Gunks AAC campground update?

I do not know anything officially about the MUA.

About six years ago I was speaking with Hank, who was the head ranger and Land Stewardship dude at the MP at the time, about the latest news on the campground. He updated me, saying that "this time it does look like it will go forward."(The campground has been a talked about thing for many years before that).

I am paraphrasing, and acting on a memory that may be faulty. Any errors are mine.

I asked what would happen to Slime/MUA and he said, at that time, that they would be closed when the c/g opened, that it was part of the deal. He also explained the reason that MP could not keep Slime open - that laws had evolved and with no sanitary facilities, Slime could not operate as a modern campground. It had been grandfathered in to stay open since there was a lack of camping in the area, but if/when that changed, Slime would not be legally allowed to operate, even with it's *free* status.(And for those who say free was dependent on a membership card/day pass - the MP rangers have never been hardasses on enforcement of such a thing, and anyone who says otherwise really doesn't know).

That was the extent of my conversation that day. The following is my opinion:

Since the MP is involved in the AAC c/g - it is easy enough to understand they had a choice - keep Slime as an available camping place at the expense of those who preferred and were asking for a better option, or accepting that the land under Slime has been beaten nearly to death and could desperately use the chance to recover.

Slime was only "for climbers" though of course others did stay there at times. The MP probably had to weigh the desire for the climbers who used Slime against the greater population which would support a more proper facility.

Anyway - over the years as the campground was in planning, it was generally understood the MUA would also close, but last year there was a community meting specifically to discuss the future of several DEC landsites, one of which was the MUA. I did not attend that meeting and never heard what came of it, but at the time one of the options as stated on that meeting agenda was that it would stay as it was currently.

Someone said upthread that they called the MP Visitor Center and was told Slime was closed but the MUA was open. Whether it will stay that way, I do not know. The MUA is a NY state entity, not state(the AAC campground is owned by PIPC, an NY/NJ interstate agency) nor MP.

So - I guess we can wait and see what happens, but if I do hear anything official, I will post. I'm not in NY until May though and don't keep up with the Mohonksville Dailies like I do when I am there - hahah.

Signs were up that Slime was officially closed May 15th.

The cost and increased issues with reservations have basically sealed the deal for me. Camper van it is. I've been planning one for a while and the cost of camping these days is so high that the fuel cost of a high roof van are negligible. Especially if you stay for 2 nights or more.

Thanks Terri. See you in May. I guess I will see for myself what the story is next week. Hopefully I will not end up posting from the State Police barracks. Bill

if mua closes is there any (legal) free camping around the gunks? I'm not in a position financially to spend money on a train, a bus, a pass, and camping. sucks to think about how a few dollars every weekend adds up to not climbing or only cutting all climbing trips to one day. whats super weird is that this might be exactly the financial push I need to buy a car :(

Rob D. wrote:if mua closes is there any (legal) free camping around the gunks? I'm not in a position financially to spend money on a train, a bus, a pass, and camping. sucks to think about how a few dollars every weekend adds up to not climbing or only cutting all climbing trips to one day. whats super weird is that this might be exactly the financial push I need to buy a car :(

Buy a previous generation Ford transit connect (the boxier higher roof model) 27mpg,and plenty of space for one person to stealth camp in. I was going that route until I realized 2+dog+gear wasn't going to be ideal in a transit connect. Ultimately I could have made it work, but headroom without a pop top was going to be an issue. Plus, I want to buy new, as I plan on it being a 10 year investment and the new connects are lower (but longer).

Really sucks that we waited 2 decades for the campground and got screwed. I guess the moral is be careful what you wish for.

Thanks Jesse. Looking forward to my last few nights in Slime next week. Just got to remember the earplugs. Still confused as to the status of MUA. Has the AAC campground been established on the site of the MUA or at a separate location? If separate do you know if camping will still be allowed? Bill

How are we "screwed"?

Yes, it costs money, in line with what is offered similarly. Did any of us really expect to have showers, an onsite manager, free firewood (for the communal firepit) clean bathrooms, and a shelter for inclimate weather cooking and have it be cheap???? Really?

I'll be truthful here - I was always NOT in support of a new campground BITD when I first started coming to the Gunks. I knew, of course, that a campground would NOT be free, and that it would probably NOT be what I considered a reasonable expense(because I wasn't considering what it actually costs to manage such a place, but was comparing it to what I wanted to spend - which was nothing....). I thought people should shut their yaps about wanting a shower, a flat space to land, and the other things people were consistently wailing on about against the MUA and Slime. But people DID ask for, pine for, beg for, demand a better camping experience. YES - we brought this on ourselves. There WERE grassroots requests that *someone* should fight for Slime - but it was always someone ELSE who should spearhead the project. Having been a volunteer, and having led volunteer groups, I sat back and shook my head. It was a twisted version of the story of the hen who asked "Who will help me sow the seeds, weed the patch, reap the wheat, make the bread, EAT the bread..."

It seems strange to me that people are thinking that the high cost of this new campground has got them considering the purchase of a vehicle. When I lived in NYC I paid $200 monthly for outdoors parking, $40 for gas back and forth to the Gunks, $70 a month insurance, not to mention cost of vehicle and maintenance.

I know people don't WANT to share campsites, but really - start networking already, if $24/38 is too high for camping. Start a Meetup group dedicated to hooking up and sharing a site.

