Bishop Peak Destruction...Who Did It?

After seeing the recent comments on the Shadow Rock page, I decided to hike up the hill to see what the fuss was all about. Expecting to see nothing more than a branch or two of poison oak clipped with some pruning shears, I was shocked and disgusted to see excessive clearcutting of not only poison oak, but also dozens of different species of trees. What used to be a perfectly adequate trail to Shadow Wall is now a 4' wide, clearcut area. The destruction doesn't stop there, however. Oak tree limbs, sage, mokeyflower, and California Bay trees (among others) have been completely sawed along the trails to P-Wall and Garden Wall, and at the bases of P-Crack, the climbs at Garden Wall, the base of Shadow, and the base of Upper Shadow. Much of the affected vegetation is not even anywhere near the actual trail or belay areas. In many cases, trees that were 3+ feet off the edge of existing trails have been sawed in half. I took many pictures of the destruction, but will avoid posting them in favor of requesting that you check things out first-hand. To whoever did this: shame on you. Any mindful, local climber with half a brain would have realized that cutting vegetation at our only real local climbing area (something that is illegal on Bishop Peak) is not a "service." Rather, it only serves to threaten access to some great climbing at one of the only areas we have. The city has threatened to close/limit climbing at Bishop Peak in the past. You've now given them a reason to reconsider. 

Please come forward! Apologize, explain, beg, Put it in the rear view and move on. Bishop peak is one of the best parts of coming back to central coast for me. Dont cost all of us access of this rad little spot.

Well i could be wrong, but it sounds like whoever did this had very good intentions but went about their "trail maintenance" all wrong. Ryan, it is great that you are trying to open up a dialog but beating someone with a shame stick is not a great way of teaching someone good stewardship. Maybe it would be helpful to put down your pitchforks for a minute and see if you can find out why the person acted this way. If this was done with the idea that his/her actions would benefit the climbing community, then this could be a learning moment for someone. Or you can get in a pissing contest with name calling. When i make a mistake, it is usually not helpful when someone calling me out on my shit to call me "half-brained".

I mean if the person did it maliciously you can alway pick up your shaming stick again...

The person's (or persons') intentions are pretty obvious. His/her/their actions were likely carried out with good intentions.

I don't expect a public shaming. I don't expect (or even really want) a name posted on Mountain Project. What I do want is to start a dialogue. I can also only hope that whoever did it owns up to it (at the very least, to the head ranger here in the city), so that the entire local climbing community doesn't suffer as a result of their actions.

I stand by my words.

Hopefully it wasn't a pubic entity. Sometimes various Parks be they owned by the BLM, State, or are a National Park, are staffed by those whose idea of forestry rivals what you'd see on Ax-Men!

I have a good idea of who did this, I won't post names... I had to crutch my self up to see this. The damage is very bad and will make shadow wall, my favorite, unpleasant for many years to come. The only thing I can hope for is a big rain winter to make all the plants grow back ASAP.

There is NO shade on the first part of the approach, and at the base of the wall. It feels like a barren desert rather then a rad shady jungle...

The person who did this does need to step up and not make the whole community suffer.

I noticed that the person who did this pretty obviously sprayed round up (or similar) at the base of all the plants.. Changing nature for your ease of use is a total cowards/pussy move.

I think they should just shut the whole mountain down personally. The Main trail that leads up to the summit is so big and terrible from so many people using it that it is causing serious erosion problems. All the vegetation that has been killed from people walking all over it is not ok and it will never return. This is really a shame, I personally would like it if it was a total bush whack! Having to go to the hospital for a cortisone shot because of poison oak after a bishop peak hike would be way better. I think we should get together as a community and transplant poison oak in all the devastated areas.

:-) Thanks for the bump..."Wes"

No Problem Nubius, after we find out who it was and kick his ass :), we should go climb Bishops Terrace Brah, Ill bring my full sport rack.

^^^
Nice. Someone created a new profile just to push back against what is otherwise a legit thread. Pity he couldn't put that energy into addressing the underlying issue. No wonder the area in having problems.

Sorry to hear about the excessive gardening.

Whoever Wes Mantooth is has some real points even though hes being a little over zealous with what hes saying their is alot of things that would be pretty legit to change about bishop peak. Maybe less bolts would be nice?? No bolts would take 80% of the people who climb theirs privileges away. I really hope someone makes this whole situation right! I love shadow

It was CCC, trail crews have been all over bishops this week. not a local with an agenda

Hunter Bon wrote:It was CCC, trail crews have been all over bishops this week. not a local with an agenda

less bolts would be killer! You go to the top and there is an indivdual anchor for each and every climb...for instance... thin man, fat man, shadow, they all have their own and only 1 would do!

At the beginning of the cal poly year theres wow week right.. The people who show the freshmens around all go to bishop peak to hike. not San luis mountain, not cabrilo, not grade, not anywhere else... that is BS because it makes that mountain a HUGE activity for poly kids and they trash the place with spray paint, trails, and actual trash... spreading the crowds to the other hikes would solve the 30' wide trails problem!

Phew! Thank you Eagle scouts! Now I can finally go to Shadow rock and not get all covered in lesions from poison oak!

Imbecile. SSS

Pictures of the sign and where it was shot down at. To keep the tourists and teenagers out may I suggest a sign that goes : " NO hikers! Technical climbing only!"

You nailed it grover! It was never closed, just someone faked it being closed by impersonating the city...

Oh no, that poison oak might not grow back in a few months. And aw shit guys, we might sweat because the "rad shady jungle" , Aka "the shitty chaparral" that grows all over California is gone.

The Gandhi of the central coast of CA? Really? Im pretty sure white people move to the central coast so they can avoid social injustice, not fight it.

Mediocre your totally right , the central coast it's full of rich self entitled douchebags.