLM restore some archeological sites damaged by campsites, then head over to do some trail restoration at the Sad Boulders approach.

Access Fund Conservation Team - Bishop from Access Fund on Vimeo.

 

Yosemite Planning, Part 2: Jason Keith in San Fran

On Tuesday November 8, longtime Access Fund regional coordinator Paul Minault joined me in a meeting with several San Francisco climbers hosted by Renee DeAngelis from Planet Granite climbing gym. We discussed the many management issues being developed in Yosemite including, explored specific preferences that climbers might have on particular issues such as new camping locations and how to restore El Cap Meadow, and filled out the MRP workbooks.

On Wednesday I met with the “Yosemite Roundtable” working group that has representatives from the National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, Student Conservation Association, and American Alpine Club, among others. The Access Fund has been a member of this group for a number of years and this particular meeting was held at the Presidio and hosted by Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher and his staff who provided us an update on the MRP, the TRP, and various other current issues of interest to the working group. Immediately after this meeting the NPS held another well-attended MRP workshop where Park planners walked the public through the workbook and took comments from a number of passionate longstanding Yosemite stakeholders. Later that evening I got a ride from Nora De Cuir over to a climber meeting in Berkeley that was attended by AF Board member Beth Rodden and organized by Lyn Barazza and the folks from Touchstone Gyms. Here again we discussed our preferences for climbing and bouldering in the Valley using the MRP workbook as guide to highlight the various issues that matter to climbers.

This was a great trip that significantly informed the Access Fund’s advocacy position on several Yosemite issues of importance to climbers. Thanks to Gator, Don Neubacher, Renee, and Lyn for making it so productive.

Climbers interested in Yosemite issues should take of look at the MRP workbook and get your comments in by November 30. The Access Fund’s positions on appropriate MRP planning alternatives are as follows:

• Yosemite planners should work to reverse lodging/camping ratio (currently 60/40) to provide more camping and less emphasis on lodging (move lodging to the park boundaries). Providing more camping in the Park, and limiting lodging in the park to rustic/primitive accommodations, is consistent with the NPS's own management policies that promote visitors having a direct relationship to Park resources. Adjusting this ratio would also be more consistent with a national park instead of the luxury resort or amusement park that Yosemite often resembles. AF’s Valley Plan comments are found here.
• Park planners should include in the MRP the several "improvements" for Camp 4 that were contemplated in Lodge Redevelopment Plan (which was stalled by the MRP litigation). These
  improvements include showers, fencing to encourage vegetation, limited loud bus noise, foul weather cooking pavilion and communal fire, and a nearby location for Ken Yager's Yosemite climbing museum. In addition to focusing on more camping in the Park, planners should also improve the quality of the camping experience, especially at locations such as Camp 4 where climbers are forced into highly dense and low-quality campsites. Planners should recognize the historic importance of this campground and improve some of the basic amenities such as the bathrooms. See AF’s previous comments on Camp 4 planning here.
• Yosemite planners should restore as much camping as possible to sites that have already been disturbed such as the Pine and Oak lodging units and the Rivers Campground that were destroyed in the 1997 flood. These areas in particular could be engineered with the recognition that they will again be flooded. Plan maps should indicate flood plain areas where shallow flood depths and low water velocities make the development of campsites feasible. Planners should establish diversity of camping opportunities (including walk-in, walk-to, and a "drop-off" your gear but walk-in model) and not just limit opportunities to drive-in campgrounds (where RV generators, for example, impact the experience) or the ghetto at Camp 4. The Park should bring campsite numbers at least back to pre-flood totals as contemplated in Yosemite's General Management Plan (there's currently a shortfall of 300 campsites), but any new sites should be focused on placement in the East Valley so that the largely undisturbed areas west of Camp 4 don't also suffer from campfire smoke and new infrastructure. The Access Fund has also long advocated for the addition of camping in the Park outside of Yosemite Valley.
• The Park should ensure climbing needs are addressed in the MRP, particularly parking locations throughout Valley and the Merced Gorge segment (Cookie Cliff, Arch Rock, etc.).
• Park planners should ensure that measures to restore or harden El Cap Meadow are not unsightly from above. The MRP should consider hybrid approach for boardwalk further west of typical climber use areas, and use fencing and other ways to focus people onto a few discrete paths into Meadow. The MRP should ensure that climbers can continue their traditional use of the Meadow.
• Park planners should ensure that there is adequate day use parking while pursuing a range of transit strategies to reduce auto use in the Valley.
• Non-resource based attractions and high-impact commercial amusements such as the swimming pool, skating rink, and horseback rides to Mirror Lake should be phased out.
• The Plan should include a noise control element that addresses noise sources such as idling tour buses, motorcycles, trash collection, RV generators, the Green Dragon touring flatbeds and others.

