Roadside Issues - Grant Stephens

[GStephens]

Since Rick Weber has been kind enough to call me with important issues related to Roadside I thought it would be appropriate to clarify what has been going on there in the past 18 months. As the climbing community is aware, John Haight (owner of the Cave Run Bike Shop and a climber) and I have purchased land that includes what we climbers know as Roadside. Overall, the land is held by the Graining Fork Nature Preserve, LLC, of which John and I are the only shareholders. I have been focused on the legal aspects of acquiring this land from over fifty heirs spread all across the country, which has been a huge and complex task. It has taken over a year of legal work, genealogical research and boundary research to finalize the acquisition. This is the primary reason that we have been somewhat passive in dealing with the property as it relates to climbers, until now.

We welcome input from the climbing community. Feel free to email me at gstephens@kyattorney.com if you have any questions or concerns. We acquired this property for the sole purpose of preserving it for climbing. If we had not done this then it would have been developed for cabins. I have personlly spoken with individuals who were trying to get their hands on Roadside at the same time I was working on the project.

Unfortunately Roadside has been loved to death by climbers. The tree below Crazy Fingers used to be large and healthy. Over the years I watched as climbers slowly removed parts of this tree to make room for routes or to make routes safer. The tree used to shade that area, which is now barren. The land around Crazy Fingers, Motha and C-Sharp B-Flat is quickly eroding because climbers love the areas. The question is how to stop the damage and improve the areas. I am open to suggestions from folks who are much sharper than I in erosion control, trail building and the like.

Thanks,
Grant Stephens

[merrick]

wow,

that is really good news. thanks for preserving some of the best climbing in the us!!

[Spragwa]

Thanks Grant. I know that there are engineers and biologists on this board. Hopefully some of them have workable solutions to this problem.

[Yasmeen]

Thank you, Grant, for making such a generous move for the climbing community. Roadside would have been missed-- that was awesome of you guys.

[Guest]

I think it is time the climbing community did something for Roadside, and to show our appreciation to Grant and John...

I haven't heard of any specific plans for this year's Roctoberfest. How about a Roadside trail day activity? Perhaps an expert on trail erosion can be enlisted to lead a group of volunteers for a half-day of trail work (or a full day, if that it what it is going to take), specifically to address these problems. Capt Static, what do you think? If a half-day is sufficient, a clinic can be taught at Roadside in the afternoon for the same group.

[gus]

I couldn't imagine driving past Roadside and seeing cabins instead of happy climbers. Thank you Grant for all your work and troubles. Roadside desirves a trail day. I think it would be the leasted we could do for a crag with so much history.

[weber]

Thanks for the suggestion Sandy; that activity is already under way. A lot of other RRGers agree with your desire to help Grant and John.

http://www.redriverclimbing.com/viewtop ... c&start=60

We are looking at the third weekend in November at present. Nothing fancy, just a group of about 15 volunteers going up there for a day to help. Would people attending Roctoberfest want to dedicate time to trailbuilding? If so, that's fine here. I'll have tools and materials up there, whenever they are needed.

Rick

[kneebar]

Thank's Grant, Nice work!

[rhunt]

Thanks Grant and John for preserving Roadside for us. I love that cliff, it holds so much history for the rrc climbing community and a lot of great memories for me.

[squeezindlemmon]

SALAMAT! (that's thanks in Tagalog)