Ian Caldwell

Slideshow at Smith Rock on Saturday evening. FREE...Alan Watts, Chris Jones and Jim Ramsey Slideshow covering the history of climbing at Smith Rock State Park. Show starts at 7pm. We are asking anyone with any climbing memorabilia they'd like to share including photos, old gear, sweet looking climbing tights etc. to bring it an hour earlier (6PM) to be set on tables outside the barn for people to see. Located at Barn by the Lower Gorge Access Trail. 10260 NE Crooked River Drive Terrebonne, OR 97760

Saturday, May 28th, 2011 FREE...Alan Watts, Chris Jones and Jim Ramsey Slideshow covering the history of climbing at Smith Rock State Park. Show starts at 7pm. We are asking anyone with any climbing memorabilia they'd like to share including photos, old gear, sweet looking climbing tights etc. to bring it an hour earlier (6PM) to be set on tables outside the barn for people to see. Located at Barn by the Lower Gorge Access Trail. 10260 NE Crooked River Drive Terrebonne, OR 97760

Join us for the 19th Annual Smith Rock Spring Thing on Saturday May 7th. This year we are going to be fixing the steps on Misery Ridge, finishing the Cinnamon Slab Area, installing new steps to the Dihedrals and lots of other projects throughout the park. Sign up early at registration for a free t-shirt. First 150 people get shirts. Registration is from 8-10am in the main parking lot at Smith Rock State Park. Coffee and snacks also provided. Pick a project at registration and head to your work area. Many people bring their climbing packs and get a few pitches in at the end of the day. In the evening we do a volunteer appreciation dinner, auction and slideshow at the barn near the Northern Point/Lower Gorge entrance. People start showing up around 5pm. Check out the sponsor booths, slackline and eagle nest (you might even see the baby eagles with spotting scope). Dinner at 6pm...free vegetarian burritos....yumm. Auction has lots of great climbing gear donated by sponsors. All the money raised goes towards future Spring Things and building materials for the trails. After the auction, Jim Thornburg will give a free slideshow for volunteers. http://www.jimthornburg.com/ And don't forget about the brownies baked by Terrebonne Depot. Hope to see you there. Ian Caldwell

Yep. Its the 19th annual Smith Rock Spring Thing. May 7, 2011. Come on out. Sign up for a project from 8am-10am. Work on rock walls, trail maintenance new stairs to Dihedrals, additional steps on Misery Ridge Trail and many other projects. Volunteers will get a free dinner, great deals at the auction/raffle and a Jim Thornburg Slideshow!

They signed a 5 year agreement in November, despite us asking them to wait to consider public comments. We have been talking a lot but not making much progress. They are holding their ground. I was shocked to find out in a conversation today with USFS staff, that the USFS asked the concessionaire when they wanted to keep the site open and based the decision on that. Apparently, what the concessionaire wants is more important than the Recreation Facility Analysis the USFS did in 2008 which recommended a 12-month open period and the public comments everyone sent in.

Skull Hollow reopened this week. There is a camphost in the site. Also this article just ran in the local weekly paper called The Source Weekly. I find it interesting that the concessionaire complained there was not enough use in November. But they had to kick campers out on Nov 1 and the first weekend there were 26 tents outside the campground. They finally reopened it but gave no public notice the site was reopened for the rest of the month. http://www.tsweekly.com/news/features/forests-for-sale-as-more-campgrounds-come-under-private-management-what-does-this-mean-for-campers.html

I got a report that the eagle has been staying on the nest. We think she may have eggs!

Yes, the Monument Area is closed. Signs have been posted. Here is the description of what is closed and what is open... ***************** Closed until August 1, 2011. A pair of golden eagles is nesting in the Little Three Fingered Jack area (near the Monument). Main hiking trails are still open. Climbing routes, cliffs and gullies within 1100 feet of the nest are closed. Please refer to 2010 “Rock Climbing Smith Rock State Park” Guide Book by Alan Watts. See pages 244-270. CLOSED routes are number 1-47, which includes Cajon Cliff, Victoria Tower, Little Three Fingered Jack, Puddy’s Tower, The Monument and Anglin’s Buttress. Staender Ridge, French Tent Rock and Juniper Spire (The Product) remain OPEN at this time. ************************ Picnic Lunch Wall and the Kiss of the Leepers areas are open at this time. We are watching for falcons and if found would lead to a closure. I have been at the Picnic Lunch Wall way too much this winter and have not seen any signs of falcons. I have heard reports of sightings of falcons. Will have to wait and see. If you see falcons nesting or you get swooped while climbing please let me know either here or email me at iancaldwell@hotmail.com Remember the protection of these birds is way more important than our climbing. We have a very good working relationship with the park staff and were able to open the Monument early last year since the eagles did not nest. We can also credit climbers for finding the falcon nest last year.

