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roninthorne
Aug 28, 2004, 12:24 AM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2002
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Like so many other climbing/bouldering areas in the U.S., Gum Run has been discovered by land developers, who promptly chopped a road into the ridgeline adjacent to the farther bouldering/TR areas with little or no regard for their proximity to National Forest habitat or the effects of massive disruption and erosion on the same.
Well, 9/11 came and the market went boom and things got kinda quiet for a while... but the almighty dollar and real estate agents' eternal quest to pave and parcel every square acre of land remaining unsold or divided in America have reared their ugly heads once more, and it is the local taxpayers and the visiting lovers of the forest who must bear the brunt of the damage.
The road descending from the top of Rawley Park, at the springhouse gazebo, is under HEAVY construction at the moment- as in moving blocks the size of houses, ripping out hundreds of yards of trees and shrubbery and the twetny feet or so of bank that they grew on, heavy equipment parked along the road and generally rough to 4x4 conditions depending on the weather. Word is all this is to be paved, eventually, leading, of course, to more tourons coming in assorted SUVs and mid-sized luxury sedans, emerging in a puff of AC to walk ten feet from their cars, shoot some digital video, drop some trash, let their tiny dog crap, then get in and vanish in a puff of exhaust.
Be advised.
There are also several new structures going up on the old parking lot, so look for your freedom to hang, burn, maybe crack a cold one, shoot the beta and just unwind after a killer sesh to be curtailed there pretty soon, as well.
Smells like civic progress....
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rvawes
Sep 17, 2010, 4:13 PM
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Is this spot still accessible or did the development destroy it?
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roninthorne
Oct 1, 2010, 4:38 PM
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Mixed blessing- the economy in the valley tanked so hard that further development has pretty much slowed to a crawl. You can still hike in from the parking loop at the end of the road, where there are now TWO houses... what a shame... I remember this as a great pre- and post-bouldering party spot, not to mention great car camping. Try either one now and you just might meet some of Rockingham county's finest...
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rvawes
Oct 2, 2010, 12:21 AM
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Registered: May 2, 2010
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so...this is not a recommended venture?
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roninthorne
Oct 4, 2010, 4:29 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2002
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Not saying that... this is NFS land, YOUR land and mine. I'm just keeping you advised of the objective hazards and current situation surrounding some of the best bouldering in the Shenandoah Valley.
(This post was edited by roninthorne on Oct 4, 2010, 4:30 PM)
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rvawes
Oct 4, 2010, 5:55 PM
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Thank you so much for the helpful information. Hope to see you out there :)
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roninthorne
Oct 7, 2010, 2:58 PM
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Definitely recommend getting a copy of Lester Zook's rockingham county climbing guide. The Maze and Aretes are still awaiting full development, and don't miss Second Mtn and Dictum ridge, both accessible from the back of Rocky Run on the old ATV trail.
It's hard to believe that in this age of fanatical bouldering this place is till pretty much "below radar"!
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rvawes
Oct 7, 2010, 5:42 PM
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Registered: May 2, 2010
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just ordered a copy! hoping to get out that way before it gets to cold/wet. If you have anymore sweet spots you'd like to recommend, i'm all ears 
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