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The quantity and quality of work that got done at the Gathering was unbelievable! I never would have imagined that there would have been more than 100 people who showed up to help out (and not even everybody signed up). Improvements were made to existing trails, new trails were created for future walls, steps and bridges were constructed throughout the valley, 17 trail signs were placed, trash was removed from various areas, erosion control was performed on steep sections, some trails were rerouted, and countless other projects were completed under the guidance of many well qualified team leaders. I wish that I could personally say thank you to each and every person and list all of the incredible work that was completed, but I don't want to miss anybody so... thank you to all...

To all of the hard working volunteers who selflessly sacrificed your climbing time to maintain and improve a privately owned climbing area I'd like to express a huge thank you on behalf of all of the other developers. All of you who helped to make this a successful event are responsible for creating and developing Muir Valley and making it a beautiful place to climb and enjoy nature. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers like yourselves Muir Valley will continue to grow and be enjoyed by climbers and hikers for many years...

I still can't believe the overwhelming support of the climbing community. Judging by many posts on rrc.com I never would have expected such an amazing turn out. It was mind boggling and no amount of thanks could properly express our gratitude.

My everything hurts.

I itch everywhere.

I look like I got in fight with an angry cat.

But I'm glad I could help out!!!

On behalf of Friends of Muir Valley and the Access Fund, I would like to thank each and every one of you guys who showed up for the Gathering in Muir Valley last Saturday. The attendance was extremely overwhelming. Like J-Rock said, the quality and quantity of work done in such a short amount of time was unprecedented. It was a weekend full of good vibes as strangers from all over joined together to make Muir Valley the great place that it is. It was definitely nice to meet a lot of new people in addition to the Who's who in RRG history. The evening turned out to be a big celebration of great friends. In the end, we might have had to make some improvisations (like not having a bonfire bec of the heat and opting for a boombox since the musicians were a no-show), but everyone seemed to be in high spirits as we wrapped up the day with a slideshow presentation by Tim Yates that showed all the various teams at work during the day (some of these pictures will be posted asap). The awesome dinner served by the food team was quickly devoured. Btw, I know a lot of people requested the recipe for Carol's slaw. I will post it here as soon as I get it from her.

The event really exceeded our expectations and I'm still at a loss for words. So, here's a quick look at the Gathering 2005 in numbers:
48 cups of RRO coffee were consumed in the early morning hours
92 total volunteers registered (more showed up throughout the day)
Out of the 92 volunteers, 37 were women
Each and every one of them worked and toiled in 90+ deg heat
It took the "Chuckwagon" 2 trips to distribute lunch
2 Red Bull ladies joined them to distribute some energy-in-a-can
More than 12 cases of Gatorade, Red Bull, and water were consumed...
... together with countless bags and boxes of ProBars, Clif Bars, fresh-baked cookies, and apples
Rick Weber drove close to 50 miles on his ATV....
... while distributing tools to the 13 different teams scattered all over the Valley
15 new trails were installed (3 of them were equipped with new wooden steps), 2 new bridges, 17 new signs, and the new road was cleared of debris
Each volunteer received an event t-shirt, a chalkball, a copy each of She Sends, Climbing, & Urban Climber mags, and raffle tickets for their efforts
More than 40 door prizes were handed out courtesy of our very generous sponsors
1 of these door prizes was a pink sports bra that Yasmeen won and Keith modeled for the crowd
FoMV received $271 in donations

I'm sure there's a million other things that I'm forgetting to mention here. But again, to all of those who were involved, A MILLION THANKS! You should all be proud for making Muir Valley more accessible and for contributing to the future of rock climbing in the Red River Gorge.


p.s. When I asked the crowd if they wanted to still go on with the tug-o-war and grimper finger-strength competitions, they replied with, "what strength?!"

Gah! How can I forget to mention Renee Powell who graciously gave free chair massages to some of the volunteers?!??!

Thanks, Renee!

Also, thanks to the many people who could not attend, but sent money and checks instead. This will be put to good use by the Friends of Muir Valley on trail work projects and signage.

Truly an amazing day.

Rick and Liz asked me to pass on their deep appreciation for all of the hard work done by the "Friends of Muir Valley" volunteers at the 2005 Gathering and for the outstanding results they achieved. Liz commented, “The friendship and hard work demonstrated by the Gathering attendees makes Rick and me feel that the time, work and money we put into preserving Muir Valley for the climbing community is well worth it. Climbers at the Red are an awesome group of people!”

Rick is creating a DVD of video and photos taken at the Gathering. If anyone would like a copy of this DVD, send him an e-mail at name@gmail.com (replace "name" with richardhweber) with a snail mailing address. Free to all Gathering participants and sponsors. $5 to others.

I think that the idea of creating a DVD is totally COOL!!!!
I am impressed!

As previously mentioned, the photographs taken by Tim Yates will be included in the DVD. I will add a link here to Rick's website as soon as they are uploaded. In the meantime, here are some lower quality snapshots of the event:

Great job as always from the Muir organizers and the climbing community. Muir is setting the standard for advocacy/nature groups across the nation. Thanks to all involved !