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Longstack Precipice Lakes Region
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Longstack is up for sale and The Access Fund is actively seeking to secure the access for climbers. The more that our community gets involved in this effort the more likely that a favorable outcome will occur. |
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Interesting, hopefully the next owner will be willing to carve out an access easement. Also, how do you suggest getting involved? I only climb there a few times a year but would be disappointed to see it closed by a new owner. |
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How do you suggest being involved? I don't see any information on how the Access Fund is involved or how local climbers can help out..... |
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Also interested in involvement. Please reach out. |
DavidLG wrote: Do you know if it includes the cliff(s)proper or just access? |
Insert name wrote: It includes the cliff as far as I know. Still waiting to hear back from the Access Fund on updates as they are currently spear heading the effort. |
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Anyone have an update on the situation at Longstack? Hoping to climb there soon but don't want to make the drive if it's closed or the access is sketchy. Thanks! |
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No change in ability to access at this time. |
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Talked with Access Fund today. Sale was finalized yesterday. Access Fund plans to contact new owner and see what future access will look like. No change in ability to access yet. |
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bump to stay updated |
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No changes - still not posted. I have been there a bunch the past week. A more developed road on part of the approach, but that's the only physical change. Definitely get there |
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I was at Longstack today. There was a big change since my last visit. They have built a road at the top of the cliff; it runs less than 100 feet from the top of the climbs. So far it's just a road, but it's not hard to imagine that they might build houses there. So this may become a real access issue soon. |
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Was up at Longstack Sunday Jul 21, 2024. Here are some pics of the development on top of the cliff. This is the view from the top of the Coyote Rain. I.e. the new road is right there. Then a couple of pics of the road itself and finally a pic of cut down trees. It seems they have cut down most small trees from the whole area between the road and cliff!      |
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Wow, the price it sold for seems like a steal. I should have sold my house, bought it and set up a yurt. Was the access fund not on the ball or climbers just not that interested? |
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According to the recent Climbing article about the Merriam Woods, we no longer have a Northeast region Access Fund rep. This is a bummer.
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Cron wrote: That seems like a massive oversight. |
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Here is what I know. Local climbers contacted the Access Fund a couple of years ago. Mike was still the regional contact at the time. He came out and we walked the land and talked about options. The Access Fund put in an offer on the land. My understanding is that they can only offer up to the appraised value of the land. The land owner never responded, and we heard it sold to another party. Local speculation was that the original owner used the Access Fund offer to leverage more money out of another buyer. That speculation was based on two things, one the property had been on the market for quite awhile, two the owner never responded to the Access Fund. I don't feel like locals dropped the ball. There has always been a rough road and house lots at the top of the cliff. Years ago when climbing there it was common to hear and see atv traffic up there. The clearing at the top happened early this spring. |
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Just to follow up on what SES posted. It is my understanding as well that the Access Fund can only offer up to the appraised value of a parcel of land--I believe this is true of all similar land-preservation non-profits. Now that climbing is more 'mainstream' and popular, it is not uncommon that some owners of private property which are currently seeing climbing activity or have climbing potential, believe that climbing organizations have substantial financial resources, so seek to sell that land for prices that far exceed market values. We have encountered that situation in southern New England in several locations, so are aware of the limitations under which the AF is functioning in such circumstances. |
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Disclaimer - I don't know what specific language governs the AF, but it seems to me that "market value" = whatever a property can sell for. If AF offers more than what some non-clinber real estate advisor suggests, well then, that defines the market value. |
SES wrote: This is a pretty accurate characterization of everything so far. I also heard the LRCT has reached out to the landowner in the hopes of ensuring whatever outcome does not diminish the adjacent/abutting property, or that some of the land might be conserved. They do own the left half of the cliff (my guess is up to about the Arete/Steve Garvey Route area). The land is not currently posted and the anchor trees were left undamaged at the top. Please continue to be good stewards of the land, and continue to minimize your impacts as you recreate. There was an existing road that this follows. It seems the trees were cut and run through a woodchipper. Nothing that hasn't been done before a couple of decades ago. I believe the property was approved for sub-dividing but the land atop the cliff would be especially challenging to turn into a house lot- barely any room, it's all ledge, it borders 2 towns, and the property line is tight. Not sure how septic, electric, water, etc would work. Maybe continued use as an ATV/hiking trail and advertised as something that one could easily access (in addition to climbing) from a nearby future house lot. |
Gunkiemike wrote: I was using general language. I'm not involved in real estate transactions, but believe the technically correct term is 'appraised valuation ". It is my understanding, and I could be wrong, that as a condition of their tax exempt status or other requirements , before purchasing land, organizations such as the AF need to have the land independently apprised and that appraisal puts a limit on what they are able to offer. |
