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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Mar 25, 2012 - 03:55pm PT
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This is the kind of "JT Ethics" I like to see. A group of volunteers planted over 200 shrubs in a re-vegetation project at Hidden Valley near Intersection Rock. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard, including friends new and old, John Stannard, Kris Solem, Kp, Kevin Trieu and Wendy Conlon, Seth Kovar, Jim Pinter-Lucke, SW Section Chair AAC, and Jeff Deikis, SW Regional Cordinator, AAC.
TY
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Mar 25, 2012 - 04:45pm PT
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Tony bird. one of the biggest missconceptions out there is that trad climbing is some super secret hard core skill that only the godly ones can achieve.. total BS! It ain't rocket science> it's just climbing. yes a rack is pricey but most of the gear lasts forever or close to it. A stopper is about the same price as a rack of hippy beer. #1 Every time you are about to waste money on junk food, chew tobacco, cigeretts, beer or any other non essentual item don't! buy a piece of trad gear instead. #2 use that trad gear every time you go out climbing. lead somthing dammit instead of lugging a shiny rack arround and hanging it on a branch near the rest of your shwag while you TR all day! follow these 2 simple rules and in two seasons you wil be getting up multi pitch trad within a grade of your sport comfort zone. k
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jstan
climber
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Mar 25, 2012 - 04:56pm PT
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I feel quite badly about my earlier post. Bernadette and her NPS coworkers put two years of hard professional work into making this happen and spent all the effort required to gather everyone together. And then I hopped in after doing very little. I apologize.
The NPS realizes it is our park, not theirs. We have to come out and support our park. It is necessary we do this for reasons well beyond just the project at hand. An example. I can sit here and complain about gym climbers and young people without end. But if we all go out and work together to achieve a shared goal - everything changes. When I go to an NPS meeting where the various user groups provide their input as to how our park should be used, I won't look at gym climbers and young people as - them.
The NPS cannot manage our parks for our benefit unless they can first get us together.
Several centuries ago I did the last climb where I was only interested in finding out whether I could do it. When I got the answer I had the feeling that this was the end. Yesterday in JT I had only the feeling that this is the beginning.
A world of difference.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Fumbling towards stone
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Mar 25, 2012 - 05:20pm PT
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That planting project looks like fun and familiar. I did one with a small group from the AAC and boatloads of other folks back in the fall at Indian Cove. Couldn't make it this time, but would have loved to. This seems like Jim is going to try to make it a regular thing. Good stuff and enjoyed those photos.
Always appreciate spotting Tony in those photos, the wise old punk who's not as old as he thinks! :-)
Eric
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Mar 25, 2012 - 05:31pm PT
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Awesome work all of you!!! Hope we can help the next go 'round.
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bit'er ol' guy
climber
the past
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Mar 26, 2012 - 12:48am PT
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8,000 short grainy squeeze job slabs is 7,999 too many. Ban first ascents!!!
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Rocman
Trad climber
Reno,NV
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Mar 30, 2012 - 11:07am PT
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My first trip to jt was 1978,bolting on lead,running it out,to save the rock,they had BIG BALLS,thats want I rember from my trip,then climbing got SPORTY
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FreeCoffee
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 15, 2012 - 10:57am PT
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The area in question is the Underground Chasm on Queen Mountain. The Chasm is located in designated wilderness and a 2 hour hike from the trailhead, NW of Lower Walt's Rock. The 11 routes have not been reported on mountainproject and as far as I can find are only listed in Robert Miramonte's new guide. A member of the climbing community, pointed the crag out to me. It appeared to him like some holds may have been 'enhanced.'
I hiked out to the Chasm in March and found a lot more than possibly enhanced holds:
 9 steps chiseled into a ramp in the chasm proper
-An established and abandoned campsite
2 fire rings with the remnants of burnt joshua tree limbs.
a bench
a cache of water
cooking pots
dozens of cut scrub oak - laid out to make a bridge-like structure leading into the chasm.
a crowbar
trash
approximately 120 bolts spaced 4-6 feet apart (11 routes)
11 sets of anchors
a fixed rope
-evidence that the rock faces had been aggressively cleaned
Joshua Tree's management plan states that bolts may be replaced, bolt for bolt in wilderness areas, but no new bolts may be placed without a permit. No permits have ever been issued for Queen Mountain.
Powerdrills may never be used in wilderness areas - per the Wilderness Act.
Queen Mountain is a day-use area - to protect the native animals.
No fixed ropes may be left any where in the park.
Vegetation may not be collected or cut for any reason
Chipping, scraping, gluing, and gardening holds is prohibited.
Law Enforcement Rangers did a full investigation on the Upper Chasm area, but unfortunately it was inconclusive. Meaning, there is no way to prove who permanently altered the rock on Queen Mountain. We are currently discussing how to effectively restore the area. Anybody interested in this restoration effort can contact me directly.
