Big Trees in Cali

Sequoia Climb

This weekend I am heading up to the Kings Canyon area where I hear there are some Sequoias for me to climb.

What do you all know about how I might get up in some trees. I am thinking about leaving the bigshot home, because I hear that it's a dead giveaway of what you're doing, and that it looks like a weapon to ignorant rangers.

Any tips? We are going to get off the path by a mile or two before we start climbing anything.

love
nick

I'd like to refire up this thread with an emphasis on gaining access.

I have climbed redwoods in the past up near Eureka off the Avenue of the Giants. It is easy there because you can pull over, get away from the road and away from any trails, then be left to your own devices.

As stated in the last post, I went to Kings Canyon/Sequoia area to scout out some tree climbing opportunities. Let's just say I didn't like what I saw. First off, the trees were GORGEOUS!!!!! Magnificant, huge, climable and is glorious locations. The prob: there is an extensive trail system set up and it's hard to get to a tree somewhere where you'd not be seen while climbing.

I talked to some of the people in the Visitors Center and it seems that there is no set policy for climbing....which means that there is hope. They said to call back and ask for the head ranger (who was off that weekend) and he could help further. I guess I should make that call tomorrow.

I don't mind climbing trees in the view of others. I only mind it if I'm doing it illegally. Keep in mind that I started out climbing rocks, which is always done in plain view. If the ranger says, "yes you can climb, but we don't want you tromping all over off trail" then so be it. I will climb a tree that is a few feet off the trail.

I also know that you can get "Back country passes" that allow one to hike and camp in areas other than the pre-fabbed camp grounds. Might this be the ticket? I am not sure. It seems that the "back country area" is HUGE and the areas with sequoia groves are limited and have, like I said, a bunch of trails set up all over.

So can you all help? Any advice? Anyone tried this before? I'd like to officially open up this area to climbing. I'd like to find several great trees so that when someone says, "you know, I want to climb one of the biggest trees in the world" I can tell them where, or I can take them myself. I want to see the world from the top.

I'll call the head ranger tomorrow if I get a change.

love
nick

I've never climbed on the West Coast, but someday I'd love to scale the tallest trees in the world. It would be great to do it legally; Nick, you deserve the support of all tree climbers when you discuss this with the head ranger out there.

The only piece of advice I can give you -- based on my dealings with state rangers in Georgia who usually have been either supportive of what we do or at least have commented that they have no specific laws against tree climbiers (as long as we leave the spikes at home and don't harm the trees) -- is to act professional when you talk with the head ranger.

A good friend who happens to be a very liberal lawyer type, once commented that "the more liberal you are, the more conservative you need to dress and talk if you want the jury to accept your argument."

Bill, your advice is heeded. I think the first step is to find out who the decision maker is over there.

When I was in college, I was an RA, which meant I was like the Park Ranger of the Dorms. The law there was more or less, "The RAs won't bother you unless you give us a reason to."

I am hoping that I will find similar mentality with the park rangers. They let me climb, I won't break trees, throw things at passersby, be noisy and all that other bad stuff.

I hope to talk to the boss, maybe offer to take them climbing so they can see what it's all about. Yes. Demeanor is the key. As in, da meaner you seem, the less likely you'll get what you want.

love
nick

Here is a scan of a map that I got as we were LEAVING. I had a much more crude map when we were hiking/scouting the area. Afterward, I went to the visitor center and explained the crappiness of the map they initially gave me (which was in a 15.00 book that I bought. At that point they said, "oh, you might like this one better, " when they handed me the map I now am showing you, which cost 2.50, shows ALL trails on one map (the book is divided up into all these sections), has contour lines, and is way more zoomed in that what we initially had.

Anyway, looking at the map, the red lines are the trails. The darker green is where the Sequoia groves are. The purple dot is the spot, more or less, where I think you can be furthest from any trail. Thing is, that from that purple dot, you are no longer than 3/8ths of a mile to any of the nearby trails.

It was my initial intent to find a trail, hike on it for a while, then go off trail a mile or two, then find the right tree there. This is not possible. They've got trails all over!

So I am at the point where I feel like I can't try to do this behind the scenes. I will likely get "caught" if I try it out in the open so I might as well seek clearance before hand.

Check out the map. It's a big file, but you can see it clearly.

love
nick

Click here for Sequoia Map

So should I wear the "Get High" shirt when I go talk to the head ranger?!

love
nick

Nick,

My policy in the local NF is to park very near the trail head, then walk off oppisite of the trail!

