On June 4, 50 volunteers joined Mid Atlantic Climbers for the final stewardship project of the spring season at Carderock Recreation Area, where they worked on trail mulching and maintenance in a fitting observance of National Trails Day. After trail work was done, volunteers celebrated a great day of work and a successful spring season with a barbecue hosted by Earth Treks Climbing Centers and featuring raffle prizes from MAC’s many other generous sponsors.
Despite a few chilly and rainy spring days, so far this year nearly 130 climbers have volunteered at Adopt a Crag events, helping to care for climbing areas in three different states. Volunteers have collectively spent over 400 hours on trail maintenance, graffiti removal, trail building, facility upkeep, and other tasks at and around the climbing areas at Mt. Gretna/Governor Dick, Harper’s Ferry, Rocks State Park, and Coopers Rock. More often than not, volunteers have stuck around after completion of their projects to enjoy the climbing and the company at the crags they have helped maintain, reaping the benefits of some unseasonably cool sending temps on more than one occasion.
Throughout the season, the land managers of these areas continue to be impressed by and appreciative of the climbing community’s commitment to caring for the crags and the parks which house them. MAC is very proud of its volunteers for their commitment to reducing the impact of climbing on our natural resources and for helping to preserve access and resources for the enjoyment of the entire climbing community. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our volunteers, to all of the land managers who have worked with us to organize these events, and to our sponsors who have provided their generous support to our efforts.