As we consider how to respond to this summer's anonymous acts committed against the trail system at Mill, there is one thing each and every one of us can do, and that's support the Access Fund. For those unfamiliar with it, the Access Fund is a national climbing advocacy organization that works on behalf of all climbers to maintain and obtain access to climbing areas. The Access Fund has been in existence since 1991. It is well-organized and has numerous resources to assist climbers whose local areas are at risk of closure, or otherwise threatened. The Fund also supports conservation efforts, and joined with the Bitterroot Climbers Coalition and the Montana Conservation Corps for trail maintenance in Blodgette during August of last year as reported here.
As with any crisis it's easy to feel disconnected when it happens somewhere "out there." But now we are looking at a threat to our own resources and climbs in the Bitterroot. The Access Fund may very well play a significant role in our ability to keep climbing available at the North Rim in the years to come.
I just renewed my membership. I encourage everyone to consider joining, renewing, or offering some kind of support. In doing so, you well help preserve climbing both throughout the country, and here at home. A $35 annual membership, or whatever you can afford, is a step toward ensuring that the North Rim at Mill Creek continues to be a destination we can all enjoy.
Access Fund Web Site: http://www.accessfund.org/
-Ken Turley
