Matt Perkins
10-02-2006, 09:34 PM
This message came in a private e-mail:
Hi -- Last time I was climbing at the Feathers in Frenchman's Coulee, there was fresh graffiti, a lot of it, like on top of that nice flat boulder you rest on at lunchtime, out in front of Becky's Route and on another choice boulder out in front of Satan's Little Helper. This is sooooo nasty. Here we are in the beautiful desert having our eyes assaulted by social rot and stupidity. It's bad enough that we climbers use this area for a gym, but at least we don't make an eyesore of it. If things were put to right, it would be sacred ground. So imagine graffiti on Notre Dame or such!
I would like to get involved in a cleanup effort, and am wondering if anyone is working on that, or if I can form up my own group, or if I need permission to start some cleanup project of my own. Any ideas?
It appears to me there are several products on the market that may just remove the paint rather than mask it (which is almost as ugly), but I am unable to take this project on solo and would have to recruit a group. Anyone out there who would like to gang up on the tagging?
Two solutions I have thought about: Portable sandblasting: if someone had a generator, the sandblaster nozzle set up isn't too expensive, and can be found at automotive supply places. This would require protective equipment and a power source, but no water. Paint removers: there are several non-toxic products that advertise effectiveness on natural stone, but they require at the minimum water rinsing with hose pressure, preferably pressure washing; some may rinse without that, but getting water in there may be quite an undertaking. I see that someone is trying to obscure the marks by painting over them in a more stone-like color, but it is almost as defacing as the original mess; the match isn't too good.
Can we come up with some creative solutions to the problem of future tagging? If we knew more about the culprits and their situation (are they just kids partying, etc.), maybe we could prevent future damage. And, what about the land management agency -- do they have any plans to at least post signs? This sort of damage should generate heavy fines (I know, catch me if you can). My guess is the tagging happens during the warm evenings of summer. Most likely it is part of the partying that goes on there -- too bad the agency can't seem to do anything about that.
I love that place and it hurts to see the magnificent 15 million year-old volcanic palisades defaced.
Hi -- Last time I was climbing at the Feathers in Frenchman's Coulee, there was fresh graffiti, a lot of it, like on top of that nice flat boulder you rest on at lunchtime, out in front of Becky's Route and on another choice boulder out in front of Satan's Little Helper. This is sooooo nasty. Here we are in the beautiful desert having our eyes assaulted by social rot and stupidity. It's bad enough that we climbers use this area for a gym, but at least we don't make an eyesore of it. If things were put to right, it would be sacred ground. So imagine graffiti on Notre Dame or such!
I would like to get involved in a cleanup effort, and am wondering if anyone is working on that, or if I can form up my own group, or if I need permission to start some cleanup project of my own. Any ideas?
It appears to me there are several products on the market that may just remove the paint rather than mask it (which is almost as ugly), but I am unable to take this project on solo and would have to recruit a group. Anyone out there who would like to gang up on the tagging?
Two solutions I have thought about: Portable sandblasting: if someone had a generator, the sandblaster nozzle set up isn't too expensive, and can be found at automotive supply places. This would require protective equipment and a power source, but no water. Paint removers: there are several non-toxic products that advertise effectiveness on natural stone, but they require at the minimum water rinsing with hose pressure, preferably pressure washing; some may rinse without that, but getting water in there may be quite an undertaking. I see that someone is trying to obscure the marks by painting over them in a more stone-like color, but it is almost as defacing as the original mess; the match isn't too good.
Can we come up with some creative solutions to the problem of future tagging? If we knew more about the culprits and their situation (are they just kids partying, etc.), maybe we could prevent future damage. And, what about the land management agency -- do they have any plans to at least post signs? This sort of damage should generate heavy fines (I know, catch me if you can). My guess is the tagging happens during the warm evenings of summer. Most likely it is part of the partying that goes on there -- too bad the agency can't seem to do anything about that.
I love that place and it hurts to see the magnificent 15 million year-old volcanic palisades defaced.