Happiegrrrl wrote: When I lived in NYC I paid $200 monthly for outdoors parking, $40 for gas back and forth to the Gunks, $70 a month insurance, not to mention cost of vehicle and maintenance. I know people don't WANT to share campsites, but really - start networking already, if $24/38 is too high for camping. Start a Meetup group dedicated to hooking up and sharing a site.

as an aside, I spent the same for the bus to get to new paltz and back, and then am dropped in town so I either get lucky and get a ride from a stranger, walk, or get a cab to the trapps. Parking is free in my neighborhood (though annoying) so the only real difference is the insurance, which I would cover camping one night every weekend for the climbing season. I don't do winter sports, which is one of the big things that is keeping me from buying a car. Not worth it to have to alternate side park for the unclimbable months.
I think all of the monetary arguments make sense. It seems like they aren't going to be making inane money giving how much this place is going to cost to run and how much it cost to build, but like you I would much rather have no bathroom, shower, communal firepit, or guard, and just want a place to sleep. It's crazy to think that the hostel could actually be a cheaper option. Maybe there'll be a lot of parties bivvying on the high e ledge this season.

I think I missed it, but how many people are allowed in each campsite?

I know I absolutely do not want an "onsite manager" or showers or indoor area along with my camping.

As long as the multi use area remains open, all is well, no? Maybe I missed it, but after a quick scan of this thread it appears that no one is certain that it will close.

If the MUA closes tent sites but allows you to camp 150 ft off the trail, there is still hope for the plebs, and folks with money to burn/fear of pooping in the woods/love of rules can camp at the AAC. If the MUA remains open, maybe everyone wins.

Blissab wrote:All I can say is: my gosh! Let's total costs for someone who lives 2 hr. 20 min. away. $39 for non-member campsite + $17 for non-member climbing pass + $30/$40 gas for round trip + $10 for tolls + $5/$10 coffee and bagel at the mountain bistro + $10/$15 for a beer and a couple of tacos on the way out + $15 for the new biner and stopper at Rock and Snow and to top it all off $150 for the speeding ticket on the way home! Freedom of the Hills?

Well said.... can't add anything to that.

Page 60 in the UMP draft indicates they're looking to reduce or eliminate camping at the MUA, or transfer ownership to another organization (unsure what that would mean for camping):

dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_fores…

In my brief internet crawl couldn't find anything definitive regarding the status of the MUA.

Happiegrrrl wrote:I know people don't WANT to share campsites, but really - start networking already, if $24/38 is too high for camping. Start a Meetup group dedicated to hooking up and sharing a site.

I don't know if it's that people don't want to - sharing tent sites at MUA was pretty frequent in my experience. But it will be difficult to share sites when only one car per site is allowed.

I took a drive through the campground last fall. The sites we could see had small raised gravel tent sites, probably big enough for 2 small tents right next to each other. Perhaps there are bigger sites we didn't see; otherwise it's going to be hard to share.

What sucks about it isn't even the price per person if you could get 4 people to a site. Camping up here in rumney is 10$ per person at most places, but you don't have this bullshit of one car per site. That's going to make it tough to share as you won't be able to drive in and just ask a couple that already has a site. Add to that the reservation feature that you know will book super quick for tourists coming up for the weekend and you'll have very few last minute folks who decide to come up on a whim. The aac camp ground at NRG is perfect. 7$ per night for non members, grab a tent platform and do your thing. There are no "sites" per se, just platforms all around the woods. The area I stayed there had a little pull off with enough room for 3 cars, and had 8-10 platforms with enough room for a tent within spitting distance of the parking area. They also had a communal fire pit and were working on plumbing and a covered spot for foul weather gatherings. The aac camp ground as the gunks is being marketed and set up for what it will be, a money maker. Camping will always cost money when at a campground, but there's a way they could have set this place up that wouldn't feel so inclusive.

Greg Pouliot wrote:...Camping will always cost money when at a campground, but there's a way they could have set this place up that wouldn't feel so exclusive.

Fixed?

Fixed indeed. That's exactly what word I looked for but it escaped me. It feels like they're catering to a certain type of climber with this place. That is, the one with a ton of money to burn on a weekend away. It's kind of obvious even with their volunteer weekend. Sure you get 2 weeks to stay there, but you have to do so early early in the season. There's no way to choose your time during peak season or even later in the fall. You have to pick sometime before June before the crowds start rolling in.

Happiegrrrl wrote: I know people don't WANT to share campsites, but really - start networking already, if $24/38 is too high for camping. Start a Meetup group dedicated to hooking up and sharing a site.

yes but this is NY, lets bitch and whine some more!

Are there any legal places to crash in a van @ the gunks?

Nick Goldsmith wrote:Are there any legal places to crash in a van @ the gunks?

Technically not really, but.....
And for obvious reasons, not something to be discussed in a public forum.
(PS: don't PM me for info - I haven't been to the Gunks in 15 years, so I have no idea if any of my favored bandit spots still exist.)

Last time i was in the gunks was about 15 years ago and crashed in my VW buss at the parking lot by the visitor center at the hairpin? used bathrooms @ visitor center and no attempt to be stealth. Hung out with the folding chairs, cooked etc. Totally casual and no stress. is there a wallmart nearby these days?