Skull Hollow is still closed until March 1. Despite the great weather and many climbers at Smith, the USFS still will not open the site. I drove out there on Monday to discover a new sign posting winter camping options. On top of the list is a free horse camp without a camp host. The USFS tells us Skull Hollow can't stay open due to lack of money to maintain the site and risk of vandalism, yet at the same time can keep the horse camp all winter. And now they are sending climbers to camp in a horse camp. Just wait until the climbers fill up the camp (5 sites)and then a couple horse trailers pull in to use the horse stalls. Not going to be good. Continue to send comments to Slater Turner at sturner@fs.fed.us or call him at 541 416-6448.

Here is the video...

On Christmas Day I headed over to Big R to get in a quick workout before over eating Christmas dinner. I noticed that 1 quickdraw was missing from the second bolt. I then noticed that the draws were also missing from Coleslaw and Chemicals and there were a bunch of drag marks in the dirt between the two routes. It appeared to me that someone cleaned the draws from Coleslaw and then had their belayer pull them over to pluck the second draw of Big R. So Monday I decided to replace bolts on Overboard. While I was driving to the park Tim Garland called and told me someone was stick clipping up Big R. I arrived at the park and he was still stick clipping. We was not very experienced and it took him a long time to get to the top and set up the rappel. I just watched to see what he was doing. Then he started lowering and started cleaning the draws from both Big R (mine) and Starvation Fruit (Ryan's). Tim Garland and Stan came over to help me out and we confronted the guy. He told us he was aid climbing and that the biners were worn out. We was going to take them and he would use them if he could "salvage" anything from them. He told us he was from Colorado Springs and all the places that he climbs at do not have fixed draws and if anyone leaves draws "they get taken down". He also admitted to taking the draws from Coleslaw a few days earlier. He gave us back all the draws. He said this was his first time at Smith and had not even hiked to the main climbing area. He said he was leaving.

I believe you are correct about the intention of getting a concessionaire in there. I can live with that since the site is in better condition than several years ago. What I don't like is the closure periods. I drove out to the site today....they have the gate shut, no camping signs posted outside the camping area. I tried to drive up the road to where you can start dispersed camping and could not make it up the hill (packed snow)

Sounds like the USFS is letting the concessionaire close the site this weekend, despite all the letters which have been sent in. This weekend is looking good at Smith. People should contact the USFS THIS WEEK and let them know you are heading over and want to camp at Skull Hollow THIS WEEKEND. email: Kent Koeller: kkoeller@fs.fed.us Cathy Lund clund@fs.fed.us District Ranger, Slater Turner sturner@fs.fed.us

Sounds like the USFS is letting the concessionaire close the site this weekend, despite all the letters which have been sent in. This weekend is looking good at Smith. People should contact the USFS THIS WEEK and let them know you are heading over and want to camp at Skull Hollow THIS WEEKEND. email: Kent Koeller: kkoeller@fs.fed.us Cathy Lund clund@fs.fed.us District Ranger, Slater Turner sturner@fs.fed.us

Phone calls and emails got the gate open. Keep sending letters to the USFS.

