Utah Breaking News
Toilets Installed at Joe’s Valley and Indian Creek, UT (10/15/2008)
Joe's Valley has become one of the premier bouldering areas in the American West. With this popularity has come increased impact on the natural environment and has also placed strain on the relationships between land owners, climbers, and other user groups.
The Salt Lake Climbers' Alliance, with the help of its donors, has installed latrines at the Mansize and Buoux camping areas. The use of these latrines will help keep campsites enjoyable and also minimize our impact in the area. Latrines will be installed seasonally, depending on donations. To visit the Salt Lake Climbers' Alliance donation page and make a contribution go to: www.saltlakeclimbers.org/donate.
In Indian Creek, the Friends of Indian Creek have installed three porta-potties. These will be located at the Superbowl and Creek Pasture camping areas. Their aim is to alleviate the use of human waste bags and to provide a more cost-effective method of tackling the human waste problem at Indian Creek. The porta-potties will be in place during the busy climbing season at Indian Creek and cleaned on a weekly basis.
Funding for these toilets has come from the sale of Friends of Indian Creek t-shirts and donations received in the donation tubes at the 4 kiosks in Indian Creek. Please help us to maintain these toilets by continuing to make donations. The future of Indian Creek depends on minimizing human waste. By providing human waste bags and toilets, we can do this. It will take a combined effort from all climbers to use human waste bags, toilets, and make donations. These facilities cannot be provided without your help. For more information, see www.friendsofindiancreek.org
Castleton Tower Adopt-a-Crag Event, UT (10/14/2008)
October 24th, 25th, & 26th Trail Repair and Trailhead/Campground Stewardship
Castleton Tower needs YOUR help. On August 7, the Castleton Tower crags received two inches of rain in forty-five minutes. The flash flood severely damaged the access trail. An Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag event planned for this fall will repair the trail. We need your help! Please join us.
Utah Open Lands, with support from the Access Fund and American Alpine Club, will host the first annual trail maintenance and baselands stewardship event at Castleton Tower October 24-26. The event is an official Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag event. It is made possible by Petzl’s sponsorship of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Moab, which will celebrate its fifth anniversary this March.
The goal of the event is for a group of volunteers, under the leadership of trail building professionals, to repair the access trail and begin to take on the stewardship of the crags at Castleton Tower on both BLM and Utah Open Lands property.
Trail Repair & Maintenance Seminar
Friday, October 24
The Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI), builders of the Castleton Tower access trail and many of the trails at Indian Creek, will conduct a seminar on trail construction and maintenance. Then RMFI will lead us in the trail repair work.
Castleton Tower Access Trail Repair
Saturday, October 25
RMFI will oversee trail repair work on the Castleton Tower access trail.
Castleton Tower Access Trail Repair / Trailhead and Primitive Campground Re-Vegetation
Sunday, October 26
RMFI will oversee trail repair work on the Castleton Tower access trail. Additionally, on this day Plateau Restoration of Moab will lead another group of volunteers in the re-vegetation of a large section of the primitive campground which was damaged by OHV travel before Utah Open Lands acquired the land in 2003.
Participants will meet each day at 8:30 am. at the Castleton Tower trailhead and primitive campground on the LaSal Mountain Loop Road in Castle Valley. We will work until approximately 4:00 pm each day. Participants should bring their own food, snacks, beverages, and water. Water will be available for refilling bottles at the trailhead. You may participate for as little as a half-day. The decision is yours, but we need your help. The event will happen rain or shine so bring some foul weather gear.
Finally, Utah Open Lands would like to thank the Access Fund, American Alpine Club, Black Diamond, and Petzl for their support of this event and the stewardship effort at Castleton Tower!
Please contact Dave Erley of Utah Open Lands at 435-259-4859 or dderley@frontiernet.net for more information or to sign up for any or all of the days.
Castleton Trail Damaged in Flash Flood, UT (09/16/2008)
The Castleton Tower access trail suffered severe damage on Thursday, August 7, 2008, due to an exceptional, localized thunderstorm and the resulting flash flood. The Grand County Utah Road Department estimates two inches of rain fell in 45 minutes. Several large sections of the trail were washed away. The upper traverse below Castleton Tower and over to the Rectory is basically gone and is more exposed in a number of places.
The route has been flagged so that climbers can identify it. This was done to prevent the development of redundant trails and to protect the threatened plant species that exist in the area that, by law, the BLM is required to protect. The flagging is temporary and will be removed after the trail is repaired. Climber cooperation in staying on the flagged route and leaving the flagging in place is greatly appreciated.
