Planned Seasonal Closure of Clear Creek Canyon (formerly "Clear Creek Bolting Ban?")

Unfortunately it looks like JeffCo Open Space is planning to announce a bolting ban at this Thursday's climbing "Information Meeting". They are already in the process of establishing a Fixed Hardware Review Committee. It's unclear who will select members of the committee, what criteria will be used, or even who will be given the opportunity to apply.

If you care about route development in Jefferson County, or if you are just a fan of liberty in general, please attend Thursday's meeting and make your position known. The meeting is 6-8pm on Thursday, November 19, at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, CO.

Saw this coming.

Wonder if they will do what Boulder did at Bummers rocks.

I don't see anything in these documents about a bolting ban. It seems that a Fixed Hardware Review Committee is probably an appropriate and necessary next step for these areas - this does not automatically mean all bolts will be banned.

Definitely, everyone should attend the meeting on Thursday, but this post seems a little reactive. If you have substantiated information to share that indicates bolting will be banned, you should probably include that. It will not help any of us to go into the meeting on Thursday with a defensive/reactive attitude.

I'm sure all of us would like more information about the JeffCo Climbers Alliance - is this a new LCO? Is your intent to speak for all JeffCo climbers? If so, you might want to introduce your organization and identify yourselves more formally to the community.

Edit to add: the questions on the FHRC application look perfectly reasonable.

I too would like to see any documents suggesting a bolting ban. I'm in favor of fixed hardware standards, and if that is the only intention of the committee, we shouldn't come armed with pitch forks. The documents provided appear to indicate that they are searching for climbers experienced with route development.

Climbers mostly have a long history of very positive relationships with land managers regarding climbing policy including in our own backyard, Eldorado Canyon, and the Flatirons. In reading this application it looks like Jeffco is reaching out to climbers to help them manage climbing in Jeffco public lands. And Jeffco has reasons to have concerns considering the volume of folks now climbing in Clear Creek and Table Mountain.
Unfortunately I can't make the meeting as I will be out of town, but I agree with the other comments. Let's approach this with a positive attitude and an open mind.

Carol Kotchek wrote:Climbers mostly have a long history of very positive relationships with land managers regarding climbing policy including in our own backyard, Eldorado Canyon, and the Flatirons.

Eldo? yes. Flatirons? not so much. Regardless, I'd rather see Table Mountain/Clear Creek managed (or lack of) more like Boulder Canyon than either those places.

Jon W wrote:Saw this coming. Wonder if they will do what Boulder did at Bummers rocks.

In short, No. That is not what will happen.
Jeffco is climber friendly, but wants to have less of a free-for-all that can cause problems. That is not the same as chopping routes.
Jeffco has solicited for climber participation in this discussion. If you have questions or concerns, go to the meeting to ask or express whatever you feel the need to address.
I think you will come away with a different impression than you seem to have now.

reboot wrote: Eldo? yes. Flatirons? not so much. Regardless, I'd rather see Table Mountain/Clear Creek managed (or lack of) more like Boulder Canyon than either those places.

I'm on the board of the Flatirons Climbing Council and the record shows that Boulder OSMP has a long and productive history with our group in facilitating new route development, fixed anchor maintenance and trail work. This in a city known for its conservative approach to public land access as seen with mountain biking, HCAs etc.

JeffCo Climbers Alliance wrote:Unfortunately it looks like JeffCo Open Space is planning to announce a bolting ban at this Thursday's climbing "Information Meeting". They are already in the process of establishing a Fixed Hardware Review Committee. It's unclear who will select members of the committee, what criteria will be used, or even who will be given the opportunity to apply. If you care about route development in Jefferson County, or if you are just a fan of liberty in general, please attend Thursday's meeting and make your position known. The meeting is 6-8pm on Thursday, November 19, at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, CO.

"Looks like" they are planning to announce a bolting ban?

Not to me. To me, it "looks like" they are planning to set up some guidelines, rules, and a review committee.

Who is in the JeffCo Climbers Alliance?
It does not appear to be the folks who have been in contact with the BCC and AF about this so far, because this is a radical departure from the tone that I have seen in their communication.

Hmmmm... I'd like to know who is involved.
If we have a dozen different groups:
youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7…

Discussed at the cliff this weekend is that JeffCo is also considering User Fees and restricting or eliminating access to several crags along the clear Creek Canyon.

I do not know how reliable or the source of the initial information, but this proposed meeting on Thursday should be on everyone's radar, especially those that climb in Jefferson County.

Peter Beal wrote: I'm on the board of the Flatirons Climbing Council and the record shows that Boulder OSMP has a long and productive history with our group in facilitating new route development, fixed anchor maintenance and trail work. This in a city known for its conservative approach to public land access as seen with mountain biking, HCAs etc.

