ACCESS ISSUES

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-Allen Spur

-Hyalite Canyon (Winter Ice Climbing Access)

-Bozeman Pass

Allen Spur notice (4/04/07):

Montana Climbers,

In 2004, after many years of closure, the Allen Spur climbing crag was reopened. The reestablishment of climbing at Allen Spur came after much hard work by SMCC members who negotiated an easement with landowners, surveyed the trail location and constructed trails to the crag. Now, less than 3 years later, closure of the crag is once again possible.

Recently, a few careless individuals have been accessing the crag via routes other than those built and maintained by SMCC. In other words, they are trespassing in order to make their hike shorter. This is a strict violation of the easement agreement SMCC has with landowner Hilda Harper. If this activity continues, landowners will have little choice but to once again close the crags.

The climbing access at Allen Spur is simple.

1) Park only at Carter Bridge fishing access. For the month of April, 2007 the Montana FWP will be doing construction to expand the Carter Bridge access site. Please do not block construction machinery during that time.

2) After parking, walk north on the gravel road marked 'private drive'. Continue walking until you pass a small culvert. Turn right, after the culvert, onto a marked climbers trail. Follow the trail along a fence line, cross a gravel road and continue uphill past several switch-backs. You will then be on BLM land where the trail turns south and continues to the climbing areas.

Despite rumors to the contrary, this is the only legal climbing access to Allen Spur crags. DO NOT drive on the gravel road beyond Carter Bridge access. DO NOT access the crags by 'shortcutting' straight to the crags from East River Road. Both of these routes require trespassing across private land. Those who choose to trespass run the risk of arrest and may also cause landowners to close the area once and for all.

If you see or know of someone who insists on violating SMCC's easement agreement you should tell them to stop, report them to authorities, or send their names out to this email list and let 200+ pissed-off climbers have a crack at them.

A map showing access at Allen Spur in detail is available for download at:

http://cobalt.rocky.edu/~geology/allen_spur_access.pdf

If you have further questions, please ask. Thanks for your help.

-Tom Kalakay

Hyalite Canyon (Winter Ice Climbing Access)

Update (3/28/07):

We have all been anxiously waiting for the results of our appeal to 
the Region 1 Forester concerning the Gallatin Travel Management Plan, 
and how it affects access to the ice in Hyalite Canyon.

As reported in March 21st Bozeman Chronicle, all appeals were denied. 
Truth be told, this was not unexpected since rarely do the Regional 
decisions reverse the Supervisor despite the strength of any appeal.

However, on March 14th the SMCC met again with the Gallatin Forest 
supervisors, recreation planner, and engineer to discuss the points 
of our appeal. Of all 112 appellants, which includes motorized users, 
green groups, and other recreation user groups, I think we were the 
only ones granted additional meetings with the Forest Service before 
the release of the Regional Forester’s decision.

At this meeting the Forest Supervisor offered a 4-point proposal that 
we accepted (also covered in the Chronicle, March 15th):

1) The Gallatin Forest has agreed to institute a long-term priority 
to plow the Hyalite Road beyond the Blackmore Campground, at least to 
the Chisholm Campground (E. Fork Hyalite Road) area and possibly 
further. Doing so may require upgrades to the road at some point.

2) Work with ice climbers and other groups to determine "standards" 
for when it would be appropriate to gate the road. This does not mean 
just changing the date to after Jan. 1, but actively managing and 
identifying poor driving conditions under which the road could be 
closed -- and reopened if conditions improved. As a result, some 
years the road might be closed in January and others it might be 
March. It also means working to develop a lot of other alternatives, 
like signage warning drivers about the conditions of the road, public 
education, and gate designs to name just a few.

3) They (the Forest Service) intend to move the "snowmobile 
alternative" route. Instead of starting at Moser Cr. (near Langhor 
Campground) and circling around the East side of Hyalite, they will 
designate a route leaving from Blackmore (the dam) and going around 
the west side of the Hyalite Reservoir. This is a much more logical 
and direct route, assuming the plowing reaches Blackmore.

4) The Forest Service will hold off implementing the part of the 
travel plan affecting ice climbers until #2 and #3 above are in place.

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What does this mean for (getting to) the ice climbing in Hyalite?

This is a great step in the right direction. The SMCC is very 
interested in working with the FS and other groups to keep the 
Hyalite Road as accessible as possible, for as long as possible into 
the winter. And we're glad to hear that the Forest Service wants to 
work with us and the other groups to the same end. If the goal of 
plowing a long way into Hyalite is achieved, all of the recreational 
user groups will benefit from the increased access.

We have agreed to not file for judicial review as long as the good 
faith conversations and negotiations are moving forward between 
climbers and the Forest Service on the 4-part proposal. We will not, 
however, withdraw our appeal prior to an acceptable settlement. We 
have built a strong administrative record and have reserved the right 
to petition the federal courts and contest the travel plan should 
discussions with the Forest Service fail.

The short-term solution of public education, signage, and standards 
for when the road will be closed will take considerable effort, time 
and money.

A longer term ideas we are also pursuing are to elevate Hyalite to 
National or Public Recreation Area status, perhaps the nation's first 
for an ice climbing venue, and improving and plowing the road all the 
way to Grotto Falls Parking Lot. Pursuing this will be costly and 
time-consuming, but could result in a permanent solution with vastly 
improved access season long.

Thanks for your help and support on the Hyalite Road issue. Lending 
your voices in the newspaper, to our elected officials, on 
montanaice.com, and to other climbers and non-climbers are what has 
made the difference in this campaign. It is not over yet, not by a 
long shot, but we are through the first crux.

Gallatin National Forest Travel Plan -

The Forest Service has released its Travel Plan for the Gallatin National Forest, including Hyalite Canyon. Unfortunately, the plan has not worked out well for ice climbers.  Even though earlier the Forest Service had indicated that they wanted to plow to Chisholm Campground and leave the road open after Chisholm, this is not what is indicated in the final decision.  The final plan calls for plowing the road only to the Blackmore parking area, and gating the road there on January 1 of each year. 

While we can understand not plowing the entire distance (plowing is expensive!), climbers do not understand gating the road at that point.  We feel misled and let down by Gallatin Forest planners.ers do not understand gating the road at that point. We feel mislead and let down by the Galltin Forest Planners.

Take a look at this topic in the Hyalite Canyon Forum for info,

and add your own thoughts on the travel plan at this topic.

Detailed maps of the travel plan are available at the Gallatin Nat'l Forest Website.

Bozeman Pass

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A large land conservation project involving over 2000 acres has been underway on the Pass for the past few years. The project will protect a critical wildlife corridor and provide new access points to public lands. The project will also directly benefit the climbing community

..
 

Without the conservation project the long-term prospects for climbing on Bozeman Pass are not good. The popular climbing area on the north side of I-90 is entirely on private land. Most of the crags on the south side, including Frog Rock, are situated on public land, but access to the rock is across private land. Parking for all of the climbing is along I-90, and the Montana Department of Transportation has stated unequivocally that it will eventually curtail use of the present parking areas for safety reasons. In short, future climbing on the Pass is at risk.

The conservation project, once completed, will secure permanent access for climbers who wish to enjoy the limestone crags on both the north and south sides of I-90. The climbing area on the north side of I-90 will become public land administered by the Gallatin National Forest. Plans call for the development of a new parking area, a trail allowing permanent public access to the crags, and cooperative management of the area for climbing. Another new trail will provide public access to Frog Rock and other crags on the south side of I-90.

NEW ACCESS TO NORTH SIDE BOZEMAN PASS!  See Map.