Date: Saturday, June 1st
Time: 8:00 pm

We would like to share some information with the community. We want to discuss with the community the past, present, and future activities of the Coalition. It is going to be an informal gathering… a little lighthearted story telling, then a slide show, then an announcement that might be interesting.

Everyone is welcome, and you won’t need to bring anything but high spirits and optimism.

What: A day dedicated to learning good trail building and maintenance technique

When: June 15, 2013 from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm

Where: Flat Holler trail head, PMRP (walk to (but not up) the hill that leads to the Sore Heel parking lot, and then walk forward a little, and then a bit left)

Why: To certify folks in the community to run trail days for the RRGCC!

Please register below if you will be participating, and thank you!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

On Saturday, May 11, 2013, from 9 AM to 12 noon, a free training exercise will be conducted at Muir Valley on how to respond to a climbing accident. Although these exercises are routinely conducted for members of the Muir Valley Rescue Group, we have decided to open up this training for those outside the Muir Group — especially to those who regularly climb in areas where the official emergency response services are iffy.

We will be meeting at the Shelter House at the Muir Valley main parking lot at 9 AM sharp. If you wish to attend, please try to show up a few minutes early, as we will be leaving shortly after meeting to conduct the training scenario at the Bone Yard Wall. This will be a realistic scenario with a fallen climber.

Bring a helmet if you have one. If not, one will be furnished to you.

Poster by Stephanie Meadows

We came, we saw, we did stuff.

The trail day this last Saturday was a big success! We had 30 people attend what was a beautiful day out. I’m not much of a writer but our accomplishments are worth writing about.

Dave Jasperson led a crew moving the bridge on the trail off the Motherlode parking area to a more sustainable location. It turned out awesome and should last years to come!

Josh O’Bryan led a crew installing culverts on sections of the trail off the Sore Heel parking area to divert water from coming off the trail and the road.

Jesse Sterr and Josephine Neff led the crew spreading gravel. We had some delivered to the Coal Bank area to help with the holes until the road crew can begin work. We also had some delivered to the Sore Heel area to try and improve conditions on the hill. We also dropped a load in the Sore Heel parking to fill in the muddy areas and expand the parking some.

Peter McDermott led the crew that was cutting trees in preparation for the Flat Holler parking area – hopefully to be open by June of this year.

THE BIG PROJECT OF THE DAY – led By Paul Morley, Stephanie Meadows, and Travis Peek

Image courtesy of Travis Peek

The last creek crossing on the way to the Darkside was composed of 3 very slick logs. Paul Morley and Stephanie Meadows donated the material, planed the project, and saw to its execution. Accompanied by the RRGCC Assistant Land Manager Travis Peek and a very capable crew, they produced a fantastic bridge that far outclasses the joke of a crossing we had before!

We also began repairs to the gate leading to the Darkside. I ran out of time, but will have it wrapped up this weekend. If you can lend a hand, gimme a call: 5024178902

Good things happened and it could not have been done without your help! It’s the people who made things happen that we owe our thanks to.

THANKS TO YOU ALL:

Peter McDermott

Eleanor Krause

Andrew Bundy

Amelia Bryant

Jereme Ransick

Travis Long

Josh O’Bryan

Bill Strachan (RRGCC Executive Director)

Dave “the Animal” Jasperson

Tim Fraser

Will Sweeney

Sally Minges

Pat Marrinan

Tim Black

Grant Sperry

Chuff-on-John Sites

Dan Chandler

Michael Miller

Angela Cecil

Brent Dupree

David King (RRGCC BOD Member)

Many Hostetlu

Sarah Brengosz

Amy Schneider

Benton Mcdaris

Sara Liles

Logan T Smith

Quinn Hill

Josephine Neff (RRGCC BOD Secretary)

Curtis Gayle Dyer

(Sorry if I left anyone out or butchered your name)

Special thanks to Travis Peek, the Assistant Land Manager. Without his help, it could not have happened! Thanks, brother.

We have located a piece of property that is 309 acres and has the potential for over 250 new routes. We are still negotiating the cost and terms of the agreement. Since the deal has not been signed, we are not releasing more information at the request of the seller. We hope to have everything finalized soon.

This is where we need your help. Access Fund members will have received an email asking to approve grant proposals. The RRGCC has applied to the AF for a grant to help with the cost of the purchase. Please open the link and click on the RRGCC’s grant request as a 5 (high priority).

We certainly understand that everyone would like more information about this deal, but please be respectful that these negotiations are fragile and we certainly do not want to lose this opportunity. We will provide more information as soon as we are authorized to release it.

Thank you for your support!

Your BOD

The Access Fund and Shenandoah National Park need you to help promote their climbing management plan (read more about “ROMP” here).

Please take a moment to comment on the document.

If you don’t know exactly what to say, the 3 bullet points in the action alert and the sentence before them make a good template:

The Access Fund, Mid-Atlantic Climbers, and New River Alliance of Climbers reviewed the ROMP and are in support of the management direction in Alternative B, subject to a few concerns outlined below.

• Rock outcrops compose only 2% (3,920 acres) of the SHEN’s entire 197,438 acres. It is important to emphasize that other activities, such as hiking, camping, and vista enjoyment draw far more people and cause far more impacts than climbers. As stated in the ROMP, Old Rag is visited by an estimated 50,000 people annually, but the number of climber use-days for all of SHEN is estimated at only 500.
• While the ROMP provides general information about the impacts causing concern, more information should be provided about the specific impacts at each rock outcrop where restrictions are in place or being considered. For instance, climbing at Hawksbill is prohibited, but the concerns leading to the climbing ban are not fully explained. More detailed information should be provided to further explain the need for restrictions.
• Because climbers make up only a small percentage of rock outcrops users, the Park should consider if some climbing access can be allowed (even if other user groups are restricted or otherwise more directly managed) before restricting access to specific rock outcrops (especially those on the “watch list”). Park planners should consider ways to protect the natural resources without prohibiting access to climbers completely.

Upon graduation, students will have opportunities to intern with Microsoft, and to potentially begin careers in the tech industry that will allow them to work remotely – or perhaps to return to their school as teachers in technology education, and make the same difference in the next generation’s lives that Audrey is helping to facilitate in theirs.

The RRGCC applauds the initiative Audrey has taken to give back to the community in which she loves spending her time. Please visit Audrey’s blog and check out the KY School Boards Association’s article on the topic for more details.