Climbing Advisories and Closures 2025 (Protection of Nesting Birds of Prey)

[Brad Young]

Aaron, I'm not Gavin, but I just checked in and saw your post. It's almost always the Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday in January (in fact, I can't recall when that wasn't the day that the closures kicked in).

[Atomizer]

Do we have to start talking about this already? I thought this was something that remained silent until the impending day is very near. Kind of like how when backpacking, it's an unspoken rule to not talk about what or where you will eat after returning to civilization, until the final day.

[clink]

Yes Aaron, its about the birds civil rights. You can shut your door for privacy and so can they.

 Everyone/thing can have a dream,

I saw a large hawk hanging out yesterday over hwy 1, I swear he/she was daydreaming. This particular bird would not chill at Pinns, to quiet out there, be missing the highway noise. Those 18 wheelers make it's day.

[squiddo]

Do we have to start talking about this already? I thought this was something that remained silent until the impending day is very near. Kind of like how when backpacking, it's an unspoken rule to not talk about what or where you will eat after returning to civilization, until the final day.

CRAP, wait that's a rule? NO wonder my partners hate me.....I'm usually a mile from the car on the START talking about ice cold beers and burgers....

[F4?]

CRAP, wait that's a rule? NO wonder my partners hate me.....I'm usually a mile from the car on the START talking about ice cold beers and burgers....

Barn fever? Or is it beer fever?

Without the closures, folks would get bored from climbing Lava Falls all the time. So the birds are doing us a favor, right?

[Atomizer]

CRAP, wait that's a rule? NO wonder my partners hate me.....I'm usually a mile from the car on the START talking about ice cold beers and burgers....

When I get a mile from the car I start my second beer of the trip...

[JC w KC redux]

Without the closures, folks would get bored from climbing Lava Falls all the time. So the birds are doing us a favor, right?

What? Lava Falls is popular? I guess I can't climb it then - besides...Piglet is the best climb in the Monument

[mynameismud]

no way, my routes are!

[squiddo]

When I get a mile from the car I start my second beer of the trip...

LOL nice

[squiddo]

What? Lava Falls is popular? I guess I can't climb it then - besides...Piglet is the best climb in the Monument

all 20 feet of it Highball downclimb

[cobbledik]

Do we have to start talking about this already? I thought this was something that remained silent until the impending day is very near. Kind of like how when backpacking, it's an unspoken rule to not talk about what or where you will eat after returning to civilization, until the final day.

sounds like bigwall rules as well

[mungeclimber]

no one talks about going down. that's all. 

[cobbledik]

and leave the hammer in the bag.

[mungeclimber]

zactly.

 

[MUCCI]

You two need to go to welding class.

[Gavin]

Hey All -

In regards to advisories/closures going into effect: Brad guessed right. They will be put into effect the day after MLK Day, on Tuesday, January 21st. This is your 2 week notice! Advisories should apply with usual, beginning-of-season coverage: Balconies will all be under advisory, but Machete will have a partial advisory applied to it again. Yaks Wall, H&L Dome, Tuff Dome, Scout Peak, Resurrection Wall, and Goat Rock will have advisories in effect as well.

I'll update the leader text for this thread as the 21st draws closer.

[clink]

Hey Gavin,
I just read this thread and its impressive. The details of the 2013 report totals are beyond anything I thought was going on at Pinns. You should do a NG documentary on this. Great work.

On a different note, we have been cleaning up a lot of daily litter on the trails. Gross negligence bordering on premeditated.
Other than starting to issue hiking licences, where visitors must pass a class and test, what to do??? 

[JC w KC redux]

what to do??? 

Carry a garbage bag. I can offer further advice offline.

[NOAL]

I have also noticed the increase in trash and used TP  in the High Peaks Area.  Two weekends ago trailside I saw some soiled underpants with about a whole roll of TP scattered around them.  Needless to say, I was not prepared to clean up something like that, and it was a shocker.  Like JC said maybe this weekend I'll do the trail with a garbage bag.

The other thing that shocked me was the increase in trail braiding through the switchbacks on the Southern portion of the Tunnel Trail.  I had not walked that portion of the trail since last year and it is definitely worse for the wear.

[Brad Young]

I have also noticed the increase in trash and used TP  in the High Peaks Area.  Two weekends ago trailside I saw some soiled underpants with about a whole roll of TP scattered around them.  Needless to say, I was not prepared to clean up something like that, and it was a shocker.  Like JC said maybe this weekend I'll do the trail with a garbage bag.

The other thing that shocked me was the increase in trail braiding through the switchbacks on the Southern portion of the Tunnel Trail.  I had not walked that portion of the trail since last year and it is definitely worse for the wear.

I've also noticed both problems; both are as bad as I've ever seen. The trail braiding on the trail to the High Peaks from the West Side is literally destroying trails.