I wear a confused look, and keep my map and gps in the bag until I'm out of sight off trail. Now where I do this there is no law against it, but I try to avoid attention.

As far as being seen, I've been MILES off trail and had a pair of kids on an ATV pull up and try to steal my pack which I had left at the base of the tree. I don't think there is anyplace in the continental US that has not been seen by someone at some point in time. Most of the time it has been a drunk litterbug too!

Climb Safe!

Keep in touch. Perhaps it is time for my trip to cali

Great point, Icabod. And, if it's in California the litterbugs are not only drunk but probably stoned -- leaving their wadded up rolling papers all over the ground.

Honestly, just yesterday I hiked with Joe along the banks of a nearby scenic river in search of good climbing trees. The locals had trashed the place so bad -- BIG piles of beer and soft drink cans, old washing machines and dryers, and a sofa that had the stuffing beat out of it -- that I would be embarassed to take other climbers to the great hemlock we found. And, to top it off, when we returned to our parking site someone had illegally killed a doe deer and had left it laying in tall grass just a few yards from Joe's truck. I guess they figured we wouldn't see it and they could come back and pick it up after we were gone.

Among the many good things I like about most of my fellow treeclimbers is the fact that we respect the wilderness and almost never leave any trash behind that could ruin someone else's enjoyment of the great outdoors. As one Sierra Club publication puts it: "Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints." And, hopefully, the footprints are very small and will quickly fade away.

http://www.lnt.org/

Climb clean. That's my motto.

I like the idea of wearing the stupid look on your face, Cam. I've got to remember that one. Oh, and save your trip to Cali until I figure out where the big climbable Sequoias are.

The prob in Seq/Kings Canyon is that it is very well designed, planned, built, and maintained. A long time ago some smart folks wandered the sequoia groves there, found all the good trees, then set up the trail system so that hikers could enjoy all the great trees. It it this mentality that makes me want to not stray too far from the trail. I like the idea of climbing, with permission, maybe a quarter mile from the trail.

When I get this figured out, you're all invited to climb and camp in the Seqoia's with me. But no promises yet. You never know what Ranger Joe is gonna say.

love
nick

For the record, the "stupid look" is a well practiced art, and not a naturally occuring phenomonon.

I feel sorry that you have found such a spot and can't walk away off trail. That is why I like the "wilderness area" designation that the FS has placed in several forested areas in the not too distant area. I love to grab my maps and plot a course, off trail, and then grab my gps, compass, ropes, and sense of adventure and "take a hike"

I haven't often climbed when doing this, but my favorite trees have been found this way. I just located a pair of 100'+ poplars,70' or so apart, on either side of a steep valley. They look like sentinals, and just the SIGHT of them gave me goose bumps. I could imagine a mystical gate between them and a land of promise beyond. I'll be climbing there soon!

I just spoke with a gentleman at the Park named Tom Banks. He said the the Superintendants Composium says that we can't climb there. His first questions was if I would be using spikes.

He will be sending me copies of of the paperwork he has. I hope there's a loophole!

I've reached a point of no return. Up until now, I could have just climbed, then claimed ignorance if I ever got busted. Now they know my name and address. If I get busted, they will KNOW I knew better.

Wish me luck!

love
nick

Tom just called me and told me that climbing IS allowed in the park, provided that trees are not damaged, climbing is done out of view of hikers, and SEQUOIA trees are not climbed.

There a lot of other great trees to climb there....but no Sequoias.

Tom said he put a call in to the National Forest Service to see if there is climbing allowed of the sequoias in the National Forest (which is different from Nat. Parks)

love
nick

This link is straight from the US Forest Service web site...

http://www.fs.fed.us/treeclimbing/photos/workshops/dorena-june-2000/view/96/

So I guess they are not full-blown anti-climbing in their parks. Now just refine it and figure out the rest, huh?!

love
nick

http://www.fs.fed.us/treeclimbing/photos/workshops/dorena-june-2000/view/99/

I know a lot of people might not be "in" to this thread...but I'm kinda using it to keep track of my own progress, too.

So the latest scoop is that climbing Sequoias IN the park is not allowed, but maybe climbing in the nearby national forest MIGHT be allowed. This link shows a map of the area. The purple area is where I looked last time I was there. Inside the blue circle is an area where there are sequoias that I MIGHT be able to climb...

Click here to see another map

love
nick