Stashed Crash Pads in RMNP

skiclimber,

It seems like you are harboring some resentment against boulderers that goes beyond the present situation.

I appreciate your willingness to help cleanup, but your efforts also cause divisions within the climbing community that have no need to exist. I am a person who enjoys all types of climbing. I have had some trad friends/partners who, like you, always griped about how boulderers were'nt manly enough or some hogwash. In reality, many of the boulderers that I know are also accomplished traddys (more so than the gripers), but that's not the main point. Consensus about the stashed pads is established. 99% of climbers are on board, with the bouldering subset behind it. Why cause division with your words? Its counterproductive in the long run. Something like SAL's idea of a pad drop sounds good.

Make friends not enemies.

Right on Skiclimber! You deserve a few tall ones for your efforts. I love bouldering and I don't mind Hip-Hop, but I can't stand the Hip-Hop influence boulderers' bring to the crags and boulders- you're a bunch of over-privileged white boys, not Gangstas. I ain't never seen no Cristal bottles stashed under those pads.

I will gladly organize housing the pads and returning them to the owners if need be. Organizers of the clean up for the park and evans are welcome to contact me at jselmanson@sportiva.com
to talk details.

I will be in contact with Seth Murphy and others helping get the ball rolling on these clean ups and like will said making friends not enemies will only strengthen our community as well as preserve our favorite climbing areas.
Cheers,

SAL wrote:Maybe in an effort to show some class and respect we should designate a stashie drop spot for the pads to be stored and this would allow the owners to be able to retrieve their pads for future use in the areas by being transported on thier backs. I will glady ship anyones pad back to them as well if they are not in an area to pick them up. I do not think stealing someones pad and selling it really justifies the situation. Any thoughts???

Technically, I'd guess they're lost property that should be given to the park superintendent -- who would then be resonsible for returning them to the rightful owner.

Again, if unclaimed pads are to be sold (which I can't imagine some smelly pad would be), donating the money to a climbing non-profit (AAC, AF) or directly back to RMNP would be the right thing, in my opinion.

"
(a) The following are prohibited:
...
(3) Failing to turn in found property to the superintendent as soon as practicable.
(b) Impoundment of property. (1) Property determined to be left
unattended in excess of an allowed period of time may be impounded by the superintendent."

If the Park superintendent wants that job I would be siked to give it to him. The last thing I want is a grip of stinky ass pads laying around my office or home until some stasher decides he wants it back. But I will do what it takes to get them out of there and return them to the proper owners as I do not think stealing peoples property is any more just then leaving pads to begin with. Although like Avery posted it is more or less lost property and should be impounded by the superintendent which is fine by me. I guess that would be a natural consequence to pad stashing and not getting your pad back would only be the natural outcome. Just thinking of ways to keep the peace and clean up the area at the same time...

Link to FRB discussion:

boards2go.com/boards/board.…

Involving the superintendent is a very bad idea.

The NPS should be kept out of it as much as possible. If you think that it is a big pain in the ass to store the pads until someone claims them then it is a sure bet that the park super will also think it is a pain in the ass. Besides the super likely sees the pads as nothing more than trash.

If people want their pads back then they should speak up right now. Otherwise, it's their loss.

The only real issues here are access and environmental damage. If someone doesn't get their pad back because they were too lazy to hike it in and out then I couldn't care less.

Brad,
Point well taken. I think that it is the last thing the park service wants to deal with. We will still work out a solution to be kind and considerate enough of fellow climbers to allow them a chance to get theyre pads back. We will not be storing these for a long amount of time though. It really is a pro-active way to go about removing these stashies rather then give them the finger on the way out and tell them they are SOL.
Pad stashing boulder's are people too :)
cheers

Brad Brandewie wrote:Involving the superintendent is a very bad idea. The NPS should be kept out of it as much as possible.

Brad, I kinda doubt they'll get around around involving the NPS. It's one of the requirements of "Adopt a Crag" with the Access Fund. Look on their site under 'resources for organizers'.

That being said, I'm not advocating where the pads go. I'm sure the event organizers are brainstorming, as well.

accessfund.org/cons/aac.php

Doing an Adopt a Crag event
Step One: Assess Crags for Amount of Work
Step Two: Get Permission from Land Managers or Property Owners
Step Three: Develop a Plan
Step ...

Details:
Step Two: Get Permission from Land Managers or Property Owners
As with any work on public or private land, get permission first. If you go in with all the above information, you stand a good chance of having a successful project. By talking to your land manager or property owner first, you are ensuring that the project is approved and the necessary permits, insurance, and liability issues are complete. The more prepared you are, the easier ... blah blah blah

Brad Brandewie wrote:Involving the superintendent is a very bad idea. The NPS should be kept out of it as much as possible. If you think that it is a big pain in the ass to store the pads until someone claims them then it is a sure bet that the park super will also think it is a pain in the ass....