Check out this story in the local Bend newspaper.... http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101113/NEWS01/11130328/-1 Climbers want campground open Concessionaires temporarily reopen area near Smith Rock By Kate Ramsayer / The Bulletin Published: November 13. 2010 4:00AM PST Climbers who flock to Smith Rock — even in the late fall and winter months — are asking the U.S. Forest Service and its new campground concessionaire to keep the popular Skull Hollow campground open year-round. Aud & Di Campground Services initially shut the gates to the campground at the end of October, surprising dozens of campers who showed up last weekend. And although the campground company has decided to reopen the campground until the end of November, some rock climbers are advocating for it to remain open. “It caught everyone off-guard,” said Ian Caldwell, a member of the volunteer Smith Rock Group who has been climbing at the site for almost 20 years. “The first weekend it was closed, there was a ton of people.” He counted 26 tents set up outside of the campground on Nov. 6, he said — and more probably showed up that night. Although he now lives nearby, Caldwell used to live in the Willamette Valley, and said he would come to Smith Rock on the weekends — even during the winter. And there were others camping as well, he said. “We feel it’s justified that it stays open,” Caldwell said. David Potter, owner of Smith Rock Climbing Guides, spent a winter at the campground when he about 19, and said that climbers, like surfers, will often go to a site and camp out for a while — even in the colder months. “It’s kind of a traditional thing to go out and hit the road for a while,” Potter said. “Closing it, I think, is a bad idea. People are going to still camp out there; they’re just going to extend out from the campground.” Closing a campground, with its constructed fire rings and toilets, can also pose a hazard to the surrounding environment, Caldwell said. “If you close the gates, now you’re sending campers to another place,” Caldwell said. “They compact the soil, they make a fire pit, they use the trees as toilets. When that happens once in a while, it’s not that big of a deal, but when it happens over and over, they’re more of an impact.” The Skull Hollow campground was built to help keep people from camping at scattered sites, he said, but closing it in the winter could lead to that issue again. The Smith Rock Group is willing to help keep the site open, he said, although he’s not sure what form the help would take. And climbers have been contacting the Forest Service to tell the agency that is it a concern, in hopes of keeping the campground open. Caldwell said that he went out Sunday and on Veteran’s Day and got 110 signatures on a petition, including those of people from Seattle, New Hampshire, Canada, Paris and Germany, as well as more local hometowns. “People are still making long-distance travel trips here in November,” he said. The Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, like many forests, don’t have the resources and staff they need to manage Skull Hollow and other campgrounds, said Lisa Clark, spokeswoman with the agency. In order to make up for that, they have partnered with volunteer groups as well as concessionaires to run some of the campgrounds — including Skull Hollow. “For them it’s a business, so it does need to be economically viable,” Clark said. “And for those reasons, campgrounds close during the winter.” Other options in the area include walk-in sites at Smith Rock State Park, West Shore Campground at Haystack Reservoir, and Cyrus Horse Camp. Although the concessionaire’s contract states that Skull Hollow only has to be open from April 1 to Oct. 31, it has agreed to stay open until the end of this month, and then reopen a month early — on March 1. “They’ve had a lot of inquiries from people, and the Ochoco has had inquires, so we’ve agreed to extend it,” she said. The campground company has an employee who makes sure things are clean at the campground, said Steve Hunn, who owns Aud & Di Campground Services with his wife. And they’ll keep an eye on how many people are there, to see if it makes sense to keep the campground open. “If we see traffic that justifies keeping it open year-round, we’d be willing to do that,” Hunn said. “If there’s snow and ice, we probably won’t have climbers.”

I talked to the District Ranger, Slater Turner on Wednesday. He is listening to our concerns and wants to hear what people have to say. He told me people can send him comments. If you are going to write a letter, include him, along with Kent and Cathy. If you already sent a letter it would be good to forward it to Slater. sturner@fs.fed.us

