The popularity of the Access Fund's most recent acquisition, Golden Cliffs at North Table Mountain near Golden, Colorado, has led residents to file a petition with the Golden City Council. The homeowners asked that the Council address certain hazards they believe are caused by climbers, including rockfall, camping, speeding traffic, fires and unsanitary conditions. The Access Fund believes that the majority of the problems are not caused by climbers. However, in order to keep access to Table Mountain open, climbers must take steps to minimize their impact in the neighborhood and on the mountain.
As a result of the petition, numerous meetings occurred during April. Attending were climbers, homeowners, Access Fund personnel, representatives of the Golden Planning and Development Department and the Police Department, and Mayford Peery, the private landowner who donated the cliffs to the Access Fund and who currently owns and controls climbers' access to the cliffs.
At the April 24th meeting, Mr. Peery agreed that certain City of Golden ordinances and rules listed below would apply and could be enforced on his private property, which includes the current temporary parking area to the north of Ptarmigan Circle and all access trails to the Access Fund property at the cliffs.
The Police Department has pledged to enforce these rules and ordinances:
In addition, in an effort to organize Golden Cliffs climbers to respond to City of Golden and neighborhood concerns, a Friends of Table Mountain database of names, addresses and phone numbers of interested climbers is being compiled at the Bent Gate Mountaineering Shop.
To put your name in the database or to drop off a tax-deductible contribution for the Access Fund North Table Mountain Project, contact the Bent Gate at 1300 Washington Ave., Golden, CO 80401; phone 303.271.9382.
Finally, the Access Fund extends its deepest gratitude to Mayford Peery for his donation and continuing support of climbing at Golden Cliffs. In addition, we thank local resident and climber Charlie Mace, for his countless hours of volunteer work and support.