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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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May 31, 2011 - 07:12pm PT
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Heavily used and loved areas need to be well managed. In that way, recreationalists are accommodated, and the impact is contained.
Aren't there trail standards? When we have done work on trails, we had standards to follow that ensured that most recreational users would be happy to stay on trail, discouraged braiding and cutting off switchbacks. The standard I clearly remember using in the Northeast came from thr New England Trail conference. We were always encouraged to make the trail wide enough to accommodate a 4' x 8' piece of plywood traveling down the main corridor if possible. This also had the advantage of accommodating a litter being wheeled out if necessary, too. Natural materials were preferred. Any rocks used in construction needed to be a minimum of 250 pounds - or they would be easily displaced by hikers. Certain grades were encouraged, and too low a grade was discouraged as it inevitably led to shortcuts.
The complaint above suggests that the trail corridor is even bigger than that. on the other hand, the expectation that climbers want to feel branches whipping against their faces - not so sure that encourages people to stay on the beaten path at all hours of the day and night, while ferrying heavy gear, or holding their child's hand.
I love the work that has been done at a few places where I started to climb. The owners recognized that the climbers were always going to be coming, and a nice trail would actually keep the land in better shape than the goatpaths climbers will create when left to their own devices.
Defined paths, defined and reasonable parking lots, toilets in high traffic areas - this keeps our parks from turning into eroded landscapes filled with toilet tissue gardens.....
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:18pm PT
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:21pm PT
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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May 31, 2011 - 07:26pm PT
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One has to wonder how this went unnoticed. Kinda hard to do this quietly...
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:26pm PT
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:31pm PT
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 31, 2011 - 07:34pm PT
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Does the NPS watch that area for bandit camping, fires, etc?
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2011 - 07:37pm PT
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Yep.
But apparently not enough.
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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May 31, 2011 - 07:54pm PT
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Climbers with charcoal and lighter fluid? Weird.
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middle joe
Trad climber
oc
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May 31, 2011 - 07:57pm PT
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Limbing definition: The brutal practice of cutting off branches from live trees just so they won’t touch humans in an offensive manner.
Or you could go with this definition:
Pruning: A widely accepted horticultural practice which improves or maintains the health of trees.
While I don’t promote the indiscriminate limb cutting, pruning trees/bushes promotes conservation by not creating bypass trails, and sorry, but I will always value human safety above the limb of tree or bush.
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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May 31, 2011 - 08:01pm PT
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and sorry, but I will always value human safety above the limb of tree or bush
And what does the chopping that we're talking about here have to do with human safety?
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Gene
climber
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May 31, 2011 - 08:05pm PT
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What about all them damn buzz worms that live along the approach trail and in the talus? Maybe the lopping shear crowd can make that situation more comfortable for me.
g
EDIT: Hard to get lost on this one, especially after the NPS uses its leaf blower on it.
Thousands of folk have reached the base without trail 'enhancement.' I seriously don't get hacking branches.
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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May 31, 2011 - 08:06pm PT
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Middle Joe, thanks for providing the definition that sprang to mind for me. I'm not saying that indiscriminate limbing on climber approaches is an unmitigated good, but it doesn't necessarily hurt the vegetation. Of course, I live in the Northwest where the damned conifer weeds will spring up behind you and even a trail of breadcrumbs won't get you back to the trailhead.
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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May 31, 2011 - 08:08pm PT
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OW and MJ, have you hiked this trail in the last 5 years? Ever?
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mctwisted
Social climber
superslacker city
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May 31, 2011 - 08:19pm PT
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jesse
sue and i were walking up right side of el cap this early spring when there was still some snow and i saw the size of the large limbs that were cut. i'm wondering if there might be some other culprit besides climbers. those are big limbs that would require a good size handsaw to hack off, and a lot of energy i might add, not what your average wall climber would be thinking about since he is about to go up and play on the big stone for a few days, and there seemed to be a fair amount of cuttings.
the lighter fluid also sounds more like hunter types more than climbers
very strange!
need to get werner up there with the nightvisionscope and kick some ass
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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May 31, 2011 - 08:22pm PT
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I would also think most climbers know fresh cut stuff doesn't burn worth a sh#t - instead it smokes...
EDIT - Sully, you beat me to it...
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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May 31, 2011 - 08:41pm PT
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Jesse, thanks again. I would never think people would bother to put in all that work for meaningless 'enhancements.'
Imagine if they put that much effort into removing trash or volunteering at crag cleanups...
fire rings = way lame. I hope this silly ritual dies out.
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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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May 31, 2011 - 08:55pm PT
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Yea the sherwins have recieved some serious limbing action . The "Hose" used to be a tight tree line, now it's a freeway. Actually more dangerous now, more of a avi path. Have kicked off some pretty good ones when wind loaded. I know the culprit. He has since moved on. Lame to limb.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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May 31, 2011 - 08:56pm PT
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Let's just send in the NPS boys to do a controlled burn and everyone is happy.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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May 31, 2011 - 09:02pm PT
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Thanks Jesse - another vote for limbing being completely lame.
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