Mt. Magazine is historic climbing area and the highest point in Arkansas. This past February it was struck by a devastating ice storm that felled many trees along the bluff line. So after a few quick phone calls and some posts to social media, the Arkansas Climbers Coalition had a plan to get some work done. Within a couple of weeks we sharpened the chainsaws and headed west.
We found that many of the old cedar trees along the bluff line had broken off in the storm and some even dangled precariously over the climbing routes. Most of the trail was completely covered with fallen limbs and trees.
Many large trees were even uprooted and tipped over with the weight of the ice during the storm.
But good chainsaw skills soon cleared a path.
The entire day while we cut away on the southside, the park service was fighting a small forest fire on the other side. It made for a very interesting drive home that evening.
Just a few weeks later we returned to Mt. Magazine for a planned work day with the Access Fund and Leave No Trace. The Access Fund Conservation Team was visiting Arkansas for a second time to do some major improvements.
Not only were we looking at old hardware in need of replacement, but the big project was rebuilding the approach trail to the base of the crag.
We signed up volunteers...
and got to work!
Moving rocks all day to create new staircases and improve the trail.
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