Please sign this petition to help influence the temporary closure of Smith Rock State Park

Please sign this petition to help influence the temporary closure of Smith Rock State Park in an effort to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus. People are ignoring isolationism and are still traveling from far and wide to enjoy Smith Rock. If the virus were to touch down in our small towns in full effect it would be devastating. If there’s something we can do to help stem the spread, let’s all do so. Please sign and share this with everyone. This is an effort to spread the word to everyone who lives in Central Oregon and beyond, not just climbers.

Please also call Governor Kate Brown’s Office to voice your concern (503) 378-4582

Bump

please sign this petition to get me pto so I can travel to smith rock to climb!

https://www.change.org/p/kate-brown-help-to-getcodypto-toclimb-smith-rock-state-park-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak

I think the Gov probably has some more pressing things on her plate than your little climbing concerns mate.

Signed, and posted on Facebook.

You're a brave man, Chris. I'll hope to meet you, perhaps? If my trip this spring can happen. :-(

Best, Helen

Cody M wrote: please sign this petition to get me pto so I can travel to smith rock to climb!

https://www.change.org/p/kate-brown-help-to-getcodypto-toclimb-smith-rock-state-park-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak

If you get enough can you pay off REI to stop all the stupid "area closed" threads. We get it, everywhere is closed. If we want to climb we will go to back country. The people that are clogging up these areas do not care and will not be changed by yet another stupid thread. Petitions are nearly as worthless. Just go out to Smith and tell people to leave if you care so much.

You seem pretty worked up for not living here. And no, petitions show a collective voice. Then we can show that to the Governor, who does have the power to close a state park. Thanks for your input. Thanks even more if you’d keep the stupid to yourself.

Signed! In some ways, it almost makes sense for her to follow the Bay Area and other counties and issues a shelter in place order. Not a highly popular opinion but will make my job hopefully much easier as I'm about to get crushed.

Bump

Um no. The government still wants us to get outside. Just mind your distances. 

Those who oppose this are forgetting Smith is the climbing destination for a huge population center that is only two hours away.

The actual locals could ride a bike to Smith, it's so close.

A lot of MP is coming off pretty badly, IMO. Okay, a few of you, but those are loud voices.

Idaho's version of Bend, Oregon, is Ketchum, Idaho, home to Sun Valley, second home to movie stars. It is in Blaine county, population 22,000 for all the little towns combined. A mountain/tourist town, like so many in the west.

Blaine county now has 16 cases, 2 of those are healthcare workers. They have just been ordered into shelter in place.

Only two hours away? The climbing gym is still open.

For comparison, the total for Idaho is 23. Ada county (Boise and environs) only has 3 cases.

Best, Helen

Chris is correct and I have singed it. Thank you Chris for taking the initiative and taking social shamer hits on this.

What you out of the area people may not understand is that people are flocking to Smith right now thinking that being outside is safe....it would be, but most are not practicing social distancing although you would think they would with all the education that has taken place.

In addition, central Oregon is a small place and we do not have the medical capacity to handle a large outbreak here.

Please stay local and think of other people rather than yourselves....

Yeah i haven’t been to the main zone at Smith for quite a while now but after i made that petition yesterday, several people drove out to the park to see for themselves. They all agreed with the petition after seeing the large congregations of people hiking and climbing, it would be a freaking breeding ground for the virus.

i.e. A group of climbers tagging the same easy route, and one of them has it. Well it’s pretty safe to assume that if one of them had it, now that whole group has it. Then 3 of those people then touch the hand rail crossing the bridge, or use the compost toilets.. it’s that easy to spread, that’s why it’’s a PANDEMIC

and if you live in Oregon there’s 15.7 million acres of BLM publicly accessible land to explore, even climb if you know where to go. You can still charge, just don’t do it in huge groups.

And stop traveling here to go climbing. The barrier living in this petri dish on the high desert are the walls of the dish themselves. Seemingly contained and safe, all it would take is 1 jump over those short petri dish walls to infect this community like a brush fire rolling through dry grass. 

Yes, in that regard Bend has stopped tourism advertising to help us.

We are a small town area please stay local until this is over.

To be more clear; if you are not a resident, temporarily we do not need you here and we do not want you here.

Signed. It’s unbelievable how selfish some of the comments are throughout the other threads. Why can’t people get it through their heads how monumentally dangerous this is. I think medical- illiteracy is at the core.

I say when this is all over, we soak 5 gallon buckets in lysol. 

Max R wrote: Signed. It’s unbelievable how selfish some of the comments are throughout the other threads. Why can’t people get it through their heads how monumentally dangerous this is. I think medical- illiteracy is at the core.

I say when this is all over, we soak 5 gallon buckets in lysol. 

Going to install a hand sanitizer dispenser at the base of the route when this is all over! 

Dan Daugherty wrote:

You don't see the irony of your first paragraph, do you. Folks who oppose people going to place x signed a petition in an attempt to prevent others from doing so after driving to place x to see for themselves. This feels a lot more like a 'Locals only' crag complaint than an actual attempt at keeping the spread to a minumum

You can visually see how crowded the park is without leaving your car. Why do you feel a need to try and pick a part someones attempt at doing something good.

Max R wrote:

You can visually see how crowded the park is without leaving your car. Why do you feel a need to try and pick a part someones attempt at doing something good.

You should then be saying the same thing to the Moab locals that posted about how crowded Wall Street has been. 

Dude is literally driving out just to feel righteous... What about the gas stations he has to fill up at? What if he gets in an accident? Those are the things being thrown at people that go climbing responsibly. I feel like they apply to you self righteous folks too.

For craps sake, if you have never been to Smith, it is literally so close to Bend you could ride a bike. And, there is parking, a communal area where ALL the campers are required to do their cooking, shared facilities, etc. on one side, THEN you hike down one steep side to the river, where you cross a single bridge to the other side, then walk well established trails to well built staging areas. Including staircases and handrails.

Once you top out, you can check out the view across the way and see how many cars are circling like vultures, hoping to park in a cow pasture, because the weekend hordes from elsewhere have descended to the sunny part of Oregon and the park, the roads surrounding, every square inch possible has a car parked in it. Wa. Hoo.

TL;DR? STFU if you have no idea what you're talking about, if you haven't been there, and are arguing with a local, who, gee, has a community he lives in and cares about.

Yes you successfully pissed off OLH. Carve a notch in your...

Old lady H wrote: For craps sake, if you have never been to Smith, it is literally so close to Bend you could ride a bike. And, there is parking, a communal area where ALL the campers are required to do their cooking, shared facilities, etc. THEN you hike down one steep side to the river, where you cross a single bridge, then walk well established trails to well built staging areas. Including staircases and handrails.

Once you top out, you can check out the view across the way and see how many cars are circling like vultures, hoping to park in a cow pasture, because the weekend hordes from elsewhere have descended to the sunny part of Oregon. Wa. Hoo.

TL;DR? STFU if you have no idea what you're talking about, if you haven't been there, and are arguing with a local, who, gee, has a community he lives in and cares about.

Yes you successfully pissed off OLH. Carve a notch in your... 

Step off the high horse, 

I have google maps and am very aware of where Smith is.

He literally said many are driving out to check the conditions.

You all sure do love your self righteous act, I am isolating and have not bothered to worry about what others are doing. Have not gone out to the local crags to check because I do not care. Take care of yourself and isolate yourself.

"What about the gas stations he has to fill up at? "

Hey out of stater..this is Oregon, we do not pump our own gas.

OLH is spot on in her description of how Smith is laid out.

Don't be a jerk - STAY LOCAL