Black Hills Climbing Coalition
April 2006 Newsletter
Editor—Bruce B. Junek
Bruce Junek and Tass Thacker will be giving their Volcanoes of the World slide program 7:30 pm, Sunday, April 23 at the Dahl Fine Arts Center in Rapid City. The program will feature volcanoes they have climbed in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, plus rock climbing in the Black Hills, Devils Tower and throughout the southwestern US, along with photos of wildlife and people. $8 adults/$4 kids under 12. This show normally sells out so call the Dahl at 394-4101 to reserve tickets. If you buy a membership to the Access Fund during the program, half the money will go to the BHCC.
The Black Hill’s own Dawn Glanc, ice picks flying and crampons biting, blazed her way to an impressive fifth place (and top American woman) in the speed climbing event at the annual Ouray Ice Climbing Festival in Colorado. Dawn now works as a guide for the American Alpine Institute, (she was featured as Miss January in their newsletter) and has been spending lots of time on big mountains, including Denali. We are hoping to get Dawn back to the Black Hills this fall to give a slide program of her adventures.
Sue Scheirbeck, the founder and long time owner of Granite Sports sold her Hill City climbing store in January to a local investment group. Store manager Laura Watson says Granite Sports plans to continue providing climbers with a wide variety of the best products and gear for climbing, camping and enjoying the outdoors. The store has remained open through the winter. The official Grand Opening celebration for the new owners will be May 19-21. Meanwhile, a visibly relaxed Sue plans to take some well-deserved time off.
Sylvan Rocks Climbing School and Guide Service also has new owners – local climbers Daryl and Cheryl Stisser of Custer. “We look forward to continuing to support the climbing community by providing high quality lessons and guiding,” Daryl said. Look for their new trailer at your favorite climbing area, and stop in and say hi. Daryl and Cheryl have just returned from Zion where they received first aid training through the Wilderness Response program. Congratulations and good luck on your new business!
SIGN THE REGISTERS WHEN CLIMBING AT RUSHMORE
Duane Martenson, Mike Cronin, Brent Kertzman and Bruce Junek met recently with officials from Mount Rushmore National Memorial to update annual permits for replacing old bolts and anchors on rock climbing routes within the park boundary. During the meeting it was discussed how the park service and BHCC could work together to make more people aware of the rock climbing available in the park, as most visitors to the park don’t think of Rushmore as a place for recreational activities. Yet Rushmore has a history of rock climbing that started in 1936 when Fritz Weissner first climbed Olton’s Shoulder.
The park service has built sign-in kiosks, where rock climbers can list the areas they are climbing and numbers in their group. Some climbers have been reluctant to sign registers, believing the park will shut down access if too many climbers are listed. The park staff and the BHCC say that is not true, and want to encourage climbers to always sign the registers.
The park service views registers like documentation. It gives the Park Service the authority to work better with climbers as a legitimate and historical user-group. With the increase in bouldering at Mt Baldy the park service is now considering a fourth sign-in kiosk for that area. The BHCC hopes to encourage boulderers to also sign in at the kiosks. Signing the register is like casting a vote, it says that you value the resource for climbing, and want access to climbing to continue in the park!