I just noticed the new trail recontruction below Yellow Wall. I just wondering WHY this trail work was done in a way that it ruined the starting moves of the boulder Venus and Scorpio?

Who cares about bouldering in the Gunks . Gunks = Trad ...

Apparently I do. It's all rock climbing to me.

Why, because D.W. is in charge and he's likely not much of a boulderer these days. Probably didn't even know that was a boulder problem.

Perhaps you should have been involved!
I know you just asked.

By the way, how many moves are left?

Are those problems in the Gunks Bouldering Guide? You could start with asking the (volunteer) trail crews to at least check that when they plan what they will do.

So your saying they moved a boulder big enough to have a problem on it??

I'm gonna take a wild stab and guess that some opening footholds or the always contrived sit start was covered by dirt or other trail building materials.

There is chalk all over the boulder. It is in the guidebook. And yes it ruined the always "contrived" sit start to the problem. I understand that DW did not intentionally do it. Not trying to cause any problems here. Just a concerned local climber who really enjoys bouldering here in the GUNKS!

Do they ask us to be involved? I've never seen an annoucement for volunteers wanted for trail work at the Gunks. Even the Access Fund's trail day is usually some kind of busy work like cleaning chalk, not trail maintenance.

There have been announcements but not in the last couple of years. If you see Dick and make an inquiry he will ask if you want to join, but there seems to be a good crew that work together as needed.

Again I say....did they move a boulder big enough to have a problem on it? If it's not a part of the boulder than how can it really be a part of the problem? Just curious. How did it ruin the opening moves to the problem? Was there a block that you stood or sat on? If that's the case then the true problem has not been uncovered yet.

RR

the lower part of the boulder was slightly filled in by small boulders. a rock stairway was created. the main boulder itself was not moved.

Well obviously the thing to do now is move the boulder to a better location?

Sorry bad joke, know you're pissed, but couldn't resist.

We keep general info about his crew on the GCC projects page on the GCC website. Here's the blurb:

Support the Trail Maintenance Crew
Dick Williams coordinates a Trail Maintenance Crew, in collaboration with the Mohonk Preserve, to fix and maintain the many approach trails in the Trapps and Near Trapps. The Gunks Climbers' Coalition supports this fine effort and a number of members of the GCC are volunteers on Dick's trail crew. If you are interested in becoming a member of the trail crew, please send an email to trails@gunksclimbers.org.

Realistically, how many Gunks climbers and boulderers actually know about the GCC web site? There isn't even a link to it from anywhere on this site that I can find. Yes, there's the GCC Public Forum, but even there, there's no prominent mention of the GCC site.

So you're suggesting that someone who doesn't know there's a trail maintenance crew is supposed to find out it exists from a web site they don't know about? Really? I'd suggest that the GCC needs to do a huge marketing job if they want to be taken seriously.

Realistically how many people care about a dirty boulder that was apparently in the middle of the trail near the Yellow Wall

In the GCC's defense if you type "Gunks Trail Maintenance" into Google they pop up first in the list.

???

Almost every "park" has a trail maintenance work force of one sort or another and many of them are volunteer, especially where climbing of any form is concerned. You want input? You search it out. It's not that hard, it is not an excuse, and I'm sure they'd appreciate the help! It's hard work!


Added: With little prior knowledge I started here:
http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/index.php
Clicked Volunteer:
Clicked Opportunities:
Clicked Trail crew Role:

Mohonk Preserve
P.O. BOX 715 • NEW PALTZ, N.Y. 12561-0715 • (845) 255-0919
J O I N O U R V O L U N T E E R T E A M !
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Follow the project coordinator’s work instructions. • Use tools safely and responsibly.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Interest in land stewardship and working on the land. • Able to perform strenuous physical work with hand tools. • Enjoying working in a group situation as a team member.
TIME REQUIREMENTS:
• Training: 2 hours. • Participate minimum of 4 times per year.
TRAINING:
• Attend training session.
EQUIPMENT:
• Work gloves. • Pack for holding gear. • Boots.
REPORTS TO:
• Trail Crew Coordinator.
Pitch in for the Preserve as a
TRAIL CREW VOLUNTEER
This is a volunteer position responsible for assisting the Land Stewardship Department in trail and
carriage road work. This may include installing waterbars, group work on a trail or carriage road,
small bridge building, laying steps, laying plank treadway over wet areas, planting and harvesting
red cedar for use in trail work, and many others. Volunteers are notified two weeks in advance of
each scheduled project.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION:
Associate Director of
Volunteer Programs:
(845) 255-0919 x241
volunteers@mohonkpreserve.org
Website:
http://www.mohonkpreserve.org

....Who'd have thunk that such a thing as this could be a way to raise awareness as to the need for volunteers...I've been trying to hook people into helping for the last couple months.... Posted on rc.com in the East Coast Forum; 197 views with not so much as one post or PM request for info. And also on the new NYClimb.com site, which has gotten 2 request to be added to the email list, one who has already helped out for a day.

Climbers walk the trail past us every time as we work, so if you don't know of it's existence....you either are staying away on weekends or getting to the quieter areas(or...I'm sure nobody here is an e-climber.....couldn't resist making the barb!) I would guess that on average there are 20-30 "thank you's" that get extended by climbers walking past each session. Of that number, probably less than 1 expresses an interest in finding out how to get involved.

If you want to help with trail work, we meet atop the Steel Bridge on Sundays, at 9am. I understand we are going to be working on the area around the Herdie Gerdie block soon(maybe even this weekend). You know, where that "slope restoration" sign/corded off area is.

I know what happened to the boulder and was there when we did the work; sorry about that, all you v11 climbers. Can't speak as an authority on the thing, but I know that when we worked on the trail, the idea was to create a safe path that would allow for a litter to pass through in the event of a carry-out. (As a reference point, I was speaking with one of the rangers this last weekend, and he mentioned that the carry-out on Snooky's probably got about '10 years worth of erosion' expedited by the efforts. Obviously, the litter goes down the trail, but the carriers are pretty much on the outer edges or off the trail. They need to be safely stanced and dig into the slope to gain security, of course, and that causes slipping of the slope.)

I feel bad about the sit start getting erased, but it looks to me like there is a way to get started from a sit just to the left of the original. Maybe it's too e-z, I guess. Was the "meat" of that problem at the sit start, or is it higher up?

more than you think.

and Terrie. Thank you for the comment that you left. I do understand why it was created but it could not be worked around it?

I'm not a boulderer but I find it crass and rude that so many of you are dismissive and insulting towards something that other people are concerned about. I don't give a shit about sit starts but then many boulderers may not give a shit about the easy trad climbs that I love. The fact that they don't see their value doesn't give them authority to harm such routes. Look outside yourselves, people, and have a basic respect for others and their pursuits. It sounds like the trail crew made a mistake so I'm not directing this at them. It's the posters here that are so presumptuous to back up an action that the trail crew themselves might likely apologize for.

if i was concerned about a sit start i would just remove the rocks that were put in place. saves a lot of crying time and then you may even get to trundle. surely with the X in your name you have enough rebellion in you to do so. imo F the sit start do high ball instead

it is not as simple as removing a few small boulders to access the start. a good portion of the trail will need to be destroyed in doing so. just trying to do the right thing. spoke with lots of local climbers(not just boulders) and they too are not so happy with this situation.

btw: rebels don't cry! and don't tell me about highballs. i'm still a mystery to you.

Then get permission to fix it so that every one will be happy! Assuming there are no other concerns I can't imagine anyone will care if you are willing to do the work.

But, we can't give you that permission.

not if you have tattoos and drink good beer

i do like good beer!

Buddy?