Trail work will occur during an Adopt-a-Crag event sponsored and jointly funded by the Access Fund, American Alpine Club, and Utah Open Lands. The Adopt-a-Crag event will take place on October 24, 25, and 26. Builders of the trail, The Rocky Mountain Field Institute, will lead the work parties. Volunteers are needed for this event so please feel free to contact the event coordinator Dave Erley of Utah Open Lands at 435-259-4859 or dderley@frontiernet.net for more information or to sign up. Volunteers are welcome to work as many days as their schedules will allow but should coordinate with Dave in order to make sure tools and other resources are available.
The Adopt-a-Crag event was scheduled in May and was not funded to do the scale of work necessitated by the storm. Thus, additional funding is needed to repair the trail. If you would like to contribute to this cause, please send your tax-deductible donation to:
Utah Open Lands
2188 S. Highland Drive, Suite 203
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
Please specify in the memo section of your check “dedicated funds for CT trail work.”
Moab BLM Management Plan Update, UT (11/17/2007)
The BLM’s Moab Field Office manages 1.8 million acres of public land including classic climbing areas such as the Fisher Towers, Castleton Tower, the Rectory and dozens of other well-traveled areas. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is now finalizing a management plan that will affect recreational access as well as several other issues such as off-road vehicle use, mining, oil and gas drilling, livestock grazing, cultural resource protection, and natural resource issues. Climbing is given light treatment, but those wishing to review the implications of this plan and comment on its proposals may write by November 30 to:
Bureau of Land Management
Moab Field Office - RMP Comments
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532
(435) 259-2100 -
Alternatives B and C (the latter preferred by the BLM) both create recreation focus areas in the Fisher Towers, Castleton, and Potash Road climbing areas, and will generally reduce opportunities for OHV use and the threat of oil and gas drilling. No alternative directs a detailed climbing policy, although Mexican Spotted Owl habitat and heightened Visual Resource Management areas may impose climbing restrictions or the use of new fixed anchors in the Kane Creek, Courthouse Pasture, Behind the Rocks and lower Mill Creek areas. For more information check out: www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html.
Access Trails Under Construction at American Fork, UT (10/11/2007)
By Steve Downes, Salt Lake Climbers’ Alliance
There are a number of construction projects underway in American Fork Canyon that impact climbing access. The Salt Lake Climbers’ Alliance, along with climbers from Provo, are working with U.S. Forest Service representatives to make sure that climbers' access is retained to all of the cliffs in American Fork. One bit of good news is that the Forest Service has included parking for climbers in their restoration project of the Little Mill Campground picnic area. This parking will serve climbers visiting the popular Division Wall. A top agenda item for climbers is bridge access to the cliffs on the south side of American Fork Canyon. A number of climbers are starting to work with the Forest Service to address this situation. Hopefully, some good solutions will be on hand by Spring 2008.
For more information, contact the Salt Lake Climbers’ Alliance at www.saltlakeclimbers.org or the Uinta National Forest Pleasant Grove Ranger District at (801) 785-3563.
Zion National Park Asks for Public Comment on Backcountry Management Policies, UT (06/18/2007)
In 2005 the National Park Service at Zion completed public scoping on a plan to manage of backcountry in Zion that includes vast climbing opportunities, including some of the country’s most significant adventure big wall climbing. In May the park released its draft alternatives for managing 145,060 acres in Zion, which include recommended and potential wilderness “and any technical rock climbing areas regardless of where they occur in the park.”
The draft BMP identifies opportunities for a variety of backcountry experiences while recognizing and protecting the wilderness resources values of Zion National Park. For more information, see AF’s 2005 scoping comments www.accessfund.org/pdf/AFscopZion.pdf and the draft plan http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?.... The Access Fund generally supports the park’s Proposed Action/Preferred Alternative B which continues existing policies (including seasonal closures to protect raptors and other protected resources) and will also “encourage . . . access to climbs on established and marked routes.” The NPS plan would not seek to monitor or otherwise limit the number of new climbs, but because of the wilderness management at Zion, the NPS will prohibit power drills and discourage excess bolting. Various other provisions in the draft BMP address overnight bivouacs, human waste, fixed ropes, access trails, and canyoneering in the backcountry.
The NPS at Zion will take comments to its proposed Backcountry Management Plan through July 29 at:
Zion National Park
Attn: Backcountry Management Plan/EA
Springdale, UT 84767< br>
Or online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.
Indian Creek Update, UT (03/12/2007)
By Emma Medara, Friends of Indian Creek
The BLM has installed a toilet at the Beef Basin turnoff. This is a great addition to our human waste management program. While it is only one toilet, and is not there to replace the use of the human waste bags, it gives relief to the large number of waste bags that are being used through the successful program.
Please continue to use the waste bags when it is not convenient to use the toilet (at the crag or at the campsite or anywhere where you do not have access to the toilet).
