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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 09:56pm PT
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I saw a red-tail from the base of Eagle Peak...we were rapping the WHOLE route to check it out and saw one cruising BELOW us.
F*#king Peregrines can't be that endangered with so many closures. They nest on THE F*#KING TOP OF SAN JOSE CITY HALL!!!!!
They even have a cam set up for the returning female....
pinkos!
http://www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/falconcameraSJ.htm
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 19, 2009 - 04:09pm PT
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Funny, how no information about the Summit Rock climbing closure due to Peregrin nesting is being made available at the Sanborn Skyline County Park site. Also, no notices have been distributed at any of the local Bay Area climbing gyms. Seems like the County regards climbing as a fundamentally lawless activity that needs to be stamped out through stepped up law enforcement and patrols. The Horse Ranger I talked to on June 14th seemed to be more a cop than a ranger.
The Access Fund, incidentally, tried to mediate the situation up there back 10 years ago, but to no avail. Think the Access Fund co-ordinator back then was Paul Minault. Don't know who is performing that role now. But it sure seems like one nesting pair of Peregrins only requires closing one or two routes at Summit on a seasonal basis, rather than shutting down the whole rock complex. There have to be over 30 routes up there, including the only real crack climbing in the Bay Area. If the Peregrins are nesting on the Lower Tier at Summit, how could going over and climbing at the Outriggers bother them?
Sounds to me like this Peregrin business just lets the Rangers "get even" with the climbers, who they have always regarded, basically, as criminals. After all the Summit Rock clean-ups organized by REI, it does seem a shame that there is so little communication betweent County Parks and the climbing community.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jun 19, 2009 - 04:44pm PT
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"F*#king Peregrines can't be that endangered with so many closures. They nest on THE F*#KING TOP OF SAN JOSE CITY HALL!!!!! "
Heard one then saw it 40' above me in downtown Pasadena Wed. Watched it return to its lair in Pasadena City Hall dome. So if one were to use the arbitrary standards used by land managers then at least a 4 square block area surrounding Pasadena's City Hall should be shut down to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 19, 2009 - 05:03pm PT
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Heard one then saw it 40' above me in downtown Pasadena Wed. Watched it return to its lair in Pasadena City Hall dome. So if one were to use the arbitrary standards used by land managers then at least a 4 square block area surrounding Pasadena's City Hall should be shut down to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Word...
Bruce is probably right though, just an excuse to prevent access to 'pesky' climbers.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 20, 2009 - 03:16am PT
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The irony of the whole situation is that "back in the old days" the rangers at Sanborn County Park liked having the climbers visit Summit Rock because they discouraged bottle breakers and party-ers. I do see now that the nesting Peregrins are referred to in the new Sanborn Skyline County Park "Master Plan" formulated in September 2008. Probably was railroaded in there by someone trying to eliminate the "climbing problem" at Summit Rock. Really sounds like vengeance to me. If the peregrins are nesting in the cave above the University of Santa Clara Practice Climb #1 (as they likely are), why not just shut the Lower Tier on a seasonal basis and allow climbing on the Upper Tier and out at the Outrigger Boulders? I guess someone really should contact the Access Fund about working out a compromise solution. Has to cost the County a bundle to have a horse ranger and three assistant support rangers up there every weekend. All the trucks and trailers seemed brand spanking new like this is part of a "New Order" being imposed up there. Someone else better do it though since County Parks probably hates me for writing the guidebook to the area without giving them a take of the profits. But of course there have been guides to Summit Rock going back 40 years.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
Sprocketville
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Jun 20, 2009 - 04:51am PT
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hey bruce, i got a pile of FA's to do in the aquarian valley proximity, since you wrote up all the first ones, do you wnt to come on down and write up the rest of this stuff?
i'll even let you name a few, so it can be,"morris code, the morris plan, the morris the merrier, early morris sunshine, the bm bivy, the bruce is loose, kiss my morris, doris,
ok, you get the point,
serious though, that would keep the ratings consistent, the 5.6 and all that,
have the same guy rate everything...
and then add it to the next edition of your book.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 20, 2009 - 02:18pm PT
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I didn't name those routes: Brad Watson named them after me to deflect the guilt. You better have done those routes already because currently there is a ban on new route activity in the Aquarian Valley enforced by the MROSD. If you already have done them, send the topos to the address at the start of my guidebook and I'll insert them in the next edition.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 21, 2009 - 06:46pm PT
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A wildlife/raptor biologist who I know says that there are several sub-species of peregrines in western North America. It's hard to distinguish them except through DNA. One sub-species is relatively indifferent to humans, another is quite sensitive. Plus some individuals of either kind are more or less acculturated to humans. Which ultimately makes it difficult for wildlife managers with limited resources to decide which ones are more in need of protection - with the likely result that they err on the conservative side, in terms of dates and areas of closures.
Like it or not, they're an iconic species, and if it comes to birds v climbers, my money is on our feathered friends.
The peregrines on the Stawamus Chief - there's at least one pair - have been returning for decades, to a fairly settled location. This year they seem to have moved, and some theorize it may be related to excessive 'cleaning' of routes above the usual site. The result is that the Grand Wall is now closed above the top of the Split Pillar, probably through the end of July.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 21, 2009 - 06:55pm PT
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What a pile of horsesh#t, I'm starting to really dislike those SOB rangers (and Peregrines).
