Second, for a concrete and easily verifiable example of the Preserve's misrepresentation of the facts, I invite everyone to the MP visitor center. Take a look at their model of the Preserve boundaries. All the way down the eastern escarpment of the ridge they show their property line as being well onto their neighbors property.


Come on Kent, what “official” land map does that represent?

I just got down off the ridge. It's very slick up there, even just scrambling. Last night though it was amazingly beautiful. Bright moonlight shining down through dense fog in the woods.

Regarding landowner particpation in the law; we went to and spoke at Zoning Advisory Committee Meetings and Town Board Meetings for over a year. Landowners came up with lots of suggestions as part of the zoning law development process, a very small number of which were adopted. Each substantive concession to landowners was accompanied by even more substantive additional restrictions that outweighed concessions. At the end of the day we were a small handful of landowners against Stealtheridge, the Mohonk Preserve, and a great many people who asked no sacrifice of themselves. As someone once said here on gunks.commies, "regulatory takings are a great idea as long as it's not your land being taken". So that's the law of the land in Gardiner for now. The pendulum will swing though, as it inevtiably does. The only problem is that the elderly on the ridge who are most severely affected will probably be dead and gone by then.

As for antagonizing the Preserve board and management, if the shoe fits, they are going to have to wear it. If they bully their neighbors you can count on reading about it here on gunks.com. I'm all ears if they want to dialog, either here or in person, but it seems like they are consumed by their own spin. Anytime they are subjected to legitimate criticism and earnest questioning, they offer prevaricating corpo speak and/or they then withdraw. It's neither genuine nor convincing.

Most climbers have been very supportive. Some I've talked to at length and some have even met a few of my affected neighbors so maybe it's easier for them to walk a mile in our shoes. There are a very few climbers who seemingly have a very strong sense of entitlement to other peoples land. I invite them to move to Cuba. I hear there is some good climbing there.

I don't count you among the aforementioned future Cuban Climbers Coalition Nate. You are still welcome to borrow my ice tools if we ever have ice again. I don't place Eddie in that group either. He gets a free pass for his sheer audacity.

Kerhonkson just pass a zoning bill that does not allow for cars on blocks in my back yard.

Smike, I kind of like cars on blocks. It helps create the true country look of a rural community, rather than the leafy, oh so carefully designer designed, PC faux country look of New Westchester (towns around the Preserve). Old junk cars help hold down property values too, so people who actually work in the community might be able to afford to buy a house in the community. If you can't keep them, bring them over to my house in the Trapps Gateway. They will fit right in.

Edited to add:
Better yet, Rob tells me he's looking for a way to top last years Christmas light show at his house. Maybe we could stack them up in his front yard and rig them together.

Better yet, Rob tells me he's looking for a way to top last years Christmas light show at his house. Maybe we could stack them up in his front yard and rig them together

Rob needs no help, hes quite the master at pyrotechnics involving his trees, down electoral lines, and fires in our front yard.

An interesting post Smokey.