If you're planning to climb at T-Wall this weekend, you should check the news or call the Prentice-Cooper State Forest office before going. A forest fire has been burning in the area for a couple of days now, and the crag is closed to climbing today. The Prentice-Cooper person I spoke to this morning said they don't know about the status for tomorrow at this point.

I'll post any updates here as soon as they're available.

JL

Is the wall in danger of fire damage??

Let me guess, another campfire out of control or left to burn? Fireworks? This was a somewhat periodic problem in the area and it cound be any one that is the final straw for climbers in the area...

I know climbers are not the only ones there, but we are a primary user group and are easy visible targets for new rules. Best to self-manage and watch carefully for these issues.

UPDATE: Per the forest service, T-Wall is closed to climbing for the entire weekend.

JL

Any updated info on this?

From the latest posts on the SCC site, it looks like climbing will be open this weekend. There's a lot of concern about falling trees, though -- especially ones on the upper tier that have been used for anchors. Some of those might be damaged or gone. I'd say everyone should be really careful what you use other than bolts for anchors.

I wonder whether the approach trail got bulldozed by the firefighters? I wish I could get up there this weekend to see how things are.

JL

A friend and I are going down there this weekend. I'll post some pics when I get back.

This just in from our correspondent in Chattanooga:

"A big bunch of over blown hype courtesy of the ATL alarmist gumby club of neophyte cattle route hoggin wussbags that can't park for shit or lead goldenlocks with less than 25 pieces of gear. The fire was allegedly set intentionally about 1/8th of a mile from the T-wall lot. The fire burned the ground, mainly the leaf cover. It burned SLOW, as in we climbed all day during the fire and could see it 200 yards away smoldering along. The fire crew found us way left ( a new trove of FA's 4 star) about 4:00 and told us to beat it cause they were going to let it burn through, we only had about 3 hours to pack up as it was moving real fast. It jumped the cliff and burned the top at some points. The base of the wall was scarcely effected as the trail was a good barrier no real after effects are visible, they dug a line with dozers and stopped it. "Watching your home burn down" is a bit over the top. If anything it makes the new bushwhack hike up to the orange wall easier and wasted most of the fuel on the forest floor. I am climbing there tomorrow and Saturday and was there this week. We had a full rack, 2 ropes a drill and all sorts of shit stashed in a cave at the base of the wall, it is all 100% unscathed by the monstorous conflagration that melted the T-wall and crushed the dreams of so many aspiring hardcore traddies with desk jobs. I'll maybe snap some pics tomorrow."

Back to you, Jim.

Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't claim to have put the fire out themselves with one giant puff from their manly lungs after each of them soloed Goldenlocks 6 times with flames lapping at their heels.

Rob is right (well, the report is). Just a little ground fire that hopped up to the highlands tier in a gully near "Quick and Dirty".

Almost nicer in a way, burned down some brambles...found some "Southern Fried Webbing" on the south end, may post pics later.

Copperhead Gully is burned to chit though...don't advise using that "trail" currently.

From what I saw, there was no damage to the rock or wall itself. There are several places where you can tell the fire came to the wall, and some places where it reached the upper tier. There are also a few places where the trail is has either been bulldozed or it is now covered with debris. It is pretty surreal. I would say, overall, not to bad.

Found a few of these (below) around, there's been some drillin' and fillin' up there lately (anchors).

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=33694>>>>>

Fire took out a lot of ticks, had just one crawl on me so far this season...