HikeArizona.COM

Planning on finally getting out to Devils Canyon next week, and wondering if anyone's been there recently. Specifically, I'm wondering whether the usual fixed lines are in place at the 1st and 3rd pools, and what condition they're in?

Kelly I don't think it's worth your life to trust 'em regardless, but I'll shut up

I doubt anybody hasn't heard but that whole area is getting closed. A mining company punched the right buttons to phenagel a land swap. Seems like I read in the paper a couple months ago they funded a new climbing park further down south in the state. Gee what a great compensation for the five pools :roll:

joe bartels wrote:Kelly I don't think it's worth your life to trust 'em regardless, but I'll shut up

I doubt anybody hasn't heard but that whole area is getting closed. A mining company punched the right buttons to phenagel a land swap. Seems like I read in the paper a couple months ago they funded a new climbing park further down south in the state. Gee what a great compensation for the five pools :roll:

I knew the climbing area was being shut down, but wasn't sure if access to the pools would be cut off. That blows. I am looking forward to Tam'OShanter opening though - a climbing state park will be awesome!

I had trouble finding information about who supported it. This article seems to give a fairly complete picture though.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... i1-14.html

One thing is for sure, climbers did not support this land swap, no matter what you may hear. Tam O'Shanter might be really cool, but nothing can replace what we (climbers) are going to lose at Oak Flat.

On the "bright" side, this land closure will not take place for 7 years or so; so there is plenty of time to explore Devil's Canyon and the rest of the area.

Matt Hoffman wrote:One thing is for sure, climbers did not support this land swap, no matter what you may hear. Tam O'Shanter might be really cool, but nothing can replace what we (climbers) are going to lose at Oak Flat.

Agreed!

In response to Matt Hoffman's reply: The really sad part is land swaps are never done by public referendum, they are done in corporate law offices with little or no public scrutiny. I fear we have not even begun losing beautiful wildland to land swaps, given Arizonas explosive growth.

In response to wetbeaverlover's reply: Very sad and very true. I think if people had been given a chance to vote on this one though, climbers would still have lost. Most people don't understand climbing, but they do understand gaining more public land. They understand more jobs for the town of Superior and surrounding area. Climbers did not present a strong enough argument.
Arizonans have gained public land in this swap. The acreage that Resolution Copper gave up is greater than what they are taking. Unfortunately (for them), there is no money to be made with the land that they gave up, but they will make huge profits when they mine Oak Flat. Invest now!

cactuscat wrote:

Matt Hoffman wrote:One thing is for sure, climbers did not support this land swap, no matter what you may hear. Tam O'Shanter might be really cool, but nothing can replace what we (climbers) are going to lose at Oak Flat.

Agreed!

You guys are correct. The supporters listed in the article are Arizona Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, Audubon Arizona, the Nature Conservancy, the Superstition Area Land Trust and the Sonoran Institute.

Govenor Janet Napolitano also supports the deal. I sent her office a letter last year asking why she supported the swap and why she wouldn't require Resolution to use a slightly less profitable mining method that would leave the surface unharmed. I never got a response. Oh well, money makes the world go round. At least we got some prime areas on the San Pedro under protection.