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davej

Boulder climber

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:10pm PT

Seriously people? How many tons of CO2 have you added to the atmosphere driving your SUV or truck to the crag on roads cut through forests? Every one of us has knowingly contributed to the demise of our planet in many, many ways that are much more serious than cutting down two small trees.

Why don't you all deal with your suppressed anger issues in private rather than using the anonymity of the internet to try to ruin someone's life for no good reason. This sort of thread makes me embarrassed to call myself a climber.

ncrockclimber

climber

The Desert Oven

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:11pm PT

This sort of thread makes me embarrassed to call myself a climber.

Your post is the thing you should be embarrassed about.

Todd Eastman

climber

Bellingham, WA

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:13pm PT

This sort of thread makes me embarrassed to call myself a climber.

Maybe yer not...

mechrist

Gym climber

South of Heaven

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:14pm PT

Hey look, it's davej... a brand new user! Welcome davej, we all value your astounding insight.

Fluoride

Trad climber

West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:28pm PT

"rather than using the anonymity of the internet"

Kind of like you first time poster davej with no signature or location where you're from?

I smell an influx of davej's to this thread for damage control on this.

Also, don't go telling us we're as#@&%es for driving our cars to crags and we're all at fault when your friend flies all over the world climbing and driving to new, unknown crags on his sponsor's dime. Find another course of discussion cause the carbon footprint isn't going to fly on this topic.

Not here at least.

permastoke

Trad climber

Camp 4, California

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:52pm PT

http://www.adventure-journal.com/2013/10/professional-climber-cuts-down-juniper-trees-to-enable-new-route/

mwatsonphoto

Trad climber

los angeles, ca

Oct 20, 2013 - 11:53pm PT

^^^ Looks a lot like the comments on made on his site after his "apology".

I don't know this guy (Joe) and don't want too - hadn't heard of him before this and hope to never hear of him after this.

However, I simply cannot believe he didn't know this was wrong and his (and his friends?) attempts to minimize his actions are shameful. Perhaps he should also be informed that he shouldn't sh!t on the trail, start random fires, litter, etc... as it would appear he is unaware of LNT/stewardship/conservation.

Fluoride

Trad climber

West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:05am PT

Thanks Riley.

But it's ALL TRUE. Taken from his own words. *face palm*

I can't believe he posted that without someone professional reading it first and telling him to keep it short and sweet, contrite and concise.

All he needed to do was say "I screwed up big time and ask for your forgiveness and will do what I can to make this wrong a right. I will work through my sponsors to be a better conservator of the land and spread the message that nature is at the core of all we do in climbing. And from now on I will focus my efforts on that as I move forward in this sport that we all love so much." End of story.

Literally, that's all he had to do.

Not some drawn out narcissistic explanation. Just admit you were wrong, take your lumps, don't go into detail and don't pretend to be a victim AT ALL in any of this.

Had he done that, this would go away a lot faster. But his long winded and self aggrandizing response just added fuel to the fire.

Does this guy not have a rep...or friends in the media who are media trained and savvy?

That drawn out blog post was the worst thing he could have done.

ncrockclimber

climber

The Desert Oven

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:08am PT

BTW, Joe appears to heavily moderate the comments on his blog. I submitted a comment asking for some further explanation on parts of his apology and he deleted the post. I guess I should not be surprised.

Salamanizer

Trad climber

The land of Fruits & Nuts!

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:23am PT

So, where's this crag??? Looks like Squaw.

I would never cut down a tree that looked that cool, no matter what kind or how old it was. Now that it's down it would make a fine bow. That tree was struck by lightning, possibly more than once. A sacred bow for sure.

justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:29am PT

How many tons of CO2 have you added to the atmosphere driving your SUV or truck to the crag

Yeah we're all guilty of killing the planet....thing is.. 50 billion cars roaming the earth didn't kill the junipers, one ignorant kid with a hacksaw did.

I don't actually feel that Joe's regret is insincere. I suspect he'll ever make such a huge mistake again. He's immature. He should have had a friend or PR person edit that statement to remove the quasi-spray and the untruth before he posted it. I'm interested to see if he tries to make restitution in some way or if he just waits for the law and his sponsors to crack the whip.

Again, it's just hard to believe any professional who climbs outdoors could be so clueless about basic stewardship stuff. Access and impact issues are not exactly a big secret in the climbing community.

Fluoride

Trad climber

West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:32am PT

"He's immature" and "one ignorant kid with a hacksaw did"

Skip - he's 29-years-old!

Joe is not a child or even a clueless teen.

BurntToast

climber

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:32am PT

Sec. 261.6 Timber and other forest products.

The following are prohibited:
(a) Cutting or otherwise damaging any timber, tree, or other forest
product, except as authorized by a special-use authorization, timber
sale contract, or Federal law or regulation.

Sec. 261.1b Penalty.

Any violation of the prohibitions of this part (261) shall be
punished by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more
than six months or both pursuant to title 16 U.S.C., section 551,
unless otherwise provided

Interestingly, the same law (Title 36, section 261.x) seems to apply to bolting and chipping:

Sec. 261.9 Property.
The following are prohibited:
(a) Damaging any natural feature or other property of the United
States.

https://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_054750.pdf

justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:34am PT

Yikes Beth..

He acts and writes like a kid.

So age is not an excuse. Thought I saw his age at 21 somewhere.. must have misread it.

I stand by "immature" though. ;)

MisterE

climber

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:43am PT

Well written on both posts, Beth - you really nailed it.

My BS meter was going off right away on the blog - he cares more about the climb than his impact on the surrounding environs.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

Nothing creative to say

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:45am PT

Hey look, it's davej... a brand new user! Welcome davej, we all value your astounding insight.

lol, zactly

Spot on Beth.

johntp

Trad climber

socal

Oct 21, 2013 - 12:52am PT

That drawn out blog post was the worst thing he could have done.

I'm glad he put it up. Tells us more about the person behind the act.

bjj

climber

beyond the sun

Oct 21, 2013 - 01:09am PT

He's shown fairly heavily in the Reel Rock 7 segment "La Dura Dura" about Sharma and Ondra's race to be the first to climb one of Chris' projects that would become the world's hardest.

In it, he comes off like a total spray hose, who is obviously very pleased to be seen in the company of (and better yet, close personal pals with) the planet's best climbers even though he himself only occupies the C-squad. He has this dopey smile on his face and constantly says things so we are sure to know him and Chris are BFF's.

Honestly, the actual cutting of the tree itself doesn't change my opinion of him very much. As has been noted, many many prolific climbers over the years have made similar transgressions. I already had my impression of him from the RR7 film, and now the apology letter just cements it.

When you're likable and charming, people will forgive most anything. When you're not, well.... you get the backlash we're now seeing.