Wet Mountain Anchor Replacement

 

SoCo CRAG members James Lopez and Holly and Ben Bruestle have been replacing anchors with new ARI-donated gear around the Wet Mountains.

Here is our ongoing list:

(Route, Cliff)

Newlin Creek

True Grit, Creek Side, – belay station at top of second pitch

Bam Bam, Wild Side – anchor at top of first and second pitch

KC, Wild Side – anchor at top of first and second pitch

No Vengeance, Days End Wall-new top out anchor   May 2012

Unknown, Idlewilde – first four sets of top out anchors on right side of cliff

Hardscrabble

I Did It My Way, Titanic – top out anchor

The Beak, Raven Buttress-new anchors first & second pitches

Tuff Turf, Titanic – top out anchor

Sobriety Check, Titanic – top out anchor

Rapid Falls, Titanic – top out anchor

Torres de Fuegos, Titanic, Hardscrabble – top out anchor

River Lin, Titanic, Hardscrabble-top out anchor

Pot Hole, Titanic, Hardscrabble-top anchor

Ship’s Prowl, Titanic, Hardscrabble, top anchor

Afghanistanian War, Titanic, top anchor

St. Charles Canyon

Phantasm, Goliath Gorge – top out anchor

Fantasia, Goliath Gorge – top out anchor

Surf Colorado, Goliath Gorge – top out anchor

the rightmost route, Goliath Gorge – top out anchor

 

 

 

If you notice a sketchy anchor or one in need of replacement please let us know by email or phone.

 

Wet Mountain/Goliath Gorge Adopt-a-Crag

SoCo CRAG’s annual Adopt-a-Crag will be held Sunday, September 18, 2011 in partnership with the Access Fund, Anchor Replacement Initiative and the Forest Service.  We’ll be working on the trail, cleaning up trash, constructing a low water crossing and replacing anchors in the Goliath Gorge area along the South San Carlos Trail.  We’ll meet at the Lake San Isabel Ranger Station at 7:45 am and move to the trailhead from there.  Thanks to Matt Buck with Chipopachui for donating volunteer T-shirts and SoCo CRAG member James Lopez with Taste of Philly for donating lunch.  Remember to wear pants, closed toe shoes and gloves.  Plan on climbing in the afternoon after a morning of trail work.  See you there.

San Carlos Trail (#1320)–Drive 6.3 miles north of Rye (or 1.4 miles south from Lake San Isabel) on CO 165 to Robb Road, between Camp Jackson and Lake San Isabel.  Turn east on Robb Road and drive 0.5 mile to the intersection with Old San Isabel Road, FR 243.  Turn left and go 0.2 miles to San Carlos Road 320.  Turn right at the cattle guard; from here you’ll want high clearance or 4 wheel drive to drive the 3 miles to the San Carlos trailhead at the end of the road.

Ben Bruestle
719-924-4297

Spring Meeting Announcement

SoCo CRAG’s Spring Meeting will be held March 16th, 2011.  The meeting will warm up with bouldering/climbing at the Pueblo YMCA at 5:30pm.  We will move to Manhattan’s on Hwy 50 for dinner, drinks and the Spring Meeting at 7pm.  I look forward to celebrating our first year as well as hearing your ideas for projects in the coming year.

Bring a friend,
Ben Bruestle
Pueblo, CO

719-924-4297

Minutes from Dec 9 Meeting

Call to order and roll call
Approval of previous meeting minutes
Treasurer’s report
Update on progress toward non-profit status and meeting with local lawyer
Update on current access at Beulah bouldering areas

2010 Successes and Accomplishments:
Adopt-a-Crag at Newlin Creek
SoCo CRAG website launched
Met with USFS ranger concerning bolting at Quiet Towers
Spoke with USFS wildlife ranger about possibility of lifting spring/summer climbing ban at Tanner Dome if there are no nesting peregrines by April
Met with Joe Sambaroro from Access Fund about issues at Beulah bouldering areas
SoCo CRAG nationally recognized
Awarded $300 grant by Access Fund
Began replacing anchors at Newlin Creek with donated ARI hardware
Hosted “Disciples of Gill” film at Pueblo YMCA

2011 Current Objectives:
Complete non-profit status
Create waiver for climbing on private land
Continue approaching and working with local landowners for access to classic bouldering and climbing areas
Annual Adopt-a-Crags
Replace and camouflage anchors at Titanic and Newlin Creek
Secure sponsorships from local businesses
Organizational needs of business cards

Fall/Winter Meeting Announcement

SoCo CRAG’s next meeting will be held December 9th, 2010.  The meeting will warm up with bouldering at the Pueblo YMCA at 6pm.  We will move to Manhattan’s Pizza on HWY 50 for dinner and drinks at 7pm.  I look forward to sharing our first-year accomplishments as well as hearing your ideas for projects in the coming year.

Bring a friend,
Ben Bruestle
Pueblo, CO

719-924-4297

SoCo CRAG Awarded Access Fund Grant

From the Access Fund website:

Southern Colorado CRAG – Organizational Start-up
A grant was awarded to Southern Colorado CRAG (SoCo CRAG) to help cover start-up costs to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The Southern Colorado front range features numerous crags on private property. In their first year, SoCo CRAG has been highly active, improving and establishing positive relationships with landowners to protect threatened areas and to open new access. The organization’s 501(c)(3) status will help with fundraising and future land conservation projects.

accessfund.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=tmL5KhNWLrH&b=4992425&ct=8660323

1st Adopt-a-Crag a Success!

As an event organizer you always wonder if people will show.  The Forest Service was blown away.  The USFS said that when groups say they will need tools for 15 volunteers only two usually show.  We had 18 climbers show!

