When is the Gunks Reopening ?

"Dear PLUS+ Members:
We want to share the good news that climbing, bouldering, scrambling, and horseback riding will resume for the public at Mohonk Preserve beginning Monday, June 22. As a special acknowledgement of your support, we are offering a PLUS+ Members’ Only weekend for these activities on Friday, June 19 - Sunday, June 21.
As you know, our mission is to protect the land and connect people with their natural world, so restricting activities was a difficult decision to make. We have been working tirelessly as an organization to better understand and respond to the ever-changing COVID-19 environment in a safe and responsible way.
Since our phased reopening began, we have experienced an unprecedented surge in visitation and have been actively expanding our capacity by hiring and training new trailhead staff and engaging volunteers to help with parking and visitor management. With these additional resources in place, we’re now confident that we can safely reintroduce climbing, bouldering, scrambling, and horseback riding at the Preserve.
We deeply appreciate your patience and support during this difficult time. In addition to the PLUS+ Members’ Only Weekend June 19-21, and our daily Member Mornings parking from 7-9 am at all trailheads, we will be extending PLUS+ memberships with an expiration date after March 2020 by three months due to the temporary suspension of these activities.
More specific details regarding guidelines for climbing, bouldering, scrambling, and horseback riding will be sent out early next week. We look forward to welcoming you back to the cliffs and trails on Friday, June 19!
Thank you again for your support and patience!

With gratitude,

Chuck Reid"

The Gunks reopen June 19!

Now what are we gonna have to complain about?

Peter Twrote: Now what are we gonna have to complain about?

How crowded it is? 

Peter Twrote: Now what are we gonna have to complain about?

The Bolts

The Lack of Bolts

The Top Ropers

The Citidiots

The Grading
The Gym Rats

Ericsplosion IIwrote:

The Bolts

The Lack of Bolts

The Top Ropers

The Citidiots

The Grading
The Gym Rats

-The hippie stink

mbkwrote: IMO, get both:

* the Colored Dicks are best for reading at home and dreaming/reminiscing about what you will/have climbed.   Or if you want a fantastic picture of rgold.

* the Gunks App is best for bringing to the crag and especially best for finding the right approach trail, finding the start of the route, and knowing the line to follow

Maybe some people believe that the Gunks App is so good that you miss out on route-finding and other aspects of the adventure.   Having been dangerously off-route more than once at the Gunks prior to the existence of the app, I know which one I prefer.

there's way less beta in the app than in the book.  I love how little information each route has beyond a much easier to find start to each climb and each pitch.  

Rob Dwrote:

there's way less beta in the app than in the book.  I love how little information each route has beyond a much easier to find start to each climb and each pitch.  

Pictures are worth a 1,000 words so...

I guess I agree but it's not like the dick doesn't have pictures, they're just bad black and white pictures that aren't particularly helpful.  The descriptions often include intense gear beta and describe specific moves in detail.  I would much rather only have a picture of the start of the climb and a sentence about where each pitch ends than written beta.  I guess more or less beta can be misinterpreted.  I think the app has better beta while the book has more beta.  I'll take clear concise without too many details over an abundance of information but confusing info about where a climb starts. 

I received an email from the Mohonk about the opening.  It says they will be open 7am-7pm with the gates closing at 7pm....meaning they won't open again till 7am I assume. With the forecasted temps the next two weeks I was considering an alpine start (on weekdays, no way I'm going weekend 1) and hopefully climbing late as well.  With it staying light till almost 9pm for the summer solstice, I assume many people will not be making it out of the lots by 7pm.  

Are they really going to lock people in?  If so, are they going to be upset when people are sleeping in their vehicles?

I realize no one can forecast the future, but id LOVE a trip report from people starting tomorrow to hear how things are going.

stay safe Gunkies!

JRZanewrote: I received an email from the Mohonk about the opening.  It says they will be open 7am-7pm with the gates closing at 7pm....meaning they won't open again till 7am I assume. With the forecasted temps the next two weeks I was considering an alpine start (on weekdays, no way I'm going weekend 1) and hopefully climbing late as well.  With it staying light till almost 9pm for the summer solstice, I assume many people will not be making it out of the lots by 7pm.  

Are they really going to lock people in?  If so, are they going to be upset when people are sleeping in their vehicles?

I realize no one can forecast the future, but id LOVE a trip report from people starting tomorrow to hear how things are going.

stay safe Gunkies!

I can't comment on MP's abnormally early closing hours, but I did notice recently that Minnewaska - still open ONLY for hiking/biking, no climbing or bouldering - is closing at 7 PM also. I suspect it's all about "opening gradually", "easing back into full operation", or something like that.

JRZanewrote: I received an email from the Mohonk about the opening.  It says they will be open 7am-7pm with the gates closing at 7pm....meaning they won't open again till 7am I assume. With the forecasted temps the next two weeks I was considering an alpine start (on weekdays, no way I'm going weekend 1) and hopefully climbing late as well.  With it staying light till almost 9pm for the summer solstice, I assume many people will not be making it out of the lots by 7pm.  

Are they really going to lock people in?  If so, are they going to be upset when people are sleeping in their vehicles?

I realize no one can forecast the future, but id LOVE a trip report from people starting tomorrow to hear how things are going.

stay safe Gunkies!

Since you asked for a trip report:

We climbed for a couple hours this AM. When we showed up at 6:59 there were already probably 20 cars of climbers there...they must've opened the gates significantly before 7. The 4-star climbs filled up pretty quickly, but all in all the cliff was much less full than a summer weekend, albeit more full than any weekday I've seen. When we left at 10:15am there were still a few spots open in the West Trapps lot.

As one note: be careful out there, with the area having not been climbed in months. The person on Patty Duke next to us pulled off a maybe 2'x2' completely detached block about 20 feet up.

Josh Swrote:

As one note: be careful out there, with the area having not been climbed in months. The person on Patty Duke next to us pulled off a maybe 2'x2' completely detached block about 20 feet up.

I was over at Sixish (bees nest 5' above left 1st pitch anchor FYI) with my partner and heard that thing crash. Crowds were pretty decent. I thought it would be busier than it was but it was just as busy as a light summer weekend crowd. The basic classics had lines (Jackie & friends area, Uberfalls, Madame G's, Shockley, 3 Pines) but the other 3 star climbs around them were mostly free.

 The Peregrine closure being lifted probably helped a lot with the crowd control too as I bet High E and Bonnie's had lines.  

Pulled in around 9am. No problem parking

got my wopped hard. Too much couch time. 

By 1ish there was maybe 5 parties in the Uberfall

Terrible Climberwrote: By 1ish there was maybe 5 parties in the Uberfall

Sounds like the Trump rally in OK

did anyone stay past 7pm?  were the rangers ready to swing the gates closed?

Im sure the heat kept some folks away and next weekend doesn't look to be much better.

M Mobleywrote:

Sounds like the Trump rally in OK

Boom! Roasted!

JRZanewrote: did anyone stay past 7pm?  were the rangers ready to swing the gates closed?

Why do people always ask questions to see if they can get around the rules? I'm not accusing you of doing this but it is a leading question into doing so.

The Preserve says to be out by 7 or risk being locked. Just respect their rules and everything will be fine. If you do get stuck out past 7 I'd say it was poor planning or decision making on your part. 

One of the trail head people mentioned that the fine for staying late is $150.00. You decide if it's "worth" the cost.