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Gunks AAC campground update?

J. Serpico · · Saratoga County, NY · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 140

I'm fairly certain with the closing of camp slime, the gates will locked because there is no reason to not lock them. Which kinda sucks. I mean how many of us have rapped Via headlamp after a good day of climbing. Also, technically it's dusk the preserve closes, which can be loosely interpreted as civil, nautical, or astronomical, giving everyone a little extra time. But my guess is they'll be locking the gates at civil twilight.

Will Cohen · · Denver, Co · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 80
J. Serpico wrote:I'm fairly certain with the closing of camp slime, the gates will locked because there is no reason to not lock them. Which kinda sucks. I mean how many of us have rapped Via headlamp after a good day of climbing. Also, technically it's dusk the preserve closes, which can be loosely interpreted as civil, nautical, or astronomical, giving everyone a little extra time. But my guess is they'll be locking the gates at civil twilight.
I think this very fact will keep the gates open. How many climbers stranded in the Trapps parking lot will the rangers want to deal with before wising up?

That is, unless they make a hard and fast rule about night climbing which is also commonplace.
Nick Goldsmith · · Pomfret VT · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 440

Happie, sorry if I was too harsh on you. I actually was attempting a bit of humor. never been a full timer. the best I ever managed was about 90 days/nights in the vanagon in a calender year. Only been rousted twice, both due to being in 55 split window buss too close to concerts. one time we were actually climbing and crashed at a trailhead and there just happened to be a Melissa Etherage concert 2 miles down the road @ stowe ski area. The cops thought we were damn hippy concert goers. The other time was at a dead show. I am pretty good at not offending people in real non internet life and pretty good at finding decent low stress places to crash without getting anyones pantys all bunched up. It does seem like the multi use area is going to be shut down when the new campground is up and running? If you have never crashed @ a wall mart you should give it a try at least once. I have done it maybe 4 times and it is an interesting slice of Americana. there is usually a little RV village on the far side of the parking lot. You meet the retired full timers in their big rigs. Some interesting stories.

Mostly my climbing photos are not work, they are simply my fun stuff that I have posted on facebook. photography is only about 25% of my income these days. for about a decade it was 100% of my income and watermark is what I do when I resize for the internet. you would actually be supprised at what gets stolen and used. I had a lady try to sell me a hardcover book and she had one of my photos on the front cover and on her poster promoting the book. Pretty shure Anything you put on facebook belongs to facebook. I have also read horror stories about peoples facebook photos ending up as banner adds for dateing sites. etc. The kids steal the proofs from my webstore all day long and post them on FB..

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
Nick Goldsmith wrote:Met up with friends at the base of Directissima. Tim led the 1st pitch so we used his rack. by the time we got back to our packs they had been cleaned out. My entire rack stolen. there were occasional smash and grabs in parking allong the road. last time I was there folks were talking about a smash and grab.
the years I climbed there a bunch(2007-2011) I never heard of anything going missing/stolen but parking along the road was not allowed so maybe thats why. I still will go climb there but usually only on a weekday and I almost always see a ranger at the parking lots. I dont think I've ever even heard of thievery at the base of the wall before.
Greg Pouliot · · Rumney NH · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 90

This thread has been awesome. What have we learned? That the gunks is climbed by a bunch of hectic up tight New Yorkers because we don't want people taking up multiple spaces with a van and their traveling restaurant after we've paid to park and climb there for the day. Rumney apparently sucks too. Man, there's just no good climbing anywhere. Now I'll have to tell all my friends who I live with in rumney that were all just a bunch of uptight Bostonians.

Nick Goldsmith · · Pomfret VT · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 440

Actually that would be Mass holes ;) and no I won't tell you where my secret sport climbing area is:)

Happiegrrrl · · Gunks · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 60

No problem, Nick. I think we all have a tendency, when reading a post soon after our own, that the writer is speaking specifically to us, and not just generally. I know I often feel that way.

losbill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 130

Okay since the thread has turned into an apology thread... Nick I am sorry about the harshness of my post. Figured your shoulders were broad and you could handle it and you did. Hope this doesn't eliminate my chance of a guided tour of Deer Leap sometime in the future if I miss a turn or two on the way to Cannon and find myself on Route 4 West. And yes I am a Masshole and proud(?) of it!

losbill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 130

BTW Walter is right. Slime is definitely closed. I must have misunderstood the information I got during my phone call with the Preserve. MUA was not too crowded I had a site to myself both Friday and Saturday night. Parking lot was jammed 24 cars or so. Probably people sleeping in six or seven of the vehicles.

