Minnesota Breaking News
New Climbers Parking Lot and Trail Now Open at Ely's Peak, MN (10/11/2007)
By Kaija Webster; Access Fund Regional Coordinator, Minnesota
A new parking lot and trail at Ely’s Peak were created to help minimize conflicts between climbers and the landowner near the traditional parking area. The Access Fund helped fund the project with a generous Climbing Preservation Grant. Additional funding came from the City of Duluth and the Minnesota Climbers’ Association (MCA). Climber volunteers from around the region contributed their time to build the trail.
A volunteer day and ribbon cutting for the new lot will start at noon on Sunday, October 14. The MCA will provide free food for the event and climbing at Ely's will take place after the crews are finished.
Climbers can find the new lot off of Becks Road, 2.2 miles from the I-35 Midway Road exit. It's only a 7-minute hike from the parking lot to the climbing.
Ely’s Peak Update, MN (05/15/2007)
By Kaija Webster, Access Fund RC
Climbers visiting the Ely's Peak climbing area near Duluth, Minnesota should be aware of recent access issues at the crag. The owner of the private land on the north side of the Munger Trail has been having cars towed if they are parked near his driveway access on the south of the Munger Trail. The same landowner is very unhappy about climbers and hikers taking the traditional trail to Ely's which runs through his private property. Anyone hiking to the base of Ely's Peak should park on the public land side of the parking area and use the new climber's access trail.
For details and a map of where to park and where to hike, go to the Trip Reports section of the forum, Ely's Peak thread, at www.minnesotaclimbing.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=8.
In response to the land owners concerns, the City of Duluth, the DNR and the Access Fund have worked together with climbers to block off trails that lead to private land and to more clearly sign the area. Regional climbers came together on very short notice to help make the service day happen early in the season.
Nice work! Photos of the service day can be found at www.umdrsop.org/climbing/photos/elys_service_day/index.htm
And just to be clear, the climbs at Ely's Peak and the new access trail are entirely on public land and the City of Duluth has been very supportive of climbers continuing to use the area for climbing.
In Other News:
The Access Fund hosted its fourth annual Regional Climbers Forum on April 28 at the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Expo in Minneapolis, MN. There was a great turn out of climbers from Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For a summary of what was discussed at the forum, go to www.minnesotaclimbing.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=8 under the General Climbing thread.