Issue: Skull Hollow Campground near Smith Rock State Park in Central Oregon will be closing for several months over the winter of 2010-2011. In 2009 the United States Forest Service (USFS) started charging fees and in 2010 turned the site over to a private concessionaire. The USFS only required the concessionaire to keep the site open from April 1 to October 31. Skull Hollow is a popular camping site for climbers because of its remoteness, and access to USFS land, trails, and open space. Also, fires and car camping are permitted at Skull Hollow (unlike other local camping options), and the campground receives little snow fall so it can be used all winter. On October 31 the concessionaire closed Skull Hollow Campground intending to keep it closed for 5 months through April 1. The first weekend November 6-7, 2010 the site was closed, many people just camped outside the campground. Multiple phone calls and emails to the Forest Service promoted them to ask the concessionaire to keep the site open longer. They have agreed to keep it open through November and reopen it March 1. This still leaves 3 months of the site being closed. Although winter is cold, a forecast of a sunny weekend can fill the campground. Additionally, the USFS is getting ready to sign a 5 year agreement which still allows 5 months of closure time. What Can You Do: The USFS staff says that if they hear from enough people they might change the closure period. We need your help. Please email and phone USFS staff and let them know that you want the site left open during the winter. We need people from all over the US, Canada, Europe or anywhere else to write or call in. It can be a simple email saying where you live, you want to camp at Skull Hollow between Nov 1 – April 1. You can expand the scope of your email by adding: • Concern of resource damages from dispersed camping (Skull Hollow was constructed because of past problems from dispersed camping) • how nice of a site it is, • your positive past experiences that you have had at Skull Hollow CG, • that you spend money in Central Oregon, • the importance of camping opportunities near popular climbing areas, • how well climbers take care of climbing areas and campsites • the need for a site where you can have fires and car/van/rv camping, • your vehicle is not capable of traveling further up the un-maintained rutted road to look for a camping spot (there are not many of them), Please email or call: Kent Koller: 541 416-6482. kkoeller@fs.fed.us Cathy Lund 541 416-6650 clund@fs.fed.us PLEASE TAKE TIME TO CONTACT THE USFS. EFFORTS SO FAR HAVE BEEN WORKING BUT THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM MORE PEOPLE. *****************************   More Detailed information: The USFS is allowing a private concessionaire to close Skull Hollow Campground near Smith Rock Oregon for 5 months each winter. Skull Hollow is popular with climbers. Over the years they created a gravel loop road, installed 2 vault toilets, picnic tables and fire pits. In 2009 they started charging fees. Many people choose to camp at Skull Hollow because you can sleep in your vehicle (trucks, vans, RVs, etc.) and you can have campfire, both you cannot do at Smith Rock due to small area and many neighbors. Smith Rock is a year round climbing area. Last year they started charging fees. Now the USFS has a private concessionaire, who had a one year agreement to take care of the site. The USFS wrote in the contract that the concessionaire only had to keep the site open from April 1 to October 31, but can keep it open longer if they desire. The concessionaire is a large company in Utah who has many campgrounds throughout the Northwest, they pay a camp host a small amount of money to take care of the site. Additionally, the USFS holds the concessionaire responsible for damages to the site, even during the off season so it creates a financial risk to keep the site open without a host. The USFS is in the process of reassigning the agreement to the same company for a 5 year period of time under the same conditions. There was ZERO public input or consultation about the 5 month closure with local climbers or the Smith Rock Group (who have historically help fund the pumping of the toilets and cleanup of the site) History of the site: I started camping here in 1991. At that time it was a wide spot along a gravel road. Over the years more people learned about the site and it became the place to camp. I remember one year when a horse event was held in the middle of the summer. There were hundreds of horse trailers and campers out there, which really impacted the site. Much of the vegetation was knocked down and after that the campsites just spread all over the area. During the 1990’s the owner of Redpoint Climbers Supply was paying to keep portable toilets at the site. I believe around 1996 the USFS installed 2 vault toilets, laid down a gravel loop road, and fenced the area to keep cattle out. But at the same time they also banned all camping along the road, from the paved road for about one mile. From that point on, there are very few campsites, unless you drive several more miles up the road. The Smith Rock Group, who hold annual volunteer work days at Smith Rock started to pay one half of the cost of pumping the toilets and would send volunteers out each year to clean up the area and help to install fire grates. Over the years the USFS continued to add fire grates and picnic tables. Around 2007 or 2008 the economy really started to crash in Central Oregon. Skull Hollow was getting overrun with homeless. There were reports of domestic disputes, heavy drug use and late night fights. It was common to drive out there as see multiple homeless camps with ratty old trailers and garbage and junk all around the campsite. The USFS already had a 14 day stay limit at the site but it was rarely enforced. In 2009 the USFS passed a fee to help maintain the site and to help prevent the homeless from living there. Many people were opposed to the fee, citing that the people would be dispersed to other areas and that the USFS already had a mechanism to deal with the homeless, the 14 day stay limit. The USFS tried to run the campground for a year without a host. Someone stole the fee station. The USFS decided they “needed more help” with the site and decided to turn the site over to a private concessionaire. Now the site is slated to be closed for 5 months of the year. This site truly sees year round use. USFS staff would typically patrol during the day and would not see campers. Especially in the winter months people would spend the day recreating, go eat dinner in town and head out the Skull Hollow later in the evening. November and February are fairly busy. March is one of the busiest months of the year with good weather and 3 weeks of Spring Break with the Oregon, Washington and California school systems. Some people think there is no use in December and January, but we often get warm sunny days in the middle of the winter and the park and camping are very popular. There is camping at Smith Rock State Park, which provides walk in tent sites and showers. But the grasslands provide a different experience for people. I think it is important to have multiple camping options around Smith Rock. This was the first weekend that the site was closed of November 6 and 7 there were 26 tents outside of the campground, since the USFS failed to post no camping sites and failed to provide any public notice of the closure of the site. As of November 10th the USFS own website still states the site is open year round. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/campgrounds/skullhollow.shtml

The Monument area has been opened at Smith Rock because the golden eagles did not nest this year.

It has not been confirmed. Prairie falcons commonly nest at Smith and that is what we had at Picnic Lunch Wall last year. The markings under the wings (dark color in the wingpit) lead me to believe they are Prairie instead of peregrines. The Smith Rock Master Plan calls for protection of Prairie falcons and closures of areas within visual site of the nest around 400-600 feet.

As I watched the birds on Wednesday I noticed that one of the parents would use the ledges near First Kiss to perch on. After feeding they would leave the nest and sit on those ledges for a while. We got a report from other climbers on Tuesday who were climbing First Kiss and had the parent birds buzzing them a lot.

I was at the nest yesterday and saw the baby birds on it. The nest is about 100-200 feet away from the climb First Kiss, on the wall to the north. The wall/nest faces south and the nest site is completely white from bird poop.

This week a pair of falcons have been found at Smith Rock at the Kiss of the Lepers area, which is north of Monkey Face. There are several baby birds on the nest. State park staff closed the area today. Main hiking trails are still open. Climbing routes and ground at the base of the nest are closed. Please refer to Alan Watts 2010”Rock Climbing Smith Rock State Park” Guide Book. See pages 206, 223-225. Closed routes are number 41-47, which includes #43 “First Kiss”. Hello Kitty Cliff remains open at this time. Closure is until June 30, 2010.