Gunks Temporary Hazard Report, 8/8/2020

Here’s the latest report of temporary hazards at the Gunks – like wasps nests and snake spottings. Newest additions to the list are in blue font.

Hoping that these warnings can help you decide which climbs you may want to avoid for a bit. Thanks to everyone who submitted reports!

Trapps

1. Trapps: Arch – Wasps/ Hornets – 7/29/2020
   • P1 moving up from early ledge traverse, nest is behind large inviting flake. Stay left on bulge to avoid.
2. Trapps: Beginners Delight – Wasps/Hornets – 7/19/2020, 7/27/2020
   • Top of pitch 2 at the far left of the traverse almost to the right facing corner and below a sapling there is a jug on a flake that has a small hornets nest behind it. (7/19)
   • There are one or two wasp nests on the second half of the traverse on pitch 2. (7/27)
3. Trapps: Casa Emillio – Snake – 7/4/2020
   • Copperhead top of pitch one
4. Trapps: CCK – Snake – 7/11 and 7/12/2020 (3 reports)
   • Copperhead in the approach stairs just before the base of the climb. (7/11)
   • Copperhead seen at very top of CCK trail (7/12)
   • Base of CCK. Small baby copperhead that was hanging out at the base and traveled down the approach ramp. (7/25)
5. Trapps: City Lights – Snake – 7/25/2020
   • Copperhead 1/2 up access trail. Didn’t see it but group 20 seconds before us said they scared it off.
6. Trapps: Classic – Snake – 7/25/2020
   • Copper head at the start (on the ground, not up on the ledge where the climb starts)
7. Trapps: Double Crack – Wasps/Hornets – 7/25/2020
   • Wasp nest about 3/4 of the way up above a BD .75 horizontal crack and blueberry bush. I usually start going a bit right at this point so it’s easy to avoid.
8. Trapps: Hawk – Wasps/Hornets – 7/25/2020
   • Nest at the P1 belay
9. Trapps: Madame G’s – Wasps/Hornets – 7/11/2020
   • On the 2nd pitch, went right to avoid them, party before us got stung
10. Trapps: Middle Earth Approach Trail – 6/28/2020
    • Copperhead on Middle Earth approach trail, on stone steps, halfway up
11. Trapps: Northern Pillar – Wasps/Hornets – 7/18 & 25/2020
    • Pitch 1 – still there, not easy to see nest. Got stung a bunch of times. (7/25)
    • Hornet’s nest on 2nd pitch, behind a jug, next to piton (7/18)
12. Trapps: Red Cabbage – Wasps/Hornets – 7/26/2020
    • To the bottom and left of the start of pitch one–shaded area on top of the boulder. Ground nest in the rocks
13. Trapps: Red Pillar – Snake – 7/12/2020
    • Snake before the roof
14. Trapps: Sixish – Wasps/Hornets – 7/16/2020 and 7/24/2020
    • There was a wasp nest inside a crack on the second pitch. They are not aggressive and you climb around it but look before putting you hand in. There is vertical crack about 3/4 of the way up the 2nd pitch that is divided by a grass plug. It is in the top part. (7/16)
    • Middle of p2 finger crack, small wasp nest (7/24)
15. Trapps: Stairmaster – Snake – 8/6/2020
    • Copperhead towards top, possibly denning in the stairmaster
16. Trapps: Wisecrack – Wasps/Hornets – 7/26/2020
    • To the bottom and left of the start of pitch one–shaded area on top of the boulder. ground nest in the rocks

Near Trapps

1. Near Trapps: Tulip Garden – Wasps/Hornets – 7/25/2020
   • Active Nest under a flake about halfway up. Picture will be posted to Gunks Climbing Partners forum on Facebook

If you have a hazard to report, please use the form here: https://bit.ly/gunkshazardform.

This is a public service for the Gunks climbing community. Please do not spam it with jokes and bogus entries, those of us monitoring this have better things to do than delete multiple bogus comments a day. If there is too much abuse, we’ll have to shut it down.

Want to see the entries that have been posted recently? See the responses in https://bit.ly/gunkshazardsheet.

Have fun and be safe out there!