Thank Goodness for Good Weather
Hot off the heels of last month’s epic Rockfest 2011, Mid-Atlantic Climbers enjoyed beautiful weather Saturday May 7th at the first ever Adopt-a-Crag at the Ilchester Crag in Patapsco State Park.
Twenty-five volunteers came together and scoured the hillside beneath the cliff, removing a ton of broken glass and trash. Not content with this, volunteers then trekked down to Bloede’s Dam and up Hilltop Road for more; finding such gems as a car door, a filthy mattress and creepy children’s toys.
Where and What is Ilchester?
Located just outside of Ellicott City, Ilchester is a popular after work spot. And its preeminent route, Blue Rose 5.8+ is a classic sandbag that is famous in the DC area for spitting people off. Unfortunately, the same accessibility is what has lured late-night partiers, trash dumpers and weak-sauce grafitti ‘artists’ to the cliff.
So Why are Climbers Picking Up Trash?
Events like this are a way for the climbing community to show Patapsco State Park and other land managers that climbers invested in the outdoor resource. It helps to establish a positive relationship between the park and our user group.
Mid Atlantic Climbers would like to thank our sponsors: Earth Treks and Osprey, our team leaders and of course, everyone who gave up a morning of climbing to give back to the community.!