Thanks Matt for grounding us on this hot topic. Just to clarify one point. It would be Jim’s group. Not Joseph’s group. Joseph (bless his heart) is doing a lot of the monitoring and contact with the land mgr’s but is was Jim that started the Beacon Rock Climbers Association. Jim is the glue that holds us together. Jim is the self appointed care taker of Beacon. Jim is Mr. Beacon rock. If you ever want to meet Jim……go to Beacon (when it is open) on any weekend of your choice and he will be at the base hanging out and talking to people. Shaking there hand and greeting everyone.
The funny part about this climbing management plan is I have never heard of it. Nor have a lot of Beacon climbers. I know folks who have put routes up with bolts and they never asked anyone, nor did the rangers come down and rain on there parade. I have replaced anchor’s there and the only person I asked was Jim. He oked it…..I did it. Not to say this is ok. It just is.
We have to make sure for the future that if we have to ask permission to establish a route with a bolt that a climber is the one to say yah or nay. And certainly not Joseph. He wants to remove all lead bolts from Beacon.
I would say more important that the bolting issue (which is not a issue) is the closing of the rock to a bird that got taken off the Federal Endangered Species list in Feb 98. IMO