Peter, I don't have any major issues with the current Flatirons route development regulations (although w/o exploratory bolting, a lot of potentially very overhung routes will never get developed), but we've had a 13 year bolting ban in the Flatirons. So yeah, the history isn't all positive. But as far as mountain biking goes, I don't know may riders who don't wish Boulder are more open to it like JeffCo & a lot of Boulder residents do drive to JeffCo for MTB (& enjoy the free parking that Boulder OSMP have denied the folks from out-of-the-county.

Rui Ferreira wrote:Discussed at the cliff this weekend is that JeffCo is also considering User Fees and restricting or eliminating access to several crags along the clear Creek Canyon. I do not know how reliable or the source of the initial information, but this proposed meeting on Thursday should be on everyone's radar, especially those that climb in Jefferson County.

Fees? Even for JeffCO residents?

In this day and age, it seems that everything is about "revenue".

What areas are rumored to be restricted or eliminated?

Tony, I hope that you're right.

Tony B wrote: "Who is in the JeffCo Climbers Alliance? It does not appear to be the folks who have been in contact with the BCC and AF about this so far, because this is a radical departure from the tone that I have seen in their communication. Hmmmm... I'd like to know who is involved.

This is a great question... I hope they are not planning to give the impression they speak for/represent JeffCo area climbers at Thursday's meeting.

Jon W wrote: Fees? Even for JeffCO residents? In this day and age, it seems that everything is about "revenue". What areas are rumored to be restricted or eliminated?

Can we please stop the rumor mill? Where is this coming from? Let's not all get into a panic about unsubstantiated rumors like fees for climbing and bolting bans.

Actually though, at the crag last weekend I did hear they were going to install vending machines at the base of High Wire with a ticket system for People's Choice. There will be a roped off area where you will be allowed to wait for your turn on the route. This might just be a rumor though.

Seriously.

ErikaNW wrote: Actually though, at the crag last weekend I did hear they were going to install vending machines at the base of High Wire with a ticket system for People's Choice. There will be a roped off area where you will be allowed to wait for your turn on the route. This might just be a rumor though. Seriously.

HA! Can we put clif bars and and kale chips in there too? Anyways, I agree, stop with the rumor spreading. Come to the meeting, be polite, and lets keep our interactions with Jeffco positive.

Jeffco is one of the friendliest land managing organizations I have had the pleasure to work with, and I've worked with a lot of them across the country. The last thing Jeffco is going to do is introduce bolting ban. Their greatest concern is managing the impact caused by route development which includes the hardware it self, and the erosion/trampling of vegetation that follows.

As Tony said, the meeting at the AMC this Thursday at 6 should clear up any questions we all have. See you all there!

Monty wrote: HA! Can we put clif bars and and kale chips in there too?

No... definitely no. Kale chips will be in the Boulder vending machines - located at the base of the 1st Flatiron. ;)

See you Thursday - and thanks again for all you do to advocate for climbing and climbers in Jeffco!

Monty wrote: Jeffco is one of the friendliest land managing organizations I have had the pleasure to work with, and I've worked with a lot of them across the country. The last thing Jeffco is going to do is introduce bolting ban.

Ralston Buttes? mountainproject.com/v/ralst…

Not always friendly. How do you know your rumor (i.e. no ban) is any more true than the opposite?

Mark E Dixon wrote: Ralston Buttes? mountainproject.com/v/ralst… Not always friendly. How do you know your rumor (i.e. no ban) is any more true than the opposite?

There is a FHRC member application, that does not imply a bolting ban... Why would they have a committee if there was a ban?????

Ralston is a whole other can of worms, and I understand why people are upset, I am too. As far as I know, the land acquisition agreement required that the land be free of recreational activities in order to preserve the sensitive resources there. I don't know if that was written in by the department of wildlife, or was the product of an environmental impact survey, regardless Jeffco obtained the land with that stipulation. I don't know what would have happened to the land if it wasn't acquired by Jeffco, or who the previous owner was. Maybe we could still climb there, or maybe they would have quarried the whole area.

Who or what is the JeffCo Climbers Alliance? Googling "JeffCo climbers Alliance" and "Jefferson County Climbers Alliance" turns up absolutely nothing except a link to this thread. No website, no evidence of any online presence. Searching Facebook returned the same results. If these people are going to presume to represent Jefferson County climbers, I'd like to know who they are and how they came to represent the Jefferson County climbing community.

mark felber wrote:Who or what is the JeffCo Climbers Alliance? Googling "JeffCo climbers Alliance" and "Jefferson County Climbers Alliance" turns up absolutely nothing except a link to this thread. No website, no evidence of any online presence. Searching Facebook returned the same results. If these people are going to presume to represent Jefferson County climbers, I'd like to know who they are and how they came to represent the Jefferson County climbing community.

+1!!!!

ErikaNW wrote: No... definitely no. Kale chips will be in the Boulder vending machines - located at the base of the 1st Flatiron. ;)

Screw the vending machines. How about a zip line back to my car?