Fall 2012 Adopt-a-Crag Recap

For ten years, Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund have been hosting Adopt-a-Crag events in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.  This year, the climbing community showed once again that they are seriously committed to stewardship. At four events this Fall, taking place in Maryland and Virginia, more than 160 volunteers came and gave back to climbing areas that have given us so much. In total, more than 613 hours of service.

Ilchester Adopt-a-Crag, Patapsco State Park, MD.
- Over 30 volunteers.
- Significant trail work and erosion controls above and below the Ilchester Cliff.  These improvements will slow erosion and help preserve the anchor and plant life at the top of the cliff.

National Public Lands Day and Carderock Adopt-a-Crag, Caderock Recreation Area, C&O Canal National Park, MD.
 - Over 50 volunteers.
 - Mulching along the top and base of the cliff to help control erosion.
 - Social trail brushing.

10 Year Anniversary Great Falls Adopt-a-Crag, Great Falls National Park, VA.
 - Over 30 volunteers.
 - Trail work near Cow Hoof Rock to help control erosion as well as provide a safer slope for hikers.
 - Social trail brushing.
 - Trash pickup.

Northwest Branch Adopt-a-Crag, Northwest Branch Park, MD.
 - Over 30 volunteers.
 - Trail repair due to fallen tree from storms earlier this year.
 - Installation of water bars to divert water off trails and control erosion.
 - Invasive species removal.
 - Trash pickup.

Thank you to everyone who came out both in the Fall and earlier this Spring to help give back to the areas we love and to show that climbers are committed to our outdoor communities.

We've already begun planning for 2013.  If you have any thoughts, comments, suggestions, or would like to get more involved with Mid Atlantic Climbers, please e-mail us.

10th Annual Great Falls Adopt-a-Crag 10/20/12

10th Annual Adopt-a-Crag Great Falls

Saturday, October 20th, 2012. 

8am - noon.

This is the area's longest running and largest Adopt-a-Crag events. Volunteers will work on various projects throughout the park in the morning and then be treated to a free BBQ and raffle courtesy of Mid Atlantic Climbers and our generous sponsors.

We also need a dedicated crew of about 25 volunteers to work on a trail near Cow Hoof Rock. This crew will will break for the BBQ and raffles with everyone, but will then return and work until about 4pm.  Please contact the Adopt-a-Crag coordinator Victoria Guido if you are interested in this particular project.
 

Links:
Details and Registration (Please RSVP)
Great Falls Event on Facebook

Fall 2010 Wrap-up

Fall 2010 has been busy!
Here is some info on what the climbers of the Mid Atlantic region were doing!

Great Falls, VA Adopt-a-Crag 9/25/10
Thanks to everyone who came out! We had over 100 volunteers work to complete many different projects throughout the park. Including:

• Building an historic fence
• Invasive species removal
• Trimming of trails
• Building a turnpike and erosion control measures on a popular trail
• Hauling out lots of trash from the gorge

Some people have asked, "Why are climbers trimming a horse-trail?" The answer is simple. By being good stewards of the land, it shows the park service that climbers are committed protecting these precious resources, not just climbing. Maintaining a good relationship between climbers and land managers is ultimately what keeps climbing areas open.

UPDATE: Check out our friend Jeremy Bradford's Flikr album from the event!

Earth Treks Gear Swap 9/25/10
Earth Treks Columbia, once again showed their commitment to the climbing community by hosting a Gear Swap. Climbers we invited to bring in their used gear and sell it consignment style; donating 10% of the gear swap sales to Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund. Their efforts raised over $100 which will be split between the two organizations for the purpose of preserving climbing access; locally and across the country.

A big thanks to Earth Treks for continuing to be so supportive of the local climbing community and caring about preserving the climbing resources!

Access Fund Summit, Fayetteville, WV 10/2/10 and 10/3/10
Representatives from Mid Atlantic Climbers attended this two-day conference with other Local Climbing Organizations (LCOs) from across the country. The goal of this conference was for LCO's to share information on how to preserve climbing resources. The topics of presentations, panels and workshops ranged from Conservation Easements and Land Acquisition, to liability and recreational use statutes, to membership and fundraising for LCOs.

There was also time for a little climbing, and networking with other LCOs:

• Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition (RRGCC)
  
• Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC)
  
• Climbing Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania (C3PA)
  
• Climbers Resource Advocates for Greater Sacramento (CRAGS)
  
• Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC)
  
• New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC)
  

Here is a comprehensive list of Local Climbing Organizations from the Access Fund.

The Summit was sponsored by the Access Fund and the New River Alliance of Climbers with the help of the National Parks Service and local businesses.

UPDATE: Check out this very detailed trip-report written by our friend Renee Ross from CRAGS - also has a couple good pics!

Northwest Branch Adopt-a-Crag 11/13/10

Our last Adopt-a-Crag of the season was another HUGE success. On a perfect fall day and under a beautiful blue sky, 79 volunteers from all over came together to show a local bouldering spot some love.

In the end, we hauled more than 30 big bags of trash and over a dozen bags of recyclables out of the woods. Not to mention: four tires, a big pipe and a couple of chairs. After the cleanup, we had an interesting presentation on the geology and flora/fauna in the park from Montgomery County Park Commission biologist Doug Redmond. And of course, the obligatory bouldering sesh.

Thanks to all our great volunteers who gave up their Saturday morning to work hard and give something back to the community.

