Access Notes - Vol. 12 Winter
1995
Area Reports
Little River Canyon
National Preserve, AL
A General Management Plan (GMP) is being
developed for Little River Canyon,
slated to become Alabama's first
national park. Last July, bolt hangers had been
removed from climbs by
National Park Service officials. After Access Fund
Regional Coordinator
Chris Watford discussed the actions with park management,
the hangers
were returned with permission for them to be reinstalled.
To get
involved in the planning process, call Don Forrester, Superintendent,
at 205.845.9605, or Chris Watford at 404.992.5400.
Ragged
Mountain, CT
In September, vandals struck twice at a trail project at
this popular climbing area.
The project was 75% complete and involved
volunteers moving about 18 tons of
stone by hand over a two-year period.
About $2,000 worth of gabions (trail step stabilizers),
funded equally by
the Access Fund and the Ragged Mountain Foundation (RMF),
were destroyed
or stolen.
The response from the community has been outstanding, with
an outpouring
of support from climbers, the local community, retailers and
the media.
The effect has been to increase membership in the RMF and to
strengthen community
involvement for its mission of conservation,
maintenance, access and safe,
responsible use of the area.
With
special trail work equipment purchased from a grant by Boreal and
administered through Eastern Mountain Sports, volunteers have
pitched in to
speedily repair much of the damaged steps. The RMF thanks
those who have responded;
there is still much work to be done.
Annual
memberships ($10) and tax-deductible donations are always welcome.
Mail
to the RMF, P.O.Box 948, Southington, CT 06489.
Katy Trail State
Park, MO
Working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources,
volunteers from
around the state are identifying areas along the Katy
Trail for reopening to climbing
after a six-year closure. Climbers are
particularly interested in the miles of spectacular
limestone bluffs
overlooking the scenic Missouri River. The Katy Trail is more than
100
miles long between Columbia and St. Louis with cliffs scattered along the
entire
section.
Contact Mid-South Regional Coordinator Barry
Gilbert at 314.443.1277
for more information.
Clifton,
ME
Maine climbing enthusiasts now have a local climbers' organization
to represent
their climbing concerns. In November the Clifton Climbers
Association formalized
its existence by incorporating.
To join or
to get additional information, contact
Paul First at
207.866.4895.
Woodland Walls, West Virginia
Northern West
Virginia climbing aficionados will be saddened to learn of the
closure of
this favorite local crag. Though "No Trespassing" signs have been
posted
for as long as climbers can remember, the landowner has never enforced
them; they remained in place for liability reasons. However, the
ever-increasing
popularity of the area recently changed that.
In
early fall an armed guard began
politely asking climbers to leave. The
Access Fund has been in contact with the
landowner in an attempt to reopen
the area. At this time however, it remains CLOSED.
The Access Fund urges
all climbers to respect the landowner's wishes and find another
place to
climb!
For more information, contact Appalachian North Regional
Coordinator Ken Cline at 412.268.7554.
To support other
projects of this type, get a friend to
join the Access Fund
today!
Next page - More Area Reports
Back to Access Fund Index Page or Access Notes Vol. 12 - Contents.