When I was climbing in an undisclosed location this weekend my partner was repeatedley dove on by a raptor that was obviously protecting a nest (prolly Peregrine since it was a rock nest).
I just told him, f*#k it, let's climb somewhere else, the bird is sending a message, let's leave it alone.
We did.
Climbers, the ones shunned by raptor closures, prolly have the most respect for the birds. There are exceptions but you know what I mean.
The whole 'endangered Peregrine' thing is really starting to piss me off. They will find nests, they don't need our help to protect them anymore.
Mighty Hiker edit: the birds will be fine.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
Sprocketville
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Jun 21, 2009 - 07:18pm PT
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all it takes is a beaman r-9 and a couple of silver bears in .177, whats all the fuss about?
you can even stuff the frickin thing and put it on the mantle.
or glue the wings on a rat and hang it from the ceiling like ralph krauss.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 21, 2009 - 07:27pm PT
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Trust me, I've considered it (briefly), Dr.
No birds, no excuse to close it.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 22, 2009 - 01:26am PT
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When someone with the nom de plume of Warbler says something about birds, it's a good idea to listen. Though I believe that warblers are usually dinner for peregrines. He may be singing like a canary, but he ain't no stool pigeon.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jun 22, 2009 - 01:39am PT
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I wrote on another thread about this. When I got busted in New Mexico 25 years ago I did a bunch of research in preparation for my case. At that time there had been some research, all of it in Europe or Australia. I can't believe more hasn't been done since but I'm not surprised. Land managers don't want to be shown how capricious and arbitrary their decisions are and the vast majority of academics wouldn't be caught dead doing anything practical or the least bit counter to the prevailing more-bureaucracy-is-better-philosophy in wildlife management. One of our Tacoheads did contact me about this. He is an academic at a major university. I quote from his letter to me:
"I can say that the majority of this "science", however, is based on opinion."
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 22, 2009 - 03:42am PT
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Sent a description of the Summit Rock nesting raptor "problem" to the Access Fund this afternoon. Wonder what they'll say?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jun 22, 2009 - 11:15am PT
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When I got busted I was 3/4 of a mile from the cliff on an adjacent ridge! The two ridges were further separated by a 400'-800' deep canyon!
My research showed that in England and Australia no more than 200' of lateral separation was necessary especially if it was a quality nest with an overhang above.
I consider myself to be both a bird-watcher and a bird-brain so I can say I am unanimous in decrying this nonsense!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jun 22, 2009 - 11:47am PT
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Warbler, is it Prothonatory or Blackburnian? Sorry, birder's joke.
The only serious predator of falcons is the Great Horned Owl.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jun 22, 2009 - 12:00pm PT
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Since the Great Horned rules the night and outweighs adult falcons by 2:1 both are possible.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 22, 2009 - 01:04pm PT
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Peregrines tend to nest in places only accessible to other birds, and climbers. At Squamish, a main threat to peregrine nests and fledglings is bald eagles, of which we have a lot. Over 1,000 BEs overwinter in the Squamish area, mostly eating dead post-spawning salmon. There are fewer BEs around during the spring and summer, and they seem to be somewhat oriented to the estuary, but can often be seen on the Chief.
I suspect the learning curve for a juvenile peregrine is steep, and often lethal. I wonder how many hatchlings survive to adulthood, and what the causes of death are?
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 22, 2009 - 05:08pm PT
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Read on folks! If you look at the Sanborn County Park Trails Master Plan that I posted a link to above and search under Indian Rock (about 2.5 miles further south along the Skyline than Indian), you're in for a eye opener. For one thing, County Parks wants to reduce parking there to 10 car spaces from the 30 or more that are available today. They also are talking about "improving" the short trail to Indian Rock for the purpose of allowing "users" to view the "tafoni formations". In other words, climbing and bouldering, which have gone on in that area for nearly 50 years, are being edited out as legitimate activities at Indian Rock too. Everyone agrees that this is where some of the finest boulder problems in the whole Castle Rock area are located. This sounds like one more application of the "tafoni baloney" strategy: the delicate formations are so fragile that only passive appreciation is allowed. In other words, once the new parking lot is in and the entrance trail is "improved" for the handicapped, climbing on the "unique" boulders located there will be prohibited. Call me paranoid, but I bet that's the long-range intent is there among the higher ups at County Parks. Unlike equestrains, dog-walkers, mountain bikers, hikers and runners, climbers are being lumped into the category "park users" (abusers?). It seems as though County Parks will never refers to "climbers" as a legitimate user group in preparation for eliminating them entirely from the Master Plan. If you don't bitch to someone starting right now, there'll be no climbing or bouldering allowed along the Skyline anywhere to the east of Castle Rock SP. They've started at Summit and pretty soon it will be Indian, the Nature Nazis, the Indian Rock Bouldering Circuit, the Sharma Arete, the Indian Cracks, the Lost Keys Boulders, etc. etc. in a word, the whole "works". If they never use language in the Master Plan that refers to climbing and/or climbers, you can bet that they're trying to edit those activities out of Sanborn-Skyline County Park's future.
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