Thanks also to our sponsors- we couldn’t have done it without you!

• Patagonia
  
• Eastern Mountain Sports
• Earth Treks
  
• REI
• Whole Foods Markets
  
• Starbucks
• Alice Ferguson Foundation

Great Falls Adopt-a-Crag 2010

Welcome to the Fall!

Fall brings crisp temperatures and good friction, the Triple Crown, and of course...

The 8th Annual Mid Atlantic Climbers Great Falls Adop-a-Crag!

This year, the Adopt-a-Crag coincides with National Public Lands day. Our efforts to preserve our local climbing resource will be mirrored by thousand of projects and volunteers all across the country.

At Great Falls National Park, VA we will be focusing our efforts on trash-removal at the climbing sites and along the riverbank, as well as re-blazing (marking) trails.

After a morning of hardwork, we'll get together for a bar-be-que and local climbing legend John Greggory will present a discussion on the history of climbing along the Potomac River. We'll also have some door prizes and a gift for every volunteer (Hint: its not a t-shirt this year).

Make sure you bring work clothes, gloves and water for the morning, an appetite for the BBQ, and climbing gear for the afternoon!


The 8th Annual Mid Atlantic Climbers Adop-a-Crag!
Location: Great Falls Nat'l Park, VA

Saturday, September 25th 2010

Check-in 8am
9-12noon

please RSVP with the number of volunteers in your party to adoptacrag@midatlanticclimbers.org

Fall Adopt-a-Crags - Another Huge Success For MAC!

7th Annual Adopt-a-Crag

For the past 7 years, local climbers, outdoor enthuasists, the Access Fund, Earth Treks, Sportrock and the National Park Service have come together to support our local crags with a day of volunteer work that aims to unite the outdoor community and preserve our precious natural resources. This fall, Mid Atlantic Climbers organized well over 100 volunteers and completed more than 10 individual projects.

At Great Falls Nat'l Park, VA:
On Sept. 5th, 2009 more than 50 volunteers came out in support of Mid Atlantic Climber's mission for the first Adopt-a-Crag event of the season. Four teams of volunteers tackled projects identified by National Park Service.

Projects included:
-brushing-in of a major social trail

-trail maintenance in a high-traffic area

-building a slit rail fence and,

-re-grading the path to Overlook 1

After the projects were completed volunteers were treated to a BBQ compliments of Sportrock Climbing Centers and a gear raffle from Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund.

Carderock, MD

Completed Projects from 2008 and 2009

At Carderock Recreation Area, MD:
On Sept. 26th, 2009 more than 70 volunteers including climbers, hikers and many from the Armed Forces took on several projects in prominent areas of the park. paying special attention to long term park preservation. In collaboration with the US Navy and the National Park Service's Volunteer Coordinator Kyle Anderson,

Projects included:

-Trail maintenance

- re-mulching of heavily trafficked trails

- Erosion control

- Brushing-in of significant social trails

- Replacing the retaining wall below Hades Heights.

After projects were completed, volunteers were treated to a BBQ hosted by EarthTreks Climbing Centers and a gear raffle from Mid Atlantic Climbers and the Access Fund.

A Huge Success deserves a Huge Thank You!

Mid Atlantic Climbers would like to thank this years Adopt-a-Crag partners including:

the Access Fund

REI

Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)

Sportrock Climbing Centers

Earthtreks Climbing Gyms

Mid Atlantic Climbers would also like to extend a very special thank you to REI for their continued support of the Adopt-a-Crag events throughout the last 7 years! Definitely committed to the outdoor community!

Lastly, none of this would not have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of the individual volunteers.

To everyone who has ever participated in the Adopt-a-Crag series, Mid Atlantic Climbers would like to thank you for helping, and to say that we look forward to working with you in the future!

Fall 2009 Adopt-a-Crag Events

In partnership with the Access Fund, local climbing organization the Mid-Atlantic Climbers invites volunteers to particiate in the 7th annual Adopt-a-Crag events this September at Great Falls National Park, VA and Carderock Recreation Area, MD.

The two events will take place on Saturday, September 5th in Great Falls Park, VA and Saturday, September 26th in Carderock Recreation Area, MD. Volunteers will work with the park service on erosion control, trail maintenance, and other projects to ensure the resources at these national parks remain accessible to all visitors. This year, Adopt-a-Crag program will host clean-ups at over 100 climbing areas around the country including Great Falls and Carderock. Both events are supported by generous donations from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), W.L. Gore, Eastern Mountain Sports and CLIF BAR.

Last year's DC area Adopt-a-Crag events were supported by over 250 volunteers. For two days, climbers helped lay down over five tons of gravel, three tons of wood chips, and removed several thousand pounds of trash. Volunteers also helped to maintain several miles of trails and wilderness areas that are used by visitors and climbers alike throughout the year.

For more information about Access Fund as well as other Adopt-a-Crag events please visit ( www.accessfund.org/adopt ),

No experience is necessary, this your chance to help sustain our most precious resource as rock climbers -our local crag.

To volunteer please contact Mid-Atlantic Climbers at midatlanticclimbers@gmail.com for more information.

Dates and Locations:
Saturday, September 5, 2009 at Great Falls National Park, Great Falls, VA
Saturday, September 26, 2009 at Carderock Recreation Area, MD

Time: 9:00am-2:00pm, check-in at 8:30am