Donations for waste bags last season were great, and together with money raised from t-shirt sales, slide shows and financial contributions from manufacturers, we have just ordered 2500 more waste bags to keep the dispensers stocked for the spring season. However, please don't always rely on these dispensers being fully stocked. Please be prepared by bringing in your own waste bags.
There is information on www.friendsofindiancreek.org about alternative backcountry toilet systems. It is our intention to phase out supplying human waste bags in the future, but this will not mean that everybody can go back to digging holes. We will all have to be responsible for ourselves and provide our own systems of packing out.
The future of Indian Creek, whether there are human waste bags or not, will still depend on climbers managing themselves and the area responsibly and packing out human waste.
Everyone is doing a great job, and the donations are a huge help. Please keep helping us by not poohing in holes, keeping to the designated camping areas, and keeping those donations coming in.
Go to the website www.friendsofindiancreek.org for updated information.
Arches National Park Update, UT (02/14/2007)
By Sam Lightner Jr., Access Fund Board Member, Arches Task Force Coordinator, ASCA South East Utah Representative
In May of 2006 the National Park Service (NPS) placed a moratorium on new fixed anchors in Arches National Park. This moratorium bans pitons (or bolts) on existing aid routes, effectively making many of the established routes in Arches closed to future ascents.
Similarly, any new climbs requiring descent anchors are also now banned. Both Arches and Canyonlands (where fixed anchors are also now currently prohibited) contain a very large number of desert towers and the potential countless new single pitch routes and these new fixed anchor restrictions greatly limited climbing opportunities. However, the NPS plans to start a new climbing management plan governing both Arches and Canyonlands later this year which may address some of the current climbing restrictions.
After the May 2006 Arches fixed anchor ban the Access Fund immediately stepped in to try and alleviate the situation by improving relations with the South East Utah Group. Through meetings with park officials it became clear that the new climbing restrictions in Arches resulted from public outcry about the controversial climb of Delicate Arch last May which forced land managers to make a rule that was not good for climbers.
A group of local Moab climbers, working with the Access Fund and the American Safe Climbing Association, has begun to work with the NPS to try and give climbers a better image by cleaning up anchors and removing old webbing from towers and other visible routes within Arches.
Park administrators have so far been receptive and the improving relationship will hopefully help the Access Fund negotiate an end to the anchor moratorium and eventually produce a new climbing policy that accommodates climbers. In the meantime, it is important that climbers not add anchors to existing or new routes, forgo the use of chalk, and follow trails, washes, and slick rock when approaching climbs.
For more information contact Access Fund Policy Director Jason Keith at jason@accessfund.org.
Indian Creek Update (10/13/2006)
Human Waste - Thanks in part to a Patagonia Environmental Grant, the pilot program for self management of human waste at Indian Creek nears the end of its 3rd climbing season. For details see the new Friends of Indian Creek (FOIC) website www.friendsofindiancreek.org which was made possible by generous support from Trango). The success of this trial program is key to maintaining the unique primitive camping and climbing experience found at Indian Creek and stave off view-killing “improvements” by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). See Timmy O'Neil taking care of business the right way at the Creek: www.accessfund.org/extras/tic.php
Camping - During an Access Fund Adopt-A-Crag in early September, the Friends of Indian Creek assisted Dugout Ranch tenant Heidi Redd to close approximately 10 campsites along the Bridger Jack Road that are on Dugout Property. This work, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and the BLM, was part of a FOIC compromise with Heidi for continued climbing access across Dugout Land (such as access trails to Super Crack, Scarface and several other popular buttresses). Over thirty designated BLM campsites remain 1.5 miles further down the Bridger Jack Road, and nearly all other established Indian Creek campsites remain open for use.
Parking - there is no parking at the former Way Rambo parking area. This area has been posted as closed by the state but apparently someone has removed the sign. The final 500 yards of that road is now closed to vehicle access so please park back at the triangle junction where the road goes to Pistol Whipped Wall. Moving this parking area will limit conflict with the Indian Creek Cattle Company's seasonal work moving cows and only add a few minutes of extra walking for climbers headed to Way Rambo.
Information Brochure - With financial help from the Access Fund the Friends of Indian Creek have also produced an informational brochure that will guide visitors to camping, climbing and parking locations throughout Indian Creek. An online version of this guide can be found here friendsofindiancreek.org/ICbrochure.pdf The brochure will also explain low-impact practices, the new human waste project and other specifics of the new Indian Creek Management Plan friendsofindiancreek.org/agencies.php. For more information, join the Friends of Indian Creek by emailing info@friendsofindiancreek.org or contact Jason Keith at jason@accessfund.org