Yosemite Planning, Part 1: Jason Keith Visits the Valley

On Saturday November 5, I flew into Fresno and drove up to the Valley where I crashed at Mike Gauthier’s cabin in Yosemite Village. Better known as “Gator” to his friends and colleagues, Mike formerly worked for the National Park Service on Denali and Rainier, served a two-year stint with the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Department and Interior in Washington, DC, and is the newly anointed Chief of Staff to Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher. Besides being fun to hang out with, Gator is a life-long climber who has a unique insight into how his professional work and passion for climbing interact, including the implications in the recently released Merced Wild and Scenic River Plan (MRP).

Over the past few years The Access Fund has become increasingly involved in various management planning issues in Yosemite that either directly affect climbing access or the various ways, such as camping, that climbers visit the Valley. The latest of these has been the Merced Wild and Scenic River Plan, which concerns essentially everything climbers do in the park before they actually put their climbing shoes on: transportation, parking, camping, amenities, and site specific issues such as potential changes to El Cap Meadow and Camp 4. See AF’s MRP scoping comments here. The MRP is the subject of extensive litigation that resulted in a court ordering the park to determine and enforce a specific carrying capacity number for visitors in the Merced River planning area (the Valley) which in turn will govern any new developments in Yosemite.

While waiting out a snowstorm, Mike suggested that we call Superintendent Neubacher to see if he wanted to join us (on his day off no less) on a tour of the various potential new camping locations in the Valley that were contemplated in the MRP. He graciously agreed and spent half of his Sunday with us checking out some spots near Camp 4, Eagle Creek, El Cap Meadow, and Taft Toe.


Spending the day with Superintendent Neubacher and Gator also gave me an opportunity to discuss various climbing-specific issues in the Park including fixed ropes and anchors, Camp 4 stay limits, and how carrying capacity limits might affect climbing activity. That evening Gator and I drove down to El Portal to have dinner with Yosemite Climbing Association’s Ken Yager and Yosemite climbing ranger Jesse McGahey to discuss their involvement in the upcoming Outdoor Alliance Partnership Summit in Golden, Colorado this December. Ken and Jesse will provide a presentation of how their private-public partnership facilitated the development of the Yosemite Facelift which is the mother of all Adopt-A-Crags and considered a huge success.

On Monday November 7, I attended the MRP workshop in the Valley where Yosemite staff presented various planning scenarios for Yosemite Valley which could eventually turn into planning alternatives. This was one of a series of workshops designed to give the public a window into the status of the Park’s thinking on the MRP thus far to avoid any surprises, provide an opportunity for public comment, and foster relationships among various Yosemite interest groups including the litigants of the MRP. This workshop was greatly facilitated by the MRP workbook (get your copy here, your comments due November 30 – see below for Access Fund position). Yosemite staff handed off 30 copies of this workbook which I took to a few climber meetings I had scheduled in the Bay Area.

Later that day I also met with longtime Yosemite wilderness manager Mark Fincher who is on the planning team for the Tuolumne River Plan (camping, parking, amenities at stake – see AF comments here) and an upcoming park-wide wilderness plan which matters to climbers because
specific climbing management provisions governing fixed anchors and ropes on El Cap, for example, will likely be developed. That evening I drove to San Francisco to prepare for another round of meetings with climbers, NPS staff, and other stakeholders interested in Yosemite issues.