More than 3 million people per year visit RMNP. They probably have a lost & found bigger than most warehouses. If the regs say that found property should be turned in to the superintendent, that's probably what should happen. Go to lost & found to get your pad back.

I think that the pads ought to be donated to underprivileged and DESERVING climbers. Maybe taken to the inner-city and used as pads for climbing walls for after school activities? I have little regard and lots of scorn for the argument and/or feelings that the pads "belong" to anyone that leaves them in a way that degrades the resource, period.

according to the regs, the super holds the property for a minimum of 60 days then disposes it. owners trying to reclaim are liable for fees.

As with everything, pack it in/pack it out!!! There is no excuse for leaving your trash in the park!

Fair enough, Wade. I guess the mp.com & other climbing bunch doesn't appreciate pads being left about wilderness areas.

I guess we'll see you around.

rmsusa,

I think there are some major differences between a tourist losing a cell phone or a hand bag by accident and a climber leaving his/her crash pad on purpose. One of the biggest differences being that the crash pads have a specific user group that can be targeted with regulations. Since we are all part of that user group, it would seem to be in our best interest not to aggravate the powers that be if we can avoid doing so. What do you think the super would rather hear in his next meeting?

A) There are some climbers that are asking for a place to store up to 20 crash pads that they removed from Chaos Canyon. They would like for the NPS to store the pads in hopes that the pads can be returned to their owners.
or
B) You know all those crash pads in Chaos Canyon that we have discussed in previous meetings? Well it looks like the climbing community became aware of the situation and removed them. They are all gone.

It seems to me like the situation is starting to resolve itself anyway and that perhaps half of the offending pads have already been removed.

Wade,
Nice troll.

Oooooh Wade I am trembling. Your such a man.
Looks like we might have to dance big boy. Remember to bring a boom box so you can play that pad-rat gangsta-rap that pumps you all up. I'll remember to bring a tape of Brahms lullaby so you can sleep peacefully after your fall. Good thing there is an abundance of crash pads for your nap.

Stash pads are a problem and a disgrace. The only thing that makes climbers look bad is climbers. If I remove them they are GONE! No effort to return them to the lazy. If you don't like that idea then don't leave them behind.

Wade wrote:Hummm! not sure how to say what I going to say............ I don't appreciate what I have been hearing about taking pads from the park (mind your own buisness). I have heard that MP.com Crew has been taking some out. Some friends came across some guys that said they were from the Mountain project and said that they will sell them to make money off them and give 50% of the money to the access fund (which is cool) but the other 50% for keeping? hope not. Secondly I will defend my friends and if I see a non ranger taking out one of my friends pads, then I guess I will have to take it from them (but ask nicely first), If i do not get the pad then I won't stop without a fight!

Awesome bro!!!! I'll be walking out on saturday with a ragged ass pad. My name is Dan. As long as you are willing to take the first shot I am willing to oblige ya. I love a good fight so don't waste my time if you are just another internet tough guy. I should be walking down the trail at about 4-5pm. See ya there!!!

Oh man, Phil's scared. I never thought I'd read that.

Wade,

The word on the streets is that you size up to a troll, literally. Leave your pad, it gets yanked, I'll sell it for your penis enlargement surgery. If you see me in the park with your pad, bring it, I love squashing bugs, especially trolls like you...

You are clearly outnumbered on this forum as well as FRB beotch, whattchya got now little big man?

Wade wrote:I am not one of the other internet tough guys,I stand by my friends. I'm just clearly saying that "I will ask nicely" if the pad you have is one of my friends, but if you do not give it up! then I will try to take it. just for future reference small guys are faster than bigger guys. That is not stating that I will Win, So by asking me to take my best shot would not be smart fighting, I can simple just try to remove it from you and wait till you take the first shot, that way I don't get a police involvement out of this.

Wade,

I hate repeating myself, but in the interest of not making all boulderers look like chumps, here goes.

WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS WRONG, PERIOD! YOU, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM AND DAD, AND WHOMEVER ELSE STASHES PADZ.

I snagged a pad that was decaying from area B under the Hume boulder on Sat. Foam everywhere, not cool, I spent 2 hours of MY BOULDERING TIME cleaning up you and your "friends" shit.

If I see you, with or without your hommies, we will have words, maybe more if I have your "darth wader" pad on my back. I look forward to squashin trundlin trolls. word to you and your peeps.