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j_ung
Jul 28, 2006, 2:09 AM
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The Carolina Climbers Coalition is on a tear. 2005 saw a CCC-inspired letter campaign and fundraisers that conviniced the state of NC to purchase the perpetually access-shaky Rumbling Bald, home to several very high-quality trad lines, boulder problems and even a few sport routes, for the soon-to-be Hickory Nut Gorge State Park. 2006 saw the CCC engineer the most significant access-ensuring crag purchase ever in the US, that of the 1200-ft. Laurel Knob, the single tallest cliff east of the Rockies. And now, the CCC is dipping its toes -- nay! -- its whole leg into yet another access-rich pool... that of Chimney Rock Park.
http://www.savechimneyrock.net/chimneyrockfall.jpg
A mere fraction of the granite at Chimney rock.
Chimney Rock, a private park that has been closed to climbing for years has just gone on the market for $55 million. Relax! The CCC is not trying to buy it. But it is trying to convince the state to buy it and add it to the Hickory Nut Gorge acquisition. As big a deal as Rumbling Bald and Laurel Knob are, this is even bigger. If Chimney Rock is opened to climbing it will instantly become THE destination spot in NC. It's location (45 minutes from Asheville, 105 minutes from Charlotte, 3 hours from Winston-Salem and 4 hours from Raleigh, makes it more accessible to the vast majority of NC climbers than LK and it probably has more cliff surface all together than most of the crags in the state.
And now Todd Morse and family, owners of Chimney Rock, are faithfully negotiating with the state for its purchase.
http://www.savechimneyrock.net/hickorynutfallsbig.jpg
Hickory Nut Falls
Here's where you come in: the CCC humbly requests that you commence writing letters to these kind folks...
Governor Mike Easely
Editors of your local newspapers, if you live in the Carolinas
Director of NC Division of Parks and Recreation
your NC State Representative and Senator
A US Congressperson from NC
Your local city or town
We don't need anybody to wrote a novel. A few sentences urging all parties to keep at the negotiations will suffice.
Currently one can only climb at Chimney Rock with Fox Mountain Guides. But together we can put this phenomenal climbing resource on the your hitlist. Let's open this sucker up. Let's tell NC and Chimney Rock Park that we are behind their negotiating efforts 100%!
I'm one of the few people who have had a chance to actually climb at Chimney Rock Park. I wrote an article for a Charlotte-based magazine and was able to sample the stone legally, as part of my research. I can tell you first hand, it's cherry. This is big.
Go CCC!
http://www.savechimneyrock.net/Needeyeweb.jpghttp://www.savechimneyrock.net/devilheadweb.jpg
And one more photo.
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rock_fencer
Jul 28, 2006, 2:51 AM
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Wow what a great idea. i always look across the gorge when at the bald and am amazed by how much rock there is in the area.
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saxfiend
Jul 28, 2006, 1:23 PM
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Ooooh, that route looks juicy! What's it rated? :D
All kidding aside, this is a great opportunity for NC! I'll fire off some letters.
JL
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j_ung
Jul 28, 2006, 9:38 PM
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Muchas gracia, JL!
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climbinganne
Jul 29, 2006, 3:11 AM
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55M...excuse me if i fart in that general direction
focus people
it is totally unusable land, cept for houses perched...whatever
aint gonna happen - 55M?
our money is spent better here in NC....
that fox fee dont sound so bad after all
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steelhands
Jul 31, 2006, 3:07 AM
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I have been there many times as my wife's aunt owns a "cabin" nearby. I suspect the reason the family is asking 55 million for it is in part because it earns a ton of money every year. Tourist pay 12 or 15 bucks to go up there.
Also, there is an elevator that has been blasted through the rock to take people from the parking lot to the upper level. No doubt it cost a bunch to build. Then you can walk around to the falls, along a wood walkway down to the base. By the way, Chimney Rock was where the movie "Last of the Moheecan's" was filmed. Pretty good flick.
So, it seems that if the state buys it, they will want to make money on it as well. Not a problem for me, I'd pay 15 bucks a day to climb there. I was not a climber the last time I was there but memory tells me that much of the rock visible to the tourist is unclimbable by the average person. There may be tons of stuff that'd be great fun on the back side.
As pretty as it is, I do think it sould be public, if possible.
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j_ung
Aug 1, 2006, 12:28 PM
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FYI: Chimney rock already has several moderate classics. And by "classics," I mean routes that will be so if the rock opens. The highest quality line, according to word of mouth, is a 5.8 that ascneds a crack system up the outside of the same formation that contains the elevator. Speaking of the elevator, though it probably did cost a fortune to build, it was installed in the forties. I don't know what the state would do as far as charging admission, but if they do, it will be the first such park that I know of in NC. I'm under the impression that all the others are free.
