Eldo Chalk Bandit

Someone's been marking rocks alongside the Eldorado Canyon trail with chalk. I don't think it's climbing chalk - I'd guess it's sidewalk chalk or something. Last week it was simply X's - this weekend the artist expanded his/her repertoire to wordlike things:

I'll get after it with a backpack sprayer and water later this week. That should get most of it, and winter snows should get the rest.

If it's cropping up on other trails, PM me.

We're lucky it's just chalk. I've seen taggers hit the Pinnacles and JTree with spray paint. Much harder to clean.

I saw a chalked X in Eldo last week along the Redgarden trail and thought it was there for some official purpose. I guess not.

A volunteer and I cleaned up the Eldorado Canyon Trail yesterday. Plain old water does the trick.

If you're on a climbing access trail, see an X, and happen to have some extra water in your nalgene, please feel free to do the honors. If a whole bunch show up, PM me - it's interesting. And if you're the maker of the X, please consider dropping me a line if there's a trail issue I should be aware of.

Mike,

Thanks for all the things you do to help keep Eldo awesome!

Seth Jones wrote:So it's cool for climbers to put chalk all over rocks but when someone else does it, we sound the alarm? Who gives a shit? It'll wash off in a couple rains.

these markings are alongside the trail and visable to other user groups

Seth Jones wrote:So it's cool for climbers to put chalk all over rocks but when someone else does it, we sound the alarm? Who gives a shit? It'll wash off in a couple rains.

+1

The problem is that most people associate chalk with climbers. So if they think chalk is being spilled, displayed, used for marking trails, etc., they will think climbers did it.

We should try and keep a low profile everywhere we climb. Of course in Eldo, it's hard not to notice us (and some tourists really enjoy watching people climb) but I've never heard anyone say "I really enjoy all the chalk marks those climbers paint the wall with!"

Actually the worst pollution from climbers in Eldo is noise.... "I'm OFF BELAYYY!" "WHAT???" "I'M OFF BRAD. TAKE ME OFF!!!"

The other day on Wind Tower some guy was repeatedly yelling "HURRY THE F**K UP KEVIN. JESUS!!"

Really unpleasant.

The Blueprint Part Dank wrote: these markings are alongside the trail and visable to other user groups

Are you implying that climbers' chalk is not alongside trails and not visible to other user groups?

John RB wrote:The other day on Wind Tower some guy was repeatedly yelling "HURRY THE F**K UP KEVIN. JESUS!!" Really unpleasant.

hahaha, I've wanted to say that many a time, but bitten my tongue. Kevin's partner maybe should rethink the difficulty of routes they're doing

Belarus= white Russian? ...
I'd be careful washin it off, Putin might give ya a bootin ;)

John RB wrote: "HURRY THE F**K UP KEVIN. JESUS!!"

LMAO! you know theyre good/long climbing partners when they tell someone to hurry the fuck up

Seth Jones wrote:So it's cool for climbers to put chalk all over rocks but when someone else does it, we sound the alarm? Who gives a shit? It'll wash off in a couple rains.

Yeah totally...I mean people that quarry rock use chisels so why can't climbers?! I mean imagine the possibilities. I know I know it is a flimsy analogy but if you can't see how this is pretty different....

Seth Jones wrote:So it's cool for climbers to put chalk all over rocks but when someone else does it, we sound the alarm?

Are you pro graffiti or anti climbing chalk?

Anyway, if climbers also start chalking the names of ex-soviet republics on the routes, some of us are going to object.

Seth Jones wrote: The obvious option IMO is to not worry about chalk that will be gone in a couple rains but god forbid the climbing community stop bitching about trivial BS.

Speaking for myself, I don't really care but a lot of people that have sway in regards to access might.

Seth Jones wrote: I'm anti-hypocrisy but in that regard, I sense that I am part of the minority in the climbing community. Too many climbers run around with this sense of elitism, thinking that being a climber makes them special in some way. Chalk is chalk. If you are going to bitch about it being on rocks, stop using it when you climb on public land. The obvious option IMO is to not worry about chalk that will be gone in a couple rains but god forbid the climbing community stop bitching about trivial BS.

I don't think I'm better than non climbers.. I know I am there needs in regard to eldo are below mine.. plain and simple

Seth Jones wrote:What public multi-use land do people quarry rock from? Does chiseled rock go back to it's previous state after a rain or two? Your analogy is more than flimsy, it's irrelevant.

Okay lets disregards the quarry statement. I should have used logging as an example.

or we could all just dump our chalk bags out on the trail and be like "hey whats the difference, those guys are righting shit in chalk and it will all wash away anyways"

The problem with the chalk tagging along the trail is folks will think it's ok...
From there the next logical step they might think is sharpies or spray paint.
If the behavior is curbed early, then maybe we won't have to deal with that!

I would much rather help Eldo in the way of cleanups of climbers chalk, bolts, trails, and loose blocks then having to try and keep up with tagging and taggers!

I know most are just joking around on this thread.. but give Mike some applause, and help! He is such a awesome resource for us climbers in the park. Done so much for us. It's not like he is just a ranger in the park... I know, we all love to heckle the LEO's!

Seth Jones wrote: Another irrelevant example since logging public land requires a permit. My point is that everyone who uses public land needs to be held to the same rules. Do you think non-climbers care to differentiate climbing chalk from sidewalk chalk?

It is laughable(I actually laughed) that you think that people are held to same rules on public land. And yes non-climber DO differentiate between the two and I am sure that there are many non-climbers that would be bummed to see sidewalk chalk on a trail as well.

Seth Jones wrote: My point is that everyone who uses public land needs to be held to the same rules.

I absolutely disagree with this.

But totally irrelevant. If non-climbers wish to chalk their hands before scrambling, no problem. If they use chalk or paint or anything else to create graffiti, then they should be whipped and thrown in jail.

Although I have to agree that climbers who create graffiti should be held to those same rules too.

To bad it never rains enough anymore to wash anything off ! thanks Mike for cleaning it up.