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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 31, 2011 - 05:55pm PT
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A lot of climbers have been complaining about the “limbing” of trees along approach trails to popular cliffs in Yosemite. Though probably not a new idea, there has been a flurry of activity in the last couple of years. This is illegal, against the wilderness ethic, draws negative attention to climbers, and is upsetting to many people.
Limbing definition: The brutal practice of cutting off branches from live trees just so they won’t touch humans in an offensive manner.
Last year someone sawed off several branches on the primary trail to the base of The Nose, significantly widening the trail. Tiny branches, and larger ones up to 6 inches in diameter and 15+ feet long were cut off.
A little later in the year it looked like the same thing had been done up along the base of the left side (Salathe Wall), especially near the start of Lurking Fear etc. The branches chopped off were left as conspicuously dried up/sawn off branches lining the side of the trail.
Now this year, the final bit of the approach to The Nose has seen even more limbing. One section of the trail is 15-20 feet wide, and numerous huge branches were chopped off and laying around. Then someone tried to burn the still green wood in an enormous bonfire pit. It appeared that someone had sawn off some branches in areas adjacent to the trail, perhaps to create staging areas in the shade??? The secondary approach trail to the base of The Nose, further right was also limbed. Other areas where recent limbing has occurred are the traverse ledge on Leaning Tower and the approach to Mt. Watkins.
Although the person or persons doing this work probably believed they were doing a public service, they were in fact offending what seems to be a solid majority of the community of users hiking in these areas. They were also committing a federal crime: 36 CFR 2.1 Preservation of natural, cultural and archeological resources. (1) Possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing from its natural state: (ii) Plants or the parts or products thereof.
Sometimes trailcrews maintain portions of trail using a saw on official and maintained trails through the wilderness, but it is usually done as minimally as possible, and in a way that it is unnoticeable or as unnoticeable as possible.
Approach trails to climbing areas are NOT official trails, they are use trails only, and generally speaking no maintenance is allowed. We have had several volunteer trail days over the years with climbers helping out to maintain small relatively invisible use trails.
Furthermore, many people go climbing for an adventure in nature, and they expect to have, and enjoy having a few branches slap across their face (or their partners face behind them). Some folks even enjoy an occasional full blown bushwack, or even if they don’t enjoy it, recognize it as part of a wilderness climbing experience (let’s not get into the discussion, again, of whether the walls of Yosemite Valley are REAL wilderness…that’s the goal, whether you personally believe it is being achieved or not.)
However, the reality of the situation is that there ARE trails to climbing areas. Recognizing this, the NPS has approved the maintenance of some of these trails in order to prevent trail-braiding (multiple trails to the same destination), erosion, etc. If you’d like to help we have had several volunteer trail days over the years with climbers helping out to maintain small relatively invisible use trails. The work done is to be as minimal as possible using the least amount of tools necessary, and no tools that are illegal in wilderness. No cuts have been approved. So, even though we can now do some rockwork to stabilize and protect the best trail to a cliff, and rehab unnecessary braided trails, we cannot cut branches off trees!!!
Thanks for reading, and please post up your opinions on this topic…surely this group will have something to say!
Yosemite Climbing Rangers (Jesse and Jake)
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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May 31, 2011 - 05:57pm PT
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Those F'n bastards!!!!! When I was a boy, we just broke off the offending limbs with our faces under a full drunken stagger. Please tell me this is still legal?
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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May 31, 2011 - 05:58pm PT
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I'm against it, but surely there are bigger fish to fry.
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apogee
climber
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May 31, 2011 - 06:02pm PT
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I'm against it, and thank you for paying attention to it.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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May 31, 2011 - 06:02pm PT
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This is disturbing and hope it will stop. A few years ago I was approaching to top of El Cap from Big Oak Flat Road and noticed the same thing for miles on the trail. There had recently been a large scale film crew up there and it appeared the cuttings were done to clear way for the horses as almost all the cuttings were from about 6 to 7 feet above the ground. Can't say for sure this is what happened, but seemed strange all the cuttings where from that height. The trails are big enough to accommodate the perceived traffic with out modification...especially unauthorized modification!
Thanks for the post, hope it'll stop!
Peace
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 31, 2011 - 06:05pm PT
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At least with the trails up to the base of El Cap, climbers may not have been responsible.
Another side of this issue is the frequency with which some people (probably including climbers) burn "found" tree limbs in the Valley. That is, people rip limbs off trees on the Valley floor for fires and cause a lot of damage, which is equally contrary to the CFR. Overall, a main cause of damage to trees on the Valley floor may be firewood limbing.
