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Hello everyone- headed down from Maine next saturday for a week of climbing. Hooray! Anyway, was wondering if anyone knows how are the conditions of the gravel road for access to the Gallery? I was told it can get pretty nasty and you might want a vehicle with clearance. Any concerns?

thanks!

-Sarah

Road is bad right now. Plan on walking from the Motherlode if you don't have high clearance.

We took a rear wheel drive delivery style van all the way the other day no problems, just take your time.

If you have clearance. The initial hill is severely rutted out and a regular passenger car or sedan won't cut it.

This is good news for you. Now you know that you are guaranteed an adventure.

Whoever got back there with a van has some skills. Your best bet is to park in the motherlode parking area and continue to hike down the road for another five minutes until you see trail on the right marked by an obvious small wooden bridge. This will get you the sore heel parking area in the same amount of time as it takes to drive there, and as a plus its an enjoyable hike on a mostly flat trail.

I know this is about to hijack the thread and maybe it deserves its own, but with the suggestions from people about parking at the motherlode parking for sore hell, I feel it is warranted.

I agree that suggesting parking at the lode parking is a good idea, I am wondering if there needs to be something done about the parking situation around the lode. It used to be that the parking there was enough for just the lode, then it became crowded for just the lode, then it became insufficient for the lode and choco, then choco blew up, then it was completely insufficient, then people started parking there for sore heel, then Bear's Den opened, and now we are about to see the parking trying to support all that climbing.

What used to be parking for a handful of hard climbers is now parking for Sore Heel, Choco factory (largest single crag), Motherlode (second largest single crag), and Bears Den. I am not sure what can be done to help this but the parking needs to be addressed. Sore Heel parking is also not adequate. Obviously making more parking and improving the rode is going to bring more people and I am fine with leaving it the way it is, but maybe its in the communities best interest to create a solution.

+1

There is a definite problem here in March, April, October, and November anyway.

And its only going to get worse with the opening of the bears den, crappy road, and maybe with increase use of flat hollow. Not sure where you are supposed to park for flat hollow.

Flat Holler needs a parking lot for sure... ideal location for accessing everything. I think this was in the coalition's works but haven't heard much about it in a while.