Crags with low traffic during high gas prices

Any stories from high gas prices times? Will you change travel patterns?

one word story: gym

Alex Smithwrote:

one word story: gym

The exact opposite for me.  I just cancelled my gym membership.  I'll hangboard at home during the week and climb outside on the weekend.

Let's say your local crag is 50 miles away and your car gets 30mpg. Gas increases from $3 to $5 means the trip will cost what, an extra 6 bucks? Seems pretty insignificant to me

T Taylorwrote:

Any stories from high gas prices times? Will you change travel patterns?

I'd hate to see prices in Lee Vining or Bridgeport CA right now..$7 I bet

Ryan Moserwrote:

Let's say your local crag is 50 miles away and...

I'd say you are not a local and you need to move to a better place...

x15x15wrote:

I'd say you are not a local and you need to move to a better place...

Wow what a a yuppie comment.

If fuel prices stay high, summer vacation traffic will probably be down.  Places like Black Hills/Devil’s Tower may have a low tourism year.  But Estes Park or Yosemite are close enough to population centers that many people will consider them “local” options.  IE, Squamish will probably be brimming, the Bugaboos may see a low use year.

Flight dependent destinations may see even lower use because of cost and an increasing number of delays.

There aren’t that many North American destinations where the cost of transport is significant enough to dissuade climbers.  It may be a little easier to find a campsite, but your 4star project may still have a line of folks wanting to top-rope.

Calebwrote:

If fuel prices stay high, summer vacation traffic will probably be down.  Places like Black Hills/Devil’s Tower may have a low tourism year.  But Estes Park or Yosemite are close enough to population centers that many people will consider them “local” options.  IE, Squamish will probably be brimming, the Bugaboos may see a low use year.

Flight dependent destinations may see even lower use because of cost and an increasing number of delays.

There aren’t that many North American destinations where the cost of transport is significant enough to dissuade climbers.  It may be a little easier to find a campsite, but your 4star project may still have a line of folks wanting to top-rope.

It's not just a question of price. If things really go sideways we may have to deal with actual shortages like in the 70s. 

Emil Briggswrote:

It's not just a question of price. If things really go sideways we may have to deal with actual shortages like in the 70s. 

True.  That would change the paradigm to the most local areas.

T Taylorwrote:

Wow what a a yuppie comment.

No, its an environmentalist comment. Sheeesh

x15x15wrote:

No, it’s an environmentalist comment. Sheeesh

I don’t know if you have heard of environmentalist Alex Honnold but he doesn’t even live within 25 miles (I’m not sure the comment was round trip or not) of his main project. He might barely live within 50 miles of his main project. Realistically there just isn’t much housing near his main proj. This is the case for many people. 

Assuming people can live right next to their project makes you a yuppie.

x15x15wrote:

I'd say you are not a local and you need to move to a better place...

Sadly, this is pretty normal for many of us in Southern California and I hate it. The "closest" crag to me would be Stoney Point which IMO isn't worth going to, and that's 60+ miles away. Not to offend any Stoney Point fans, it's a great place but not if you like to trad/lead climb. Tahquitz is ~90 miles, Jtree is even further. Not to mention the insane traffic just getting to and from these places.

It's part of the reason I look forward to moving out of here in the next couple years. I do need to move to a better place.

T Taylorwrote:

I don’t know if you have heard of environmentalist Alex Honnold but he doesn’t even live within 25 miles (I’m not sure the comment was round trip or not) of his main project. He might barely live within 50 miles of his main project. Realistically there just isn’t much housing near his main proj. This is the case for many people. 

Assuming people can live right next to their project makes you a yuppie.

Not sure i know who your talking about. Is he a climber? Environmentalist? Both? Does he fly on big airplanes around the world to climb skyscrapers? Who is this Alex guy anyway?

And I responded to nothing about your silly project...

T Taylorwrote:

Assuming people can live right next to their project makes you a yuppie.

Wow. An impressive level of naivete, right there.

Edit to below: Followed by an impressive level of divisive, broad generalization clearly based in ignorance and lack of life experience. Kudos. (Now deleted. Thank you.)

I’ll keep driving fifteen minutes to punt yet again at my local chosspile, thank you very much.

Every year around end of March/beginning of April I drive the 470 miles each way from Boulder to Bears Ears to backpack a different remote canyon. I do this alone and so pay for all the gas myself, purchase exactly one night at a hotel in Blanding ($65 +/-) the night before dropping in, and 4-5 nights of backcountry camping permits. Add in maybe $140 in dehydrated meals and it’s a pretty cheap vacation.

I’m guessing that I use around 55 gallons of gas total, and with gas being close to $4 instead of close to $3, that’s an extra $55 well spent.