Anyway, maybe I won't need my chainsaw at the FaceLift after all. Any self-respecting climber up here has one. They're an essential tool, and of course proof of manliness - the bigger, the better. At least that's what the NCCCA - National Canadian Climbers' Chainsaw Association - tells us. Although some even here get carried away with their 'forestry'.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 31, 2011 - 06:07pm PT
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"Limbing" trees at the base of El Cap??!! Good grief.
This might be a good case for punishment by the terms of Sharia law.
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Gene
climber
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May 31, 2011 - 06:10pm PT
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I'm against it, but surely there are bigger fish to fry.
Of course there are bigger fish to fry. (Was that a pun?)
It all comes down to access. LNT. Stealth. Minimum impact. We have a fairly loose rein in YV. Let's not screw it up, especially with something as stupid as trimming trees. DFU.
g
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 06:11pm PT
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There are always bigger fish to fry, but in this case protecting trees in a National Park is actually a high priority.
Russ,
We recently accidentally ripped off a few dead leafs with the portaledge you made for us because the ledge bag malfunctioned and did not close correctly. The ledge parts snagged a branch and pulled the poor leafs off. I thought about citing you right there, but now decided a warning is sufficient.
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sandstone conglomerate
climber
sharon conglomerate central
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May 31, 2011 - 06:21pm PT
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I carry a small chainsaw for rough bouldering approaches. fits in my pad really well, right along with a gas can.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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May 31, 2011 - 06:29pm PT
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I'm not one of those who believes you shouldn't cut down any trees just because you label a place "wilderness". I like the view at the tunnel turnout and didn't mind the trees that were cut down there. I also don't mind having trails, but do understand that they need to be handled wisely. In some places, to keep trails from becoming massive interwoven messes, hardening of the trail is necessary. That applies to officially approved trails, and unofficial trails.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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May 31, 2011 - 06:39pm PT
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Jesse, I'll admit it's prolly bad form to cut down tree branches in a National Park. I get that.
I'm just saying it doesn't seem like a big deal. As long as the tree will survive. But it isn't a great precedent, do they really need to be chopped?
I dunno...
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Joe
Social climber
Santa Cruz
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May 31, 2011 - 06:50pm PT
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nicely stated Jesse. I assume you will put out a call for volunteers when you schedule your next trail days?
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 06:55pm PT
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Bluering,
When should we chop branches? Should we let every tourist come in here with their saws and blaze new trails. Or should we knight a few select climbers who have been gifted with a deeper understanding of which tree branches to lop off so not to be in the way of climbers hiking with a pig. Do we really need trails wider than our stock-use trails for Big Wall climbers?
We all realize that front-country developed areas, like Tunnel View or Curry Village for example, are very different than El Cap. There may be some folks here who would like to have a tent cabin at the base of El Cap (or like to joke about it to get me fired up), but fortunately it would take an act of congress to change the regulations on development in Yosemite Valley.
Jesse
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:03pm PT
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Rokjox,
We still have a fulltime sawyer cew taking out Hazard trees, and removing deadfall from official trails roads etc. Some of these guys are climbers. They do an awesome job, taking care of developed areas. I have no problem with that kind of saw use.
Thanks for pointing that out.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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May 31, 2011 - 07:04pm PT
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Jesse, you are very right. This is tricky thing to manage and starting with just asking ourselves the question is part of minimizing.
I'm not a trail-phobe, and I'm not interested in whole sale whacking. But there is definite value in making a good trail the first time, so as to prevent the inevitable braided trail or smashing or brush that comes when no clear path is available.
Is there space in the NPS legal and policy buttress to enable use-trail creation when we can identify braided trails will happen without a clear path? Maybe the Valley is a bad example to start with becuase much of the climbing is done off the valley floor where it the goal is preserving the wilderness designation.
I'm sure others can think of examples, but it seems like there must be a pro-active way to use trails to preserve wilderness much like we do with backpacking trails. Or does it always start out as use-trails, which then become 'managed'?
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:04pm PT
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Gene
climber
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May 31, 2011 - 07:06pm PT
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First and foremost, limbing is lame. Kind of a no brainer to me.
Second, who has the freaking time, energy or mind set to think that 'enhancing' the Nose approach is a worthy pursuit? Sounds the same as bolting a crack.
g
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:07pm PT
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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May 31, 2011 - 07:09pm PT
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No - this sucks! Look at all the sawing done above sunnyside bench! That used to be a really nice area but someone decided to deforest it (prolly done by whoever put in bolted anchors there but at least they get removed you can't undo the deforestation). The valley is an established area - there are already trails - it's not like you're hiking through the jungles of Borneo...
Jesse,
That said it would be nice if you put in an official trail to the base of Reeds. I always see people heading up the wrong way and have to redirect them so they don't trundle the blocks right next to the road plus that trail changes every year basiclly based on the tracks in the snow early in the year...While you're at it maybe a toilet around Reeds too to since people can't seem to dig holes or burn/dispose of their toilet paper...
kev
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