Mid-Year 2025 Blog Post: Stewarding Our Public Lands
The annual mid-year blog is where we celebrate all we have accomplished so far this year. And you will find plenty to celebrate below. But while you will find the usual bolt and wag bag counts, baby bird updates, and highlights of trail work completed, we wanted to focus on something a little different to start: the BCC’s origin story.
The BCC’s origin story: We were created to support land managers in all things climbing-related.
Public land managers: USFS, NPS, BLM, City and County Open Space, State Parks, and others, have always been resource and staff-strapped. This meant that a niche and small user group, like climbers, who wanted to climb, have the ability to place and replace fixed hardware, have designated climber access, and help guide decision-making about public lands, needed their own organization.
Enter the BCC 15 years ago.
Eagle monitors in the field pointing their scopes at Eagle Rock
In some ways, it is best to think of the BCC like any other “friends of” organization. Friends of the Grand Canyon, or Yosemite, for example. We are here to help all Front Range land managers. When there are government shutdowns or 100-year floods, we are on the scene to distribute wag bags outside of locked outhouses (RMNP 2021) and rebuild washed-away trails (Royal Arch Trail in 2014).
The past few months, our public lands were threatened: sell-offs, huge reductions in force of critical staff, and deep budget cuts.
These threats have only made the BCC’s work more important.
The accomplishments listed below reflect work done in partnership with land managers and are a celebration of our public lands. Public lands are cherished by all. The BCC is proud to help steward our public lands for the benefit of all. We look forward to sharing more on this partnership in future posts.
In the meantime, here is what we, the BCC, have accomplished so far this year:
Trail Program
BCC’s Trail Program has completed three projects so far in 2025. We began the trail season at one of Boulder Canyon’s best crags, Blob Rock. In partnership with the Boulder Ranger District, we began Phase II of our multi-year project at Blob Rock, which focused on rerouting the lower section of the trail leading up to the junction between East Blob and Main Blob (where BCC worked in 2024). After Blob Rock, we began working in the Flatirons. At Mount Sanitas, BCC made some much-needed improvements to the Mount Sanitas trail as well as some key bouldering areas along the trail. Our community supported this project in a big way, with over 75 volunteers lending a hand during June. We are now wrapping up a 7-week project on the new Saddle Rock trail behind the first flatiron, moving large talus around and weaving in a trail amongst some very imposing boulders just waiting for folks to climb on them.
(Before and after Blob and Sanitas photos above.)
Key Metrics
644 volunteer labor hours contributed by 120 volunteers
500 feet of climbing access trail improved
124 stone steps constructed
Moving big rocks all day everyday
ARP-Anchor Replacement Program
We had a great time down in Shelf Road this spring, partnering with the Pikes Peak Climbers Alliance for another rebolting weekend. This year, we focused on updating aging hardware at Freeform Wall, with over 100 anchors replaced over the two days. As we shifted our focus closer to home, the early lifting of the seasonal wildlife closures at Blob Rock gave us the perfect opportunity to do even more stewardship work at the crag. Our ARP volunteers updated many of the bolted routes at Main Blob Rock and the gully routes. Before the summer heat set in, we partnered with Jefferson County Open Space to rebolt all the routes at High Wire Crag in Clear Creek Canyon.
Rebolting at Blob Rock; We like to clean up the whole crag, trails, and anchors at once. Here, replacing the bolts on Jolt Cola.
Key Metrics
853 volunteer labor hours contributed by 128 volunteers
470 aging fixed anchors replaced
30 new rebolting volunteers trained
Notable routes updated:
Vasodialator at Blob Rock
People’s Choice at High Wire Crag
Eagle Monitoring
In February, the BCC assisted the USFS by installing signage at all initial closure areas, and communicating the closures to the climbing community. Four crags in Boulder Canyon, (Eagle Rock, Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, and Security Risk), have potential nesting locations identified. Early season monitoring efforts were focused on confirming the selected nest for 2025.
By mid-March, Golden Eagles were confirmed to be displaying incubation behavior on Eagle Rock, and shortly thereafter, all other alternative nesting sites were reopened. Sadly, in May, the eagle egg was 3 weeks overdue to hatch. The BCC received permission from the USFS and US Fish and Wildlife Service to recover the egg, which was then x-rayed and tested with ultrasound, confirming it to be inviable. Eagle Rock reopened on May 28th following the abandonment of the nest. The egg was donated to the USFWS’ National Eagle Repository in Denver. It will be used in an educational display and be available for further study.
In mid-June, a local climber reported a Peregrine Falcon nest with two chicks on Vampire Rock. The BCC and our partner Ornithologists worked with the USFS to limit the closures to Vampire Rock and Black Widow Slab, avoiding a larger closure. BCC volunteers resumed monitoring and documented the two Peregrine chicks successfully fledging and leaving the nest. All previously closed areas in Boulder Canyon are now reopened to climbing.
Backyard Climbing Festival
Our 2025 Backyard Climbing Festival, held from May 16–18, was a standout event, packed with action and inspiration. The festival kicked off in Downtown Boulder, where the climbing community came together to reconnect. Local gyms like Boulder Rock Club hosted indoor clinics, while Golden Mountain Guides, Colorado Mountain School, and Denver Mountain Guiding led outdoor clinics in Boulder and Clear Creek Canyon, offering climbers of all levels expert instruction.
Evening activities, including yoga, games, a dance party, and a silent auction, kept the energy high. Thanks to our community's support, we raised $11,246 to help the BCC continue its mission of preserving and enhancing our local crags.
BCC Socials
Along with the festival, we've hosted community-building socials, including gatherings at Wibby Brewing and Vision Quest Brewery. These events offer a fun way for our climbing family to connect while supporting the BCC's vital work. We look forward to more opportunities to bring climbers together, such as our 8th Annual Soirée, while continuing to advance the BCC’s mission.
Check out our Event Calendar to see upcoming events to join.
Enjoying the Backyard Climbing Festival
One of many clinics at the Backyard Climbing Festival