Science Abuse Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Or, as many refer to it, The Columbus Disgrace. Apparently they ran an article about a little known wild haven on the NW side. It's a nature preserve that I'd regularly visit and would rarely ever see another soul. It's a small gorge not far from a major road, yet no one knew or cared about it. This morning, a week after the article ran, I took a freind from out of state there to do some rock climbing. The lot was full, we had to park in the grass, and the area had pop cans and sport drink bottles scatterd all over. Keep in mind, this isn't a public park, its a nature preserve. It's not a playground, the DNR has made no attempt to lay trails here. Its a dangerous area flanked by cliffs, overhangs and lots of loose rock, to say nothing of the venomous critter factor. There were kids all over the place. The water is part of Dublins watershed, carrying with it all the yummy nitrates and chemical waste runnoff of half of dublin and its roads, yet folks let their kids swim in it. During a climb I was top roping my freind, a couple came up, almost crossing over my line, peered down the cliff to watch him climb, then wandered off when he got to the top. Never said "Hi", never acknowledged the existence of any human beings, just taking it in as their personal entertainment. During a rapell down an overhang, my freind calls out "Heads up! Comin down!". Which was enterpreted by a dipshit as "Come stand underneith me and I bounce off a cliff!". Of course, some rocks were kicked loose and came crashing down. This pratz got a real attitude about it, saying we need to have pilons set up around where we are. "If you cant understand 'heads up, coming down', what are the chances you'll respect some pilons? 100% of the ground you walk on is loose rocks, all of which have fallen from the cliffs. There is a constant hazard, you should be so lucky as to have a warning. His kids were swiming amongst the leaf and log debris in the pool under the falls, taking in all kinds of yummy nitrates from Dubliners lawn runoff. This place is not a playground. It is not a park. It is a nature preserve. It is beutiful, and like most beutiful things, it is dangerous. Poisonous snakes and spiders, loose rocks, near toxic water, and no beaten trails, what makes you think this place is safe to bring kids? To get down there you have to downclimb what most would consider a 5.0 scramble with nothing resembling a railing or aid. But, the Dispatch runs an article, tells everyone to c'mon down, its great! Here's my prediction for the future: Some one will get hurt, they'll get hurt bad, possibly killed. There are no railing lining the 40-50ft cliffs on either side. People are stupid, it'll happen, probably to a child. The DNR will make the entire preserve off limits untill they: A: put up fences all over the place, ugly up the joint, and make it impossible for the respectfull to enjoy. B: Honnor a $43000 grant passed in 2001 (probably already squandered) to lay paved trails and build boardwalks along the rims. Again, making it impossible for the respectfull to enjoy. Most of you know me as a hippy leftist, not when it comes to stuff like this. These kinds of sights are not for everyone, not everyone is entitled to enjoy them. You need respect, a head to avoid injury, respect, and a willingness to work to attain the sights, and respect. Who the fuck walks up to a pair of guys to watch them do something dangerous and doesn't even say hi? What the fuck are we, clowns for your ammusment? /rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar1647545494 Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 That's why the city sucks. I like it back home. 27+ acres of woods my father personally owns with plenty of cliffs/streams cleaner then anything up here. Not including all the fields/neighbors woods I can have all kinds of fun in. IMO Country > City Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 thats over by frantz road right? the cliffs and waterfalls I can't remember the raod name. But anyway someone gets hurt there once everycouple of years. personally I have never been back there but would like to check it out some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad is Dead Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 I don't want to blow the place up but could you send me a pm on the location? It sounds like a place I would love. I live by a park by myself that I like walking in even though it has beaten paths. It was alright until the other week I walked through there and 10 kids were playin paintball right off the path. I didn't care what so ever because one of the kids said"hey hows it going" so I kept walking. But later down the path a kid jumps out of the bushes and almost blast me in the face w/ paintballs and kind of had me mad I couldn't enjoy bein in nature w/out thinking i might get shot at any second. And about the rock climbing, anyway I could come out w/ you sometime and you could help teach me how to do it? I've always wanted to do it but didn't know there was anything around here to learn on besides the wall at galyans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryBMW Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Fucking shit! I loved that place, I used to go once a month or so. Eric is right, I could go there and be completely alone for hours without seeing another human. It was crazy cool. -Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 i think i know where you're talking about, there's a geocache back there if i know correctly. at least the dispatch hasn't run an article on the nature preserve near my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 i think i know where you're talking about, there's a geocache back there if i know correctly. at least the dispatch hasn't run an article on the nature preserve near my house. Anything interesting? I heard about this spot from an older chap I work with. Back in the 80's he dateda girl who was a botany student at OSU. Apparently they frequent the area for its botanical diversity. Now they'll find the rare and illusive free-range Redbull can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 sucks for city folk, i might head back home to dads and chill out there by myself where i can tell retards to leave sorry to hear eric, even though i heard you have helped out the dispatch before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 I can see where you are coming from, but the fact is, you don't own it. Yes, people need to respect it, but you can't get angry when people start going there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 I can see where you are coming from, but the fact is, you don't own it. Yes, people need to respect it, but you can't get angry when people start going there. Yes I can. I can be angry at stupid people no matter where they rear their vacant heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spidey2721 Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 kind of had me mad I couldn't enjoy bein in nature w/out thinking i might get shot at any second. . heh, now you know how a deer feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin R. Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 heh, now you know how a deer feels. This made me LOL. Also, this reserve sounds like a nice place for 4-wheeling. See you down there sometime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GonneVille Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Sounds almost like how Conkle's Hollow was up until a few years ago. Idiots all over the place, beer cans and fire circles, people carving their name into the rocks, all the usual things. I hate to say it, but that goober falling off the cliff there turned out to be a good thing. The park system took a real hard look at the trails and access after that. Yes, the new paved path is annoying, but at least it isn't the rutted and muddy web of destroyed forest the old one was. And they didn't fence off the Rim Trail, which is still the best view in central Ohio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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