Your help needed at Muir Valley
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:48 pm
October 6, 2007
It is not our desire to set attendance records at Muir Valley, but today’s number of visitors and cars exceeded the Labor Day numbers. This may be due to Ray’s new guidebook which lists about 130 new climbs in the Valley, in addition to the 100 listed in the first edition.
Regardless, today there were 88 cars trying to cram into a parking lot designed for 40. Thirty or so parked on the neighbors' grass or partially blocked the driveway. We estimated about 320 visitors climbed here today.
Of course this is excessive. The human impact is more than the Valley can currently support. New routes in new areas in Muir are being developed almost on a daily basis, but it is hard to keep up with the growing number of climbers coming here. The sport is truly exploding in popularity down here in the Gorge.
If you don’t climb in Muir, then read no more. If you do, then we really need your help.
1. Please park responsibly. Don’t leave 3/4 of a space between yours and the adjacent car.
2. Don’t park off the graveled parking lot anywhere adjacent to it.
3. Don’t block other cars or the entrance to the maintenance building.
4. On weekends this fall, you may park down the hill past the barn in the lower meadow, unless there has been a recent rain.
5. Please consider helping us with our Trail Day on November 10. We’ve been building trails, bridges, stairs, and belay bases and a frantic rate, but we are falling behind. Since January 2007, we’ve had over 7000 visitors and only about 15 occasional volunteers helping with the infrastructure. Not a good balance for a free access climbing venue.
6. Also, please consider making a donation to the Friends of Muir Valley. Although the Webers don’t accept personal donations, almost all of the improvements and operating expenses have been paid for by them. Donations to the RRGCC have been in the tens of thousands. Contrary to what many think, absolutely none of this goes to Muir. The FoMV group has received about 300 bucks this year. Donations can be made to:
Friends of Muir Valley
c/o Accent Technologies
2415 Directors Row
Suite i
Indianapolis, IN 46241
And finally, a big THANK YOU to those few who have donated a little of their time to help make MV a nice place to climb.
Rick Weber
It is not our desire to set attendance records at Muir Valley, but today’s number of visitors and cars exceeded the Labor Day numbers. This may be due to Ray’s new guidebook which lists about 130 new climbs in the Valley, in addition to the 100 listed in the first edition.
Regardless, today there were 88 cars trying to cram into a parking lot designed for 40. Thirty or so parked on the neighbors' grass or partially blocked the driveway. We estimated about 320 visitors climbed here today.
Of course this is excessive. The human impact is more than the Valley can currently support. New routes in new areas in Muir are being developed almost on a daily basis, but it is hard to keep up with the growing number of climbers coming here. The sport is truly exploding in popularity down here in the Gorge.
If you don’t climb in Muir, then read no more. If you do, then we really need your help.
1. Please park responsibly. Don’t leave 3/4 of a space between yours and the adjacent car.
2. Don’t park off the graveled parking lot anywhere adjacent to it.
3. Don’t block other cars or the entrance to the maintenance building.
4. On weekends this fall, you may park down the hill past the barn in the lower meadow, unless there has been a recent rain.
5. Please consider helping us with our Trail Day on November 10. We’ve been building trails, bridges, stairs, and belay bases and a frantic rate, but we are falling behind. Since January 2007, we’ve had over 7000 visitors and only about 15 occasional volunteers helping with the infrastructure. Not a good balance for a free access climbing venue.
6. Also, please consider making a donation to the Friends of Muir Valley. Although the Webers don’t accept personal donations, almost all of the improvements and operating expenses have been paid for by them. Donations to the RRGCC have been in the tens of thousands. Contrary to what many think, absolutely none of this goes to Muir. The FoMV group has received about 300 bucks this year. Donations can be made to:
Friends of Muir Valley
c/o Accent Technologies
2415 Directors Row
Suite i
Indianapolis, IN 46241
And finally, a big THANK YOU to those few who have donated a little of their time to help make MV a nice place to climb.
Rick Weber