Thursday, December 17, 2009

New Gate

Good news from the Forest Service today. Officers at the Idyllwild ranger station have been given the green light to install a gate near the Ok Corral, pending financial support and volunteer labor from the climbing community. At our meeting with the Forrest Service earlier this year this was one of the main points discussed: How can access be achieved for a larger part of the year, particularly in the spring when lower parts of the mountain are in good climbing condition. Their main concerns about opening the gate earlier in the season are erosion to the road and the probability that people will go up in the snow on the 10 miles of unmaintained road and get stuck and need assistance. A reasonable conclusion that we suggested was to install a gate that would allow access just to the Ok Corral so the lower gate could be unlocked. This would open up a huge area of some of Black Mountain's best climbing during the optimal season. We figured that as a community we could help raise funds and rally the labor.

As of now it sounds like logistics will be worked out with the forest service in the spring (location, NEPA related planning, raw material, etc.) after the snow recedes and installation will commence in the summer. In the meantime Alan and I will need help organizing a fundraising event(s). Let us know if you have any ideas, like a dunk tank for Alan, or auctioning off the naming rights to unnamed climbs, or swag to raffle off. Initial quotes on the gate were around $2400, a manageable figure but not a cheap gate. Fingers are still crossed with all things this bureaucratic, but for now I think the community can chalk this up as a victory to be celebrated. We will keep you posted with further updates.

8 comments:

  1. That's awesome! Nice work, I'm sure you'll raise the money in no time!

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  2. you guys should see if a gym would let you have a comp. get setters to volunteer and give most of the proceeds (if not all, depending on what the gym wants) to the gate fund. I haven't done a comp in years but would definitely partake in one if it was for a good cause. and talk to the Access fund and see if this is up their alley at all.

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  3. I like the comp idea! Keep them coming. Definately all resources are going to need to be pooled together to get this done including the access fund if they can help.

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  4. nice one guys! kick ass! keep us informed on fund raising!

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  5. NICE JOB, GUYS! I too have not done a comp in years, but would definitely pay a registration for this. But I'll participate in whatever you guys do for this cause. Very psyched.

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  6. hey honestly though I could definitely have talks with the management at Thresh Hold to have a fundraiser for this. If a comp is what you guys need I could organize an unofficial one to raise money. Call me soon Ian so I can pre-plan things with the gym... Doesn't have to be just one event either... I mean a donations box, i mean f*** it a bake sale you know? anywho call me brada man...

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  7. Thanks for the input everyone. We're currently working on the best way to raise money. Any more suggestions?

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  8. LOTS of people in LA are totally down to help raise funds for this gate. Seriously. Even just taking open donations could raise enough cash at this point. Any reason we're waiting?

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