I was psyched to see so many people show up, with climbers from SoCo CRAG, City Rock Climbing Center, Pueblo YMCA climbing wall, and Colorado College making an appearance.  The diversity was also tremendous: a father and his son, a nanny and her girl, college students, and a good mix of dedicated climbers.  The willingness and eagerness of the volunteers were outstanding.

After a brief introduction at the trailhead by myself and the Forest Service we were off to work.  We split into two groups and worked on brushing trail as well as cleaning and creating water bars.

After brushing and clearing the main trail, a crew of climbers spent a couple of hours on the overgrown slope beneath the Wild Side and some boulder problems, clearing scrub oak.  They moved some very large boulders and made a trail leading through the maze of rocks and ledges.  What a difference this will make for the safety of others and the comfort of belayers and spotters.

Another group of people helped to mitigate water drainage and erosion on the main trail leading to the crag.  I spent the first hour of the event checking in some of the late arrivals and getting them Clif Bars, Nalgene bottles, AF stickers, and chalk bags.  Just about everyone went home with something.  As I finally hiked up to the crag I couldn’t believe all the work that had been completed.

After the work was called off a few people stuck around to boulder while others sport climbed and replaced belay station anchors on KC and Bam Bam.  We accomplished quite a bit.  I’m sure that many will look forward to next year.

A huge thanks to all those that showed up, including the Forest Service (Lake Isabel Trail Crew) for supporting this event from the idea phase through the execution of the event.  We’ve committed to putting it on again next year.

Thanks to the Access Fund, US Forest Service, Chris G, Chris M, Jason, Ambree, Ashley, Byron, Josh, Dave, Jose, Jose Jr., Anthony, Jeremiah, Nathan, Edward, Hannah, Tyler, and Ben R.

Needless to say the Newlin Creek Adopt-a-Crag was a tremendous success.

Ben Bruestle

SoCo CRAG

Newlin Creek Adopt-a-Crag

SoCo CRAG (Southern Colorado Climber’s Resource & Action Group) is proud to partner with the USFS to host Newlin Creek Adopt-a-Crag on Saturday, September 18 as part of the Access Fund’s 7th Annual Adopt-a-Crag, presented by Title Sponsor Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), Presenting Sponsor W.L. Gore, and Contributing Sponsor Clif Bar.

Adopt-a-Crag, the Access Fund’s signature event, is a national commitment by the climbing community to natural resource stewardship and volunteerism.  Activities often include litter clean-ups, visual impact mitigation, trail construction and restoration, erosion control, and wildlife monitoring.  This year during the month of September, the Access Fund expects Adopt-a-Crag will produce trail restoration projects and crag clean-ups at over 100 climbing areas around the country.  The Newlin Creek Adopt-a-Crag will include litter clean-up as well as trail restoration and erosion control.  Just bring your work gloves and boots and we’ll meet in the Newlin Creek trailhead parking lot at 9am.  The Forest Service will supply all the tools.  For more info, contact Ben Bruestle at (719) 924-4297.

Directions to Newlin Creek trailhead:  From the intersection of CO 115 and CO 67 in Florence, drive south on CO 67 for 4.6 miles to CR 15.  The intersection is marked as National Forest access, Newlin Creek Trail.  Turn right on CR 15.  The road forks in 2.6 miles; stay on CR 15 by driving on the right fork.  Drive through Florence Mountain Park and past the caretaker’s house, following signs to Newlin Creek Trail.  About .2 mile past the house is parking if the road is too rough for your vehicle.  In another .2 mile is the national forest boundary sign, with parking near a little pond.  Drive or walk another .1 mile to the trailhead.

SoCo CRAG is a conservation group dedicated to preserving natural resources while maintaining public access for responsible climbing in the Wet Mountains and surrounding areas.

The Access Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy and conservation organization, is the nation’s largest climbers’ organization, representing over 1.6 million technical rock climbers and mountaineers nationwide.  The Access Fund’s mission is to keep climbing areas open, and to conserve the climbing environment.  Preserving the opportunity to climb and the diversity of the climbing experience are fundamental to our mission.

The organization works in cooperation with climbers, other recreational users, public land managers, and private landowners to promote the responsible use and sound management of climbing resources throughout the United States.  The Access Fund encourages an ethic of personal responsibility, self-regulation, strong conservation values, and minimum impact practices among climbers.

The Access Fund web site (www.accessfund.org/adopt) lists all of the locations of Adopt-a-Crag as well as contact information for each event.

Minutes from March 16 & June 15 Meetings

March 16, 2010
Call to order and roll call
Vision for organization as well as mission and goals agreed on
Considered CRAG membership fees that would go toward access to privately held bouldering areas and signage to assist landowners
Brought up idea of future service projects with USFS
Jason Wilson gave update on Little Owl Canyon, Siloam Stone Mine, and access
Talked about focus areas we want to open up
Discussed a bolting ban at the Quiet Towers

June 15, 2010
Call to order and roll call
Approval of previous meeting minutes
Ben Bruestle update on Beulah climbing
Further talks on considering nonprofit status for organization
Discussed possibility of service project planned by Nelson with USFS and Adopt-a-Crag with Access Fund
Discussed lead bolting-only and no power drill use at Quiet Towers
To contact ARI about fixing anchors at many areas
Upcoming outing to SD Needles
USFS wants our help in creating climbing management plan for Wet MT area.  Raptor Closure and lift of ban for next year at Tanner Dome if no nesting birds located by April.
Organizational needs of website and business cards
Adjourned meeting with Ben to contact Royal Gorge, apply for nonprofit status, set up Adopt-a-Crag, contact AFI, contact climbing organizations in Boulder about climbing management plan; Jason to develop website and contact owners of classic Gill area; Chris M to contact local lawyer/climber about legality of SoCo CRAG release forms and land acquisitions