do some math

[toad857]

it might be worth exploring the possibility of establishing 'ongoing' projects that could be worked on over a period of time...even lazily on rest days for people who might like to pitch in but driving long distances just doesn't work economically unless staying for more than 2 days...and in the heat....to tired to climb even a half day...

good idea.

it's true, too. some people make enormous sacrifices just to come to the gorge for even a weekend. giving up the opportunity to climb after a 6, 7, 8 hour drive is not a trivial matter.


another thought--i imagine that the vast majority of people learn what they know about the RRG through the guidebook. the next guidebook could include a short section about trail days, ethics, casual maintenance, just some common sense stuff.

[DriskellHR]

it might be worth exploring the possibility of establishing 'ongoing' projects that could be worked on over a period of time...even lazily on rest days for people who might like to pitch in but driving long distances just doesn't work economically unless staying for more than 2 days...and in the heat....to tired to climb even a half day...

good idea.

it's true, too. some people make enormous sacrifices just to come to the gorge for even a weekend. giving up the opportunity to climb after a 6, 7, 8 hour drive is not a trivial matter.quote]

So, the drive keeps you people working at trail days? Okay, but if the trail days did not exist what would there be to drive 8 hrs to? Everybody sacrifices something to climb why not sacrifice climbing for a today to make climbing better tomarrow? I'm just saying......

[Josephine]

I would just like to say that we had 94 people officially help at the last Johnny & Alex Trail Day. (ie. they signed the waiver so we could count them - there may have been even more)

hopefully the RRGCC will publish the results of their work soon.

i think everyone has good/valid points. sometimes official trail days are inconvenient for some people - and just because i've rearranged my schedule to attend all of them doesn't mean that everyone has the flexibility to do that.

I like cliff's suggestion of doing more un-official trail days. for example, if you're staying for a week, bring a pair of clippers and just go down a trail that's overgrown and clip the branches back. wouldn't be hard.

for the big stuff post it up - and then get a few people to actually go do it.

it's been published about 3 or 4 times that the choco. factory trail needs a chainsaw. but no one seems motivated to do it. perhaps some of the people that couldn't come on the official trail day can tackle that. it'd take all of an hour or two at most.

anyone? anyone? bueller?

[toad857]

So, the drive keeps you people working at trail days? Okay, but if the trail days did not exist what would there be to drive 8 hrs to? Everybody sacrifices something to climb why not sacrifice climbing for a today to make climbing better tomarrow? I'm just saying......

you make a good point. in practice, though, it becomes more complicated. take this example, which i think represents a big portion of RRG climbers:

guy #1. drives 6 hours from god knows where, because the red is the closest climbing destination. thinks about climbing all day at work, climbs at the gym 3 times a week but really is just dying to get back to the red, which only happens maybe 7 times a year. he leaves after work friday night and arrives at 2 am. he has to leave sunday afternoon to get back home, after which he has spent $100 on gas.

it's more than just sacrificing one day of climbing. more like sacrificing a whole month and some serious money, y'know what i mean?

not everyone's case is this extreme, but guy #1 will probably never do a trail day. this doesn't mean that guy #1 can't help the community or isn't willing, but he probably won't spend all day modifying a trail. the question is, how ELSE can you tap in to guy #1's potential?

how about the RRGCC bulletin board at miguels? it is some wasted real estate--there are no peregrine falcons at the red, climbers don't know how to identify virginia big eared bats (nor do they climb in caves), and, yes, the motherlode is OPEN for climbing (whatever that is supposed to mean...). it is full of old cobwebs--why not use it to educate the hundreds of people who idly look at it each week? a donation box in that location would probably add an extra $1000 each year...seriously. that bulletin board kiosk is the only thing that most people ever see from the RRGCC. it could set a much better example.

fact is, the demographic of the climbing community at the red has changed dramatically and rapidly. the majority of folks who climb at the red are people who are new to the community and have never known climbing that hasn't been delivered on a silver platter, myself included. there is a lot of potential out there in the community.

...but, if the only tool you have is a trail day, then every problem starts to look like a trail day.... or something... does that make sense?

[toad857]

I like cliff's suggestion of doing more un-official trail days. for example, if you're staying for a week, bring a pair of clippers and just go down a trail that's overgrown and clip the branches back. wouldn't be hard.

i think that a lot of people don't even have clippers, let alone shovels, saws, etc. it would be really neat to have a 'community' tool shed, where people can check out tools for day-use on their rest days. my brain is storming.

[bcombs]

If you can't make trail days, give money. That's what I do. Or do both and be a superstar.

[anticlmber]

I like cliff's suggestion of doing more un-official trail days. for example, if you're staying for a week, bring a pair of clippers and just go down a trail that's overgrown and clip the branches back. wouldn't be hard.

i think that a lot of people don't even have clippers, let alone shovels, saws, etc. it would be really neat to have a 'community' tool shed, where people can check out tools for day-use on their rest days. my brain is storming.

toad very valid points.

the simplest of all things for people to do is pick up garbage, please. i have been at places with lots of people and lots of garbage, after the people leave the garbage is still there.

also lets go back to guy #1. he comes 7 days a year. fine thats not much but doing that for two years = 14 days, three years = 21, etc. at what point should they "give back?" sacrifice is sacrifice if you're hear every day or just a few. money is good but i've never dug a trail and been like, "man, i'm glad this twenty dollar bill is here." (donations are great though really i'm all for them. i'm poor student now so backs all i can really give)

really though, you can be selfish or you can give.
white/black. simple

[Josephine]

picking up/packing out trash is HUGE. can be done if you're a sport climber or trad climber - doesn't cost a lot and doesn't take a lot of time. guy #1 can do at least that much.

[captain static]

Been climbing in RRG since 1973, you do the math
Participated in 2 Left Flank, 2 Roadside, all 5 JATD's, & the recent Sore Heel trail days. Hey, I like to play in the dirt.

Some people either don't like to do trail work or don't know how/what to do. That's OK. A couple other ways people could contribute to the cause:
1. Hold a local fundraising event, slide show, comp, etc.
2. Be a local rep, making sure posters get up in gym's, monitor a donation box, keep in contact with local outdoor retailers.
3. Do office work for the RRGCC, write newsletter articles/website copy, maintain database, etc.

[Jay]

not everyone's case is this extreme, but guy #1 will probably never do a trail day. this doesn't mean that guy #1 can't help the community or isn't willing, but he probably won't spend all day modifying a trail. the question is, how ELSE can you tap in to guy #1's potential?

Well, there's this for starters:

http://rrgcc.org/support-us/membership/