bouldering on the knob AT 20011

 karmi and i found the end of the 2011 farming on mckafees knob in va. after a six month run of rain we caught a 7 day vacation with perfect weather we met some cool folks and caught a sesh with a v5 top out .

 karmi kick ass and was more fun than barrel of monkeys .

 seemed to be the place to sleep

 classic v1 white arrow problem

 ero style v4

 the zoloft boulder

 camp site warm up boulder

 sunset sends

and always the best view great trip great time great year!

urban recreation and farming

 after a full year of urban farming we have learned much about tending our ghetto garden.

 paqarina farm began in a forgotten corner of south akron. our low budget was a key to turning this inner city plot into a operational farm. recycled re-purposed  and repossessed we used what at hand and purchased little. 

 we kept bees to help us pollinate& they inspired our work ethic.

 thanks to our friends at AAA plowing we got old timeee with our plowing and entertained the locals.

karmi James and myself worked hard all season long missing many days of climbing, surfing ,running,swimming and sleep but it was all worth it in the end. here we are at the farmers market in highland square.and as a reward the universe has given us the opportunity to expand the farm in to the cuyahoga valley national park. as seen above

ERIE TALES beach 11

 Ya dont have to go to ocean to catch a wave. LAKE ERIE is home to some of the finest fresh water surf in this region. being the shallowest  of the great lakes  makes this a prime spot for quick wave development. monster waves pop up after an hour or so of strong wind, this is bad for boaters but good for fresh water surf kooks! 

 Presque island is not in north east ohio but as with many cool things you have to leave ohio to get to them. recreation in ohio is a super pain in the ass made worse by unenlightened  park management. THANK GOD FOR LAKE ERIE!!!!! i would probably be angry pasty fat and white if it were not for our lake i am still fat and white however. 

 leaving ohio is not mandatory to surf because the buckeye state is home to some fine beaches like the one pictured below lake hurst is private but if ya know kenny (pictured above ) you be treated to all the surf beta youll ever need.

 beach 11 lite house this has got be the best way to get in to the line up with out having to work for it. just walk to the end wait for a wave jump in front of it and walla you surfing!!!!  what are you waiting for numb nut?!!! GO GET WET!

Impact!! Akron gorge

 after 25 years of climbing much of it in north east ohio my frustration over the limited access in my region has reached a boiling point. how many more years will we have to hide from the rangers ? why should we hide? our crime is recreation on public lands that happen to have a policy that is based in the logic of those who find pollution acceptable on all sides of the park yet a person who would immerse them selfs  in nature  ie swimmers climbers boaters  mtn bikers  are strictly prohibited  from connecting with the environments  we love!

 this dam is a prime example of the hypocrisy's at work they may tear this down in 18 months but the scar it will leave is going to huge and no you are not permitted to boat this grand water!

 along the glenn trail is a large collection of marginal cliff faces about 10% would be serviceable  .

 this is currently what the gorge looks like .water filled with garbage and run off contamination this is ok? but climbing here is not ok? a statement a ranger gave to me when i asked this was" keeping all people out of here is how we will keep it from being trashed" this is reverence to the east bank were most of the viable rock is. conservation area signs cloud the vista of what could be the most beautiful spot in akron!  right now its covered in contamination left behind from a coal burning power plant (AEP)
 we also are told that the endangered monks hood is being cloned and transplanted in this toxic stew then the plant are sold to the cleveland zoo. so they dont want any body to ruin this cash cow..Climber shouldn't be their concern. these imbalances should be addressed and in fact are! thanks to the NEOCC and theAkron Bouldering Co op the park is now hearing our concerns we shall see how they respond.

Akron Gorge access odessy

 Just to be clear the is still a Ban on climbing in summit county metro parks. even with the Neocc efforts to gain Access  to parks and land that belong to the metro park that SERVE summit county well the climbing community of summit has been treated and viewed as a subversive element  of park users. WE ARE NOT THAT!

 we  have packed out multiple bags of garbage with out looking for thanks or payment just access the truth of the matter is we as a climbing community are in partnership with the Metro park as stewards (the park system does not yet recognize  this YET)  

 Much of the problem is with the parks insurance policy which may be seriously out dated and not in line with metro parks that do allow so called high risk activity's such as climbing to occur in their parks. the concerns of a possible death or injury is a valid one but climbing is an assumed risk! the park is not liable and not responsible if a climber is injured (except if the insurance policy the park carries has a permit only policy. this a way for insurance company's fleece our parks out of more $ and the effect is a park that you can only picnic and hike in. the park is now aware of this fact and aware of our presence and have indicated they will ticket those who are not following park policy! However they have also put their policy on the table and have given us the opportunity to prove we  are not some lawless desperado's   with no respect for the parks authority.  and we must also prove we have the environmental impact of what we do in mind when we set out to recreate in our park multiple endangered plants an reptilians find their home in the Gorge so we must take care and be aware of the what damage our presence may bring. we may have trespassed in the past but there no malicious  intent. in fact we only wish to bring this beautiful area to attention of all Akron residents so they Know whats at stake . currently areas off limit are contaminated and filled with garbage and this  should not be a issue for residents of akron to aspect reasonable access  we will en devour put together a concise report and impact study that will help bring the park up to the standard with metro parks throughout the country. and help make the Akron gorge an example for other ohio parks to follow.   

 as avid outdoors people we have respect and concern for the enviorment that bring us so much joy!    we Now have the opportunity to prove this to the park officials that we are allies in their quest to preserve and protect the gorge but we require  access  if none  is given  then there is nothing for us to respect. so long story short all local climbers should avoid climbing at the gorge for now.

but Akron locals are encouraged to contact the Metro parks serving summit county and ask them when they will update their access plan and what you can do to help them bring it into this century.  nuff said fer now  we love our parks and  will prove it!

whisky rebellion 2011

 we in the Buckeye state have a responsibility to rebel against policy's and laws that dont truly represent the populous! recreations or distillation. If the laws delay ohio residents will refuse to stay! 

Rebel yell! north east ohio climbing revolution

the crew of the Akron bouldering co op and the NEOCC have teamed up again to gain access for climbers to chippewa creek and other great climbing areas in the  cleveland metro parks

 read about the difficulty's  that face ohio climbers in ruff guide 76

where were you?  some of the ohio climbers show at the metro park meeting but a great many no shows is  indicative of why its been so hard to gain access up until now. this event sponcered by the Metro was a attempt to reach out to park users and get feed back. a step in the right direction to say the least. they also supplied cookies juice i partook of them all and got a belly ache it was a great time all things considered.