Luc-514 · · Montreal, QC · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 12,506

Still had a few sites available at multi-abuse area this weekend.
Car/van camping is such a negative aspect of the Gunks.

Mua tailgate

The mountain bistrot now has zero ambiance (id trade the availability of beer to get the old vibe back.
Slime is history, too bad, more history gone.
Will they close MUA? Where will the town kids go for their drunken parties? Or dirtbag climbers unable to sleep in their ride.

losbill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 130
Luc wrote:Still had a few sites available at multi-abuse area this weekend. Car/van camping is such a negative aspect of the Gunks. The mountain bistrot now has zero ambiance (id trade the availability of beer to get the old vibe back. Slime is history, too bad, more history gone. Will they close MUA? Where will the town kids go for their drunken parties? Or dirtbag climbers unable to sleep in their ride.
Luc I'm really bummed. That was me in the blue Corolla with the Mass plates. Normally I would have chatted with you guys but I had to get my breakfast and get going since I was running very late in meeting up with my partner. Would have been great to meet you.

I have absolutely no problem with people sleeping in their car/van. I have spent many the night sleeping in the back of my old Explorer in various parking lots at the Gunks. My comment about the number of people sleeping in the vehicles, one of whom is a very good friend of mine, was only to give people a perspective on the degree of crowding at the campsites versus the parking. As you are probably aware on a busy weekend it is the parking at the MUA that is really problematic.
Nick Goldsmith · · Pomfret VT · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 440

Just look at that riff raff! the nerve of some climbers to hang out arround their vehicles have have a good time!

See this is exactly how I took happies post. That this sort of thing that we have been doing since the dawn of climbing is no longer tolerated at the Gunks.

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616

No, that's sort of stuff is still welcome Nick. We're just trying to reduce numbers by discouraging YOU from going. ;)

Nick Goldsmith · · Pomfret VT · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 440

I get that. I got it when my rack was stolen, when I had to pay $15.00 for a day pass, when the MUA smelt like piss and had trash all over the place, when I hear that the new campground will not have enough capacity to acomidate walk ins and the old camping spots will be closed down and when you called me a liar.

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
Nick Goldsmith wrote:I get that. I got it when my rack was stolen, when I had to pay $15.00 for a day pass, when the MUA smelt like piss and had trash all over the place, when I hear that the new campground will not have enough capacity to acomidate walk ins and the old camping spots will be closed down and when you called me a liar.
Good, so I guess there's no need to complain anymore about a place that no longer interests you.
Nick Goldsmith · · Pomfret VT · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 440

Gunks always interst me. It is however one of the places where it feels like the magic of the good old days has been lost to a certain extent.

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
Kevin Heckeler wrote: Good, so I guess there's no need to complain anymore about a place that no longer interests you.
I second that. When I moved back east the last thing I ever expected was cool camping. I have not been disappointed.
ASALERNO Salerno · · Queens, NY · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 25

I am going up this weekend to prep campsite with volunteers from AAC so it's ready for you on May 15. Will report back but I hear it's dope.

$24/night per campsite for AAC and Mohonk Preserve members; $38/night per campsite for non-members
Limit 4 persons per campsite
50 tent sites, with parking for one vehicle per site
Open May 15, 2015 through mid-November, 2015, weather permitting
Amenities include: pay showers, covered pavilion, fire ring, and more

americanalpineclub.org/p/gu…

New campground

Rob D · · Queens, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 30
ASALERNO wrote:I am going up this weekend to prep campsite with volunteers from AAC so it's ready for you on May 15. Will report back but I hear it's dope. $24/night per campsite for AAC and Mohonk Preserve members; $38/night per campsite for non-members Limit 4 persons per campsite 50 tent sites, with parking for one vehicle per site Open May 15, 2015 through mid-November, 2015, weather permitting Amenities include: pay showers, covered pavilion, fire ring, and more americanalpineclub.org/p/gu…

am I reading this wrong or for $38 do I still have to pay for a shower?
Nick Goldsmith · · Pomfret VT · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 440

NYC rates folks. trying to keep us rednecks away......

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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