I won't blow smoke up your asses. The state can't pay $55 million. It just can't. Right now, there's a huge difference between what the state has budgeted to pay and the asking price. HUGE. Tens-of-millions huge. That's why negotiations are so important. No way are any of us going to give up on this. Yeah the asking price is big big big, but there are several factors in our favor, too. The state is already committed to purchasing and opening Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, which includes Rumbling Bald. They want Chimney Rock, too, and the legislative environment in Raleigh is ripe for this.
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falling_face_first
Aug 20, 2006, 1:49 AM
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I've just gotten started in climbing a few months ago because I work on a ropes course. I used to live in North Carolina right next to Chimney Rock and I used to hike it all the time. I always thought about what it would be like to climb it. That was years ago, now I have an excellent reason to go back and try it if they open it up. I can't wait! :D
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keinangst
Aug 25, 2006, 12:32 PM
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Just curious: Who were the sellers expecting to sell this to? Did they think the state would pony up, or were they assuming some private owner would buy it up?
In any case, the $55MM is a lot of money if you consider it as land alone, but this sounds more like pricing for commercial property. As mentioned above, user fees sound like the norm there...so the price will include BOTH the "value" of the land alone AND the discounted cash flow of the expected fee income in perpetuity (I'm assuming here, this is how it usually goes).
So do we have any more info on the historical performance, headcounts, etc? These things are usually provided to anyone interested in buying the place and will dictate whether $55MM is a fair price or not. Maybe the state will see the possibility and put up some of the money to add the land to Hickory Nut Gorge SP(?) and the SCC/CCC/AF could take care of maintenance and share the cash flows with the state. I'm just throwing out ideas here...$55MM is a huge chunk of change.
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jager
Aug 25, 2006, 12:51 PM
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My Dad, who lives up in asheville said the state has reportedly offered 22 million or so for the land. Hopefully no developers are interested in offering more. Maybe a developer could buy the land and then just sell the actual cliff faces and bases to the state and use the rest of the land to develop.
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iamcolinslack
Aug 30, 2006, 5:40 PM
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Are there any sick AID lines?
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outsider0409
Sep 7, 2006, 3:29 PM
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The state hired an independent appraiser who said the rock was worth 22m and so that's what they offered. Some family members want to sell to the state, while others want to get as much money out of it as possible.
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bri1682
Sep 11, 2006, 10:16 PM
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I hope the state is successful in getting the land. A new place open to the public to climb is always nice.
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cccman
Oct 2, 2006, 7:10 PM
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The state and the owners are still negotiating. State can only pay appraised value by law, BUT, gaps can be filled using $ from outside groups like the Nature Conservancy for example. IF the state gets it, the good news is that this would probably become the focal point for park administration buildings, etc since the infrastructure already exists. Otherwise, they may have to put this stuff over on Rumbling Bald. I personally would prefer it away from the Bald.
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saxfiend
Jan 29, 2007, 4:54 PM
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The deal is going through -- the state is buying Chimney Rock! Here's a link to the story in the Charlotte Observer:
http://www.charlotte.com/...ng_news/16572339.htm
Great news, hope it means we can climb there someday!
JL
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j_ung
Jan 30, 2007, 8:47 PM
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That's right, muthafuckas! Hickory Nut Gorge is is poised to become the premiere trad area in east. Bow down! 
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CLIMBNBIKER
Oct 9, 2007, 6:31 PM
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This thread just kinda died some months back. What's the latest?
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sthcrag510
Oct 9, 2007, 6:49 PM
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sick.... i've always looked over there from the bald and thought that place would be bad ass. I heard rumors that the state bought it but i didn't know it was true. This is great news. When will it open up to climbers?
(This post was edited by sthcrag510 on Oct 10, 2007, 2:16 AM)
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ja1484
Oct 9, 2007, 7:48 PM
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There are times when I say I'd rather live in Carolina than Yosemite.
A lot of the time, I mean it.
God I love the CCC.
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charley
Oct 9, 2007, 10:20 PM
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ja1484 wrote: There are times when I say I'd rather live in Carolina than Yosemite. A lot of the time, I mean it. God I love the CCC.
If that is so, I hope you have joined the organization. They do alot of good down there. I like the beer cousy.
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clemsonscooby
Oct 10, 2007, 5:02 PM
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Fox Mountain Guides has access to Chimney Rock right now. You just have to to get instruction of some kind from them to climb it.
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forkliftdaddy
Oct 10, 2007, 6:48 PM
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Yah. Adam's a great guy and I'd suspect he'd love to take you in a show you the sights. Might be FAs to be done....
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sthcrag510
Oct 10, 2007, 7:16 PM
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So fox mountain guides still are the only ones with access. I guess it'll awhile before its open to all climbers. Probably won't happen until the state park is opened or something... hopefully it happens soon. I see huge potential for FA's
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