Tooled at Castle Rock

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Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Jul 4, 2011 - 12:30am PT

Think there is an available seat on the Parks and Recreation Commission. However, I live in San Mateo County. We'd have to find someone in Santa Clara County. Sure would be nice if we had a trail runner and a road biker and a climber and maybe an equestrian sitting on the Commission. Someone who actively recreates in the great outdoors anyway.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 12:38am PT

I will offer to sit, but it won't fly well.

Srbphoto

climber

Kennewick wa

Jul 4, 2011 - 01:11am PT

Bruce,

As a former local, thanks for your hard work.

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Jul 4, 2011 - 01:17am PT

You look like Da Man to shake up the Commission, Blue! A Repug-Libertarian type they will instantly hate! They need someone who talks back and causes trouble.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 12:37pm PT

Hmmm....

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 12:58pm PT

It looks like I'm in District 4, under Ken Yeager.

climbingcook

Trad climber

Jul 4, 2011 - 01:17pm PT

I love the idea of bluering sitting on the Parks and Rec commission. Unfortunately the commission would decide climbing should be off limits county-wide after hearing his take on the situation.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 01:49pm PT

I love the idea of bluering sitting on the Parks and Rec commission. Unfortunately the commission would decide climbing should be off limits county-wide after hearing his take on the situation.

Maybe you can elaborate.

Gerg

Boulder climber

Calgary

Jul 4, 2011 - 01:50pm PT

My 8 year old son and I are coming to San Fran for a summer holiday, from Canada.
so without me reading every comment since 2008, is that nasty sounding Ranger still doing his thang at Castle Rock?! Is there any pointers you locals can give me?
We want to go to Goat Rock one afternoon also. Maybe to the rocks in Berkley as well.
Any Bay area bouldering info i should be aware of would be nice.
Is there any place to rent a pad, costs $40 each way to put on a plane.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 01:57pm PT

Gerg, CRSP is fine. Have fun.

Miles Standish has retired.

It's pretty inexpensive to buy Bruce Morris' "A climber's guide to Skyline Blvd". It's a good guidebook. Buy it. Must have for the area.

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbers-Guide-Skyline-Boulevard/dp/0965023427

I can probably show you around too, if you'd like.

Gerg

Boulder climber

Calgary

Jul 4, 2011 - 02:20pm PT

ooh that is good to hear about buddy's retirement.
We are only visitng bouldering places between all the typical fun San Fran attractions for a boy and his dad...such a wonderful city.
i 'rented' a pad for a week off fellow supertaco member weschrist last year when I was in Cali. but I may contact you closer to ht emiddle of August about getting a tour maybe. Wanna go to Castle, Goat, and place north of the Golden Gate. I have the Bay area bouldering guide.
thanks.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 02:24pm PT

Gerg, I don't own a pad but I could probably locate one locally for borrowing. The bouldering at CSRP is the main attraction. Don't rule out the Indian Rock and Nature Nazi areas across the street from CRSP. Good stuff for kids over there.

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Jul 4, 2011 - 02:35pm PT

That's what I think is especially odd. If the Peregrines are upset so much by the presence of climbers, why in the heck did they move into one of the most popular climbing areas (i.e. Summit Rock) in Santa Clara County? If the climbers were around there all the time that the birds moved in, it seems to me that they didn't have any problem with sharing the rock with climbers on routes to their left or right. So . . . why did they need to be protected by closing down the whole dang cliff?

What County Parks has in effect done by closing Summit Rock to climbing is to eliminate one half of the outdoor recreational climbing resources in Santa Clara County. When you speak to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Fat Rat, be sure to emphasize that point. The Birders on the Parks and Recreation Commission tried to treat Paul and myself as if we were "lone wolf" individual climbers rather than representatives of a national climbing advocacy group with thousands of members. They used that same insulting argument you hear from the Dean of Boys in High School where they are trying to classify you as someone who is going against or outside the "group". You know the talk: "You've got to understand there are other people besides yourselves in the world." You have to "think of others" (i.e. Birders I suppose). It's just not going to be a simple matter for them to shut down a valuable local crag that been climbed on for 70 years without the climbing community taking some action.

The tone all along has been patronizing and condescending. But the only appropriate way for us to react is by being polite and conciliatory.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 02:43pm PT

The tone all along has been patronizing and condescending. But the only appropriate way for us to react is by being polite and conciliatory.

Everybody needs to behave rationally. But I ask you when you're dealing with irrational arguments and people, what then?

The rhetoric needs to be ratcheted up. This injustice will not stand. At some point we need to say, "this will not stand". We will not tolerate this.

Maybe I need to get on that board. I wonder how many of those there actually use the parks they govern over?

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Jul 4, 2011 - 04:17pm PT

We just have to have a hard scientific study that lends credence to our arguments for a seasonal closure of Summit. Otherwise, they're going to use the recommendations from State Fish and Wildlife that Summit should be closed indefinitely. You fight their irrational, emotionally driven arguments with facts. Democracy might work too. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors are elected officials who have to answer to their constituency, a large group of whom are climbers. Raging and screaming and posturing are a good way of letting off steam, but do nothing to change policy. I do know that Paul Minault was p.o.'ed that they treated all his well-thought out compromise proposals as nothing but the work of truants and anti-social rebels. Wait for the national Access Fund to give us a few pointers about what to do next.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2011 - 04:37pm PT

Raging and screaming and posturing are a good way of letting off steam, but do nothing to change policy. I do know that Paul Minault was p.o.'ed that they treated all his well-thought out compromise proposals as nothing but the work of truants and anti-social rebels. Wait for the national Access Fund to give us a few pointers about what to do next.

Will do.

Do you have any beta on the open seat in the Parks committee? I'm drawing blanks.

This is as far as I got;
http://www.sccvote.org/portal/site/d4/agencychp?path=%2Fv7%2FSupervisor%20Ken%20Yeager%20-%20District%204%20%28BOS%29%2FVolunteer%20Opportunities

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Jul 4, 2011 - 05:24pm PT

Think you might find it buried in here, Blue:

http://www.sccvote.org/portal/site/parks/parkschp?path=%2Fv7%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%2C%20Department%20of%20%28DEP%29%2FGeneral%20Agency%20Information%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%20Commission

I do notice that the Commission's "mission statement" talks about promoting recreation not limiting or eliminating it:

"To act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors in promoting, aiding, encouraging and conducting public recreation, including the acquisition and development of recreation and park facilities and programs, and in the planning, maintenance, development and operation of all recreational areas and facilities owned, controlled or leased by the County."

Doesn't sound like the Commission ought to be shutting down Summit Rock to climbing, does it?

One thing I do notice at the Sanborn County Parks site is that although fishing, hiking and camping are all listed as official activities in the Park, there is not one mention of rock climbing or bouldering at Summit or Indian Rocks. Of course, County Parks is terribly afraid of liability for a climbing accident and therefore may be reluctant to mention rock climbing on their site for fear of being sued.