What happened on Queen Mountain is unacceptable behavior - the most egregious of all are the 9 chiseled steps. Their scar will outlive all of us. I aim to prevent activity like this from happening anywhere else in the park, but I can't do it alone. I need all of your help.
Also, during that same trip up Queen Mountain, I removed the crashpads that were stashed at the Underground bouldering area - 2 well-worn, well-chewed on pads. I'd like to return them to the owners, no harm done.
Please contact me with questions and / or comments.
Bernadette Regan
JT Climbing Ranger
bernadette_regan@nps.gov
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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May 15, 2012 - 11:13am PT
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The FA crew that was out there was like a chippers Hall of Fame. F*#king sad that these guys are still doing this sh#t, and some of them have been doing it for decades.
WTF???
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Grampa
Trad climber
OC in So Cal
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May 15, 2012 - 11:58am PT
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Motion activated game cameras. The high-end models will send an image to a email address in real-time. Also need a high-end radio link to get the signal out of the canyon. Remember to disable the camera flash, it startles the game, I mean, criminals.
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RtM
climber
DHS
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May 15, 2012 - 11:59am PT
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The individual implicated has also been accused of pulling the same sh#t at other areas, including: Shuteye Ridge, Riverside Quarry, and several small areas around San Diego/Fallbrook.
So, hows the "dealing with it inhouse" coming along?
I have never walked into the base of the Chasm, but it sounds like the moki steps had been there for years. I also hear that the majority of the routes there are au natural, save for a few of Gary Henning's!
Bernadette - I have been asking around about the pads, nobody has claimed them. I know that there were several pads that had been stashed at the Underground for at least the past 10 or 12 years, curious if they are the same ones. I heard that they had blown away on a windy day tho
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susan peplow
climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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May 15, 2012 - 12:10pm PT
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This story makes me physically ill, you know when you get coffee-tummy? The only thing that brought any humor to it at all was this statement which made me audibly laugh. You got 'em on that one Bernadette!
"Even in green pants and sneakers I was able to scramble past the fixed line to access the upper chasm, the anchor the line is fixed to, and 4 other rap anchors. If you could climb 5.13 do you think you'd need to jug this line?"
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Gary
climber
"My god - it's full of stars!"
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May 15, 2012 - 12:17pm PT
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9 steps chisled into a ramp in the chasm proper
-An established and abandoned campsite
2 fire rings with the remnants of burnt joshua tree limbs.
a bench
a cache of water
cooking pots
dozens of cut scrub oak - laid out to make a bridge-like structure leading into the chasm.
a crowbar
trash
approximately 120 bolts spaced 4-6 feet apart (11 routes)
11 sets of anchors
a fixed rope
-evidence that the rock faces had been aggressively cleaned
I'm ashamed to be a climber. Maybe I was never a hardman, but at least I always climbed in good style.
So, Russ, who is it? They need to be outed, badly.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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May 15, 2012 - 12:23pm PT
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I'm with Sooze 100%. This makes me ill. It's so f(*king wrong.
Glad that the rangers know that this sort of sh*t does not fly with the majority of the climbing community. This is the kind of stuff that can cause some serious issues between climbers and the park dudes. I'd volunteer to help with a major cleanup out there if it's needed. Seems like some had already been done. Have crowbar, will travel.
Time to heat up the tar, get the feathers out and out the m**her fu*8ers.
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froodish
Social climber
Portland, Oregon
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May 15, 2012 - 12:28pm PT
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Wow. I'm just dumbfounded that anyone could think that was acceptable. This is way worse than I imagined from the initial description.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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May 15, 2012 - 12:43pm PT
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Ugh...that's bad stuff.
I'm gettin' me some green pants. Thanks for the tip!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 15, 2012 - 12:53pm PT
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Thanks, Bernadette - sad news. The vandals seem to have caused a lot of selfish damage.
The saddest news of all is that there are people who behave in a similar manner in all climbing areas. They behave as though they own the place, and the rules (if any) don't apply to them. Certainly we have such people in Squamish. Such people usually know very well what is and isn't appropriate behaviour. Short of occasional arrests, and making examples of people, what do you do?
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James Wilcox
Boulder climber
The Coast
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May 15, 2012 - 12:59pm PT
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Locker,
I'd suspect that the comments about Riverside Quarry, and the one climb that Freecoffee included a picture of, would indicate the focus of attention. But that's just a hunch on my part....
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RtM
climber
DHS
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May 15, 2012 - 01:00pm PT
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I am trying to be tactful here Locker. I want to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, but all fingers are pointing that direction.
Also, I hear, there are drilled steps at Shuteye, Quarry, and local SD areas that lead straight to his routes, which also have penned in names/ratings, as well as enhancements.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 15, 2012 - 01:03pm PT
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I don't get why a 'hard man' would need chiseled steps to get to a 5.13 climb, or any climb.
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