A view of the trail head from canyon vista campground day use parking lot. (Photo: NAZ Today)
FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today) – Interested in helping preserve your local forest? The National Forest Service is seeking volunteers to help improve the trail systems at The Pit, one of the most popular hiking and climbing areas in northern Arizona. On Saturday, Sept. 26, The Trail Work Day event will start at 8 a.m. and run until 1 p.m., or longer if necessary. The focus of the day will be repairing the trail system leading to the base of the cliffs and climbing routes.
Areas of concern are the main trail trending left towards the Swiss Tower and the erosion gully on the left and below the Sun Tower. These are the areas that are getting hammered from climbers and hikers. The main goal will be to limit the erosion and block off unnecessary social trails that have been created from short cuts. Sam Dauderman, long-time staff member at the Vertical Relief, an indoor climbing gym, said because of the erosion and social trails around The Pit, it has become “more dangerous to hike in that area than it is to climb.”
“We need to work together to keep our land managers happy with climbers and keep our climbing areas open,” said Chris Tatum, Education Director for Vertical Relief and the Head Guide for Flagstaff Climbing Guides. Tatum is also the teacher of all climbing courses for Northern Arizona University. The Coconino National Forest Service is supporting this event by bringing tools and helping out. “[The Forest Service staff] loves it when users give back to the forest,” Tatum said.
While the Forest Service is bringing some equipment, Tatum and Dauderman suggest showing up with a pair of gloves, some tools, such as, shovels, rakes, and pick axes and plenty of food and water. The forecast for Saturday in Flagstaff is to be sunny with a temperature of about 78 degrees. Volunteers are to prepare for a day of hard work and fun by moving logs and trees to block off social trails to control erosion, building actual steps to the climbs, and finding other remedies to conserve the trails.
Michael Muhlhausen, a local climber, was concerned about the trails to The Pit being closed due to overuse from hikers and climbers. “I would love to see a lot of support out there. The Pit area is a beautiful place to hike and climb; it just needs a little work,” Muhlhausen said.
With help from their sponsors, and local organizations, as well as everyone who attends, the climbing community hopes to cure the issue of erosion and unnecessary paths that are making it unsafe to hike or climb at The Pit. Vertical Relief organized this event to give back to the climbing community and one of the most used and abused crags in Northern Arizona. Financial support for this event is provided by the Northern Arizona Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund, the country’s only organization dedicated solely to keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment.
The Flagstaff climbing community is the best in the state, Tatum said. He expects The Trail Work Day to be a success.
Repairing the trails at The Pit is only one event on the agenda for the Reel Rock Weekend hosted by the Vertical Relief Climbing Center. This is the fourth year the Vertical Relief has hosted the Reel Rock Weekend but it is the first year they have decided to put the events in conjunction with the weekend. “Depending on the outcome,” Dauderman says, “the Vertical Relief is hoping to turn these events into an official annual Flagstaff Climbing Festival.”
So, after shoveling and repairing The Pit trails, the Vertical Relief encourages everyone to enjoy the fun at the other events during the Reel Rock Weekend. At the end of the day on Saturday at 6 p.m., there will be an end of the summer party with a pot lock and BBQ at the Vertical Relief Center located downtown south of the tracks at 205 San Francisco St. The cost is free but everyone is expected to bring food and eating equipment.
Then at 8 p.m. there will be a free New Zealand bouldering slide show with Carrie Cooper, one of Flagstaff’s hard climbing ladies. At that time you can also purchase a $5 raffle ticket to support the show and win prizes such as an entire Prana outfit, mad rock shoes, and voodoo gear.
If you are unfamiliar with the location of The Pit you can contact the Vertical Relief for directions or with any other questions at (928) 556-9909. Or visit verticalrelief.com.
Recently Posted Comments