This year, I would gladly pay an extra $100 to know that I would reliably hit an active spring or pothole full of rainwater each day. As it looks now, I may have to start out with 3 full days worth of water just to reach the San Juan River via Grand Gulch, beginning at the Government Trailhead.  That’s a lot of aqua to be lugging, only to reach a muddy river I can scoop with a fork before hiking another 2 1/2 days along the river and then out Slickhorn canyon to compete a loop.

But, oh well. Gas is the least of my worries. 

Edgewrote:

But, oh well. Gas is the least of my worries. 

This lack of giving a f**k is why the earth is royally doomed, at least with us around. You might start caring once your life is actually affected.

Limiting consumption is the only way to combat our adverse affects on Earth and this nonchalant, lets note how unhealthy weather patterns are becoming the norm (including winter, or lack thereof) and not doing a damn thing about it will hopefully be our demise.

So what you're saying, then, is that choosing to live close to your proj is a *good* thing?

Man, this is so confusing. So many opinions...

abe rwrote:

This lack of giving a f**k is why the earth is royally doomed, at least with us around. You might start caring once your life is actually affected.

Limiting consumption is the only way to combat our adverse affects on Earth and this nonchalant, lets note how unhealthy weather patterns are becoming the norm (including winter, or lack thereof) and not doing a damn thing about it will hopefully be our demise.

Wow, you really nailed me on that one!  What I meant to say was that for that particular trip, gas would be a minor concern. 55 gallons of petrol and about 75 grams of Jetboil fuel (about 3/4 canister). Since this will be my only vacation of the year, I am justifying it as tending to my well being and mental health. I will not be taking any other trips.

The rest of the year I build energy efficient homes in Boulder, and am well known for re-using materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill. I recycle packaging materials, pull nails out of used studs & ply, and can do more with hand tools than some can do with their expensive imported European power tools. I have flown once in the last three years, to my father’s funeral.  My personal home is smaller than most apartments.

I see from your profile that you live in Boise, and in the last calendar year you have climbed in Nevada, Yosemite, central Oregon, and Boulder. I trust that you drive a EV that only recharges from renewable power plants, or should I commend you for riding your bicycle so far with all your gear!  I’m sure that you do your best, and I assure you that I do mine. I would make the token comment about people living in glass houses, but as you know, they can be terribly energy inefficient. 

abe rwrote:

This lack of giving a f**k is why the earth is royally doomed, at least with us around. You might start caring once your life is actually affected.

Limiting consumption is the only way to combat our adverse affects on Earth and this nonchalant, lets note how unhealthy weather patterns are becoming the norm (including winter, or lack thereof) and not doing a damn thing about it will hopefully be our demise.

Lol!

I don't disagree with you, exactly, but.....

Kinda useless attitude, imo.

As someone who knows first hand that you have, indeed, ridden your bike to our local crag at least once (it's actually remarkably easy to do so, if one chooses) well, yay you.

But see, so have I. Once.

However, I went bouldering, out to Swan Falls yesterday. Hell no, I'm not riding my bike out there in any case, and certainly not with boulder pads 

But see, I saw a golden eagle. Up close.

And posted that huge thrill hither and yon on socials.

Probably to a whole bunch of people who are likely not riding a bike, well, anywhere at all. And theoretically fon't care and are destroying the world, in what I'm assuming would be your judgment of them.

Does that matter to me? 

No, not really. Not them, not you, as far as how they manage their lives, or what opinions they have, or whatever.

I'm living my life as I choose, and that means a reasonably good faith effort to not be a standard issue stereotyped consumer in our money is everything society. I pick and choose. 

We are now and again climbing partners, and even then?

There seems to be some pretty broad judgements being made here, which in "fairness" means I'm included.

That's a path that makes people the "other", and makes it harder for changes to happen, imo.

I'm almost 70, and honestly, pretty much yours and everyone else's opinion is just entirely irrelevant to me. I am who sleeps with me at night, and I'm quite satisfied with the cumulative choices I've made over decades, and even more so now that I answer to no one at all. 

Just a gentle reminder? Climbing is an entirely arbitrary thing that we choose to do, of no benefit whatever to anyone, but us. Riding a bike to the grocery store sets an example, at least. Climbing, uh, well, nope. It's pretty "elitist" to the general populace. With me, at least there's an alternate Idea of what being an old lady could look like, but that's kinda it. It is entirely about me, really, and being able to connect with my community, which is now my "family". Who are also doing this entirely selfish climbing thing.

People like you.

Hope you're doing well, friend! 

Helen

Oh, and just for interest sake, I met up with a guy here in Boise, at our local crag, who WAS travelling long distances, from climbing destination to climbing destination. Bike plus cargo trailer. Figured he could go about 2 years, on the resources he had.

And the kindness of many many others along the way.