1st Annual Joe’s Valley, Utah Adopt a Crag Saturday, April 5th a Success!
1st Annual Joe’s Valley, Utah Adopt a Crag Saturday April 5th a Success!
Work gloves and coffee cups in hand, thirty rock climbers gathered last Saturday, April 5th at the Man Size camp in Joe’s Valley ready to give back to this increasingly popular rock climbing destination. The Food Ranch in Orangeville kicked off the work day with their donation of amazing donuts and coffee.
The Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service worked alongside climbers putting in 200 hours of work. Volunteers eliminated superfluous fire rings and removed at least a thousand pounds of ash from the Man Size Camp fire pits. In an attempt to curb camp site creep, parking areas and campsites were delineated. Two informational kiosks were installed to educate climbers about how to use Joe’s Valley responsibly to protect the watershed. Brats and brews were shared after the work with a BBQ provided by backcountry.com Detour and Shades of Pale Brewing Company. Leave No Trace was even on hand to discuss LNT principles to help climbers enjoy Joe’s Valley responsibly.
The climbing resources that exist in Joe’s Valley lie within both Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service (FS) jurisdiction and are located in the watershed of Emery County. The Access Fund and Salt Lake Climbers Alliance have brought these land managers to the table along with local Emery County officials and Utah Tourism partners. The goal of this partnership is to enhance and protect access to the rock climbing resources while being good environmental stewards of the watershed.
The 1st Annual Joe’s Valley Adopt a Crag was a success, however Man Size Camp is but one area in Joe’s Valley in need of stewardship and climbers need to invest in the future of this area. The Access Fund and the American Alpine Club have granted the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance with funding to do a “Joe’s Valley Informal Trails, Disperse Campsites, and Bouldering Recreation Site Assessment”. This assessment was requested by the land management agencies and will advise resource planning for the future. The assessment allows climbers to influence how the climbing resources will be managed and gives ownership to climbers of a well-loved Joe’s Valley.
Please get involved with this effort by becoming a member of the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance and the Access Fund at www.saltlakeclimbers.org/membership. Membership dollars go towards future Adopt a Crags as well as to help fund the seasonal port-o-potties that the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance has provided at $2500/year for the past six years.
Thanks to all who came out to give their time and muscles to this Adopt a Crag. Stay tuned for upcoming Adopt a Crags happening in the Wasatch by LIKING the SLCA Facebook page and staying up to date at www.saltlakeclimbers.org.
See you on the rock!
Julia Geisler
SLCA Executive Director
