PATC Monthly Meeting in Vienna

I privileged to attend our parent organization, the PATC's monthly meeting in Vienna, last night and every 2nd Tuesday of the month.(same building, same room)

-The meeting covered many important access issues 2 of which impact the PMC.
-There were 28 attendees from as far as Annapolis and Fredricksburg.
-These meeting are tape recorded and transcribed to a permanent volume and then condensed for PATC newsletter.
-They give a monthly finance report that wasn't available this month.
-The PATC has 6508 members that does not include the PMC.
-The PATC website will undergo a front side and backside makeover. It was good that our webmaster was on hand to be included in a steering committee and teleconference this month.
-I discussed the possibility of having NEW members and renewals performed on-line on the PATC website. (MAYBE THAT WOULD GET EVERYONE TO SEND IN THEIR RENEWALS IF THEY HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY.)
THE LISTSERVER doesn't like attachments, so this is my 2nd try with the link below.

• CRESCENT ROCKS Raven Rocks UPDATE: I me the District Manager of the Northern Virgina AT from Harper's Ferry to Lyndon: Chris Brunton from the Blackburn Center. We poured over the maps for the area we climbed at LAST SUNDAY and went over the history of the area and the current issues that affect access on Raven Rocks Road ( RT.601). There was a fire years ago, set by fun loving teens with beer who ruined access for everyone. The gate used to be further up the gravel road and 20-30 cars could fit there at some point but the trash and the fact that some young punk got himself killed by falling from the tower didn't help access much, so the gate was moved to where it is today. The tower is owned by MCI. The NO PARKING SIGNS were erected by WVDOT so they are the real McCoy. Furthermore, parking is possible there because someone ripped out the NO PARKING signs. He all but discourages parking there even though the approach from there is 1/2 mile. The official published access for the AT is on Route 7 which is a 2.5 hump to the crag; much like from the parking lot at Frankenstein to Arathusa Falls...YUK....whatever. I am going to contact MCI and see if the PMC couldn't rent the use of the KEY to the GATE for club trips. Fairfax high schools and a number of other organizations bus climbing parties to the gate in the summer for climbing classes while the bus driver drives around BFE for a few hours.
• BULL RUN MOUNTAIN UPDATE: The dispute between the land owners and the PATC is nearly a done deal. When the smoke finally clears there will be access from the building/parking lot there at 66 (well sorta, you know by the Mill that burned down by more fun loving teens with beer) clear to route 50-a distance of 17 miles. SO, Bull run mountain will be accessible for climbing again. I have climbed there a number of time then there were access issues.
• ANNAPOLIS ROCKS UPDATE: there is an issue described in the attached solution document which offers alternatives to smooth out the access trail to Annapolis rocks which goes briefly on private property. read link below http://www.patc.net/chapters/mtn_sect/pdf%20files/Annapolis%20Rocks%20Access.pdf
• USBUDGETLANDSALES by the Bush Administration to subsidize rural schools, which were once funded by federal government offering a bonus to these schools for having military children attend, they phased that out and replaced it with timber sales; that industry is in decline so now Uncle Sam wants to sell off land to continue to fund these schools at the expense of recreational land. Very bad.
  

All in ALL, this meeting made me appreciate the people we have in the PATC and recognize the very important work they do for the climbers, hikers and the public altogether. check out the cabin rental system on the AT for use by PATC members, an even better reason to also have a membership in the PATC. They are aware of Shenandoah issue and the Great Falls issues.

Vincent Penoso