Advanced Registration for this years PCAD is now closed. If you are not already on the "wait list" call Mountain Tools right away (800-510-2514).

PCAD organizers have registered 25 Volunteers field workers for Friday and 38 for Saturday with about 25 staying to climb on Sunday.

Here is a breakdown of the event plan:

REGISTRATION / CAMP LOGISTIC SUPPORT

CHECK-IN / BASE CAMP

Where: Chalone Creek Picnic Area
When: Fri and Sat 8:00-8:45 am

Sponsored by the AAC - Sierra Nevada Section, Leader Kristin Nute. Drive past the Visitor Center, thru the Entrance Station (explain where you are headed), past Peaks View and bear right just before the bridge over Chalone Creek (follow the signs). Team Briefing at 8:45. Late comers can Check In at CCPA until 11 am or at the Trailhead / Upper Bear Gulch Parking after.

Please print, fill out and bring the forms below. These are all required for your participation. When you turn in the completed forms you will receive your Pinnacles Visitor Pass, Parking & Camping assignment, Complementary Raffle Ticket and official PCAD Climber Volunteer T-Shirt.

• Volunteer Agreement
• Liability Release
• Photo Release
• AAC Release

CAMPING

By special arrangement, this year we will be setting our camp under the Oaks at the Chalone Creek Picnic Area - just past employee housing and adjacent to the Trails Shop. The CCPA is conveniently located close to tools & materials and will be our meeting and departure point each morning.

If you are planning on arriving late Thursday nite, pick a spot or park if self-contained (and be prepared to relocate in the morning). BTW if you're any good at horseshoes bring your best game!

SAT EVENING SOCIAL, BBQ, RAFFLE & AUCTION

ocial Hour is 4:30-5:30 with BBQ following. Bring your chair, utensils, mug and plate - and fill em up! We will have burgers, beans, tater salad, chips, dips plus beer & soda. Following the BBQ - we have the best assortment of Raffle and Auction items to date. Raffle and Auction Items will be displayed at Check In and during the Social Hour. Climbing Industry businesses donate products in support of the PCAD and as reward for your hard work. You do however, have to play to win!

Additional Raffle Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling Mountain Tools (800-510-2514) or using their Online Order Form. Your participation and donation helps us put on the event and our format allows surplus monies to be donated to the Access Fund.

SUNDAY CLIMBING - BYOG&P

If your so inclined (vertically that is) - Bring Your Own Gear and Partner and head to the crags. You will be on your own (no instruction or gear provided) but there will be plenty of helpful friends to ask directions and about routes and ratings. If you are new to outdoor rock climbing, seek top rope or well protected routes that are several grades easier than what you lead indoors... and knot the ends of your rope! Get in the habit of testing your holds too.

WORK PROJECTS

• UPPER CRUST
  This year we have a "plum" project that has long been begging for attention: The Upper Crust access & descent paths and staging areas. Last year we blocked braided social trails (leading from the Reservoir), aligned the lower path with a downed tree trunk (great mechanical advantage pulley system use), trimmed brush back along the path and built some "trial" steps in the upper chimney. All the while, we recognized much more needed to be done to conserve and protect this popular crag and surrounding area.
  
  Our efforts this year will be to curb erosion along the preferred path and hopefully be able to re-establish a descent path from the upper rock. Sound simple - right? There are steps needed in the section between the upper and lower chimneys (AKA the staircase), check steps and retaining above (where the trial climbs and turns right to the summit of the upper rock and possibly some fine tuning of preferred staging areas (to concentrate use and reduce impacts in adjoining areas)... plus a tune up of previous work up to the lower chimney area. This project will be material intensive (logs for steps and retaining, rocks for back filling steps, rebar for pinning logs, etc). As a 'warm up' be prepared to "shoulder a load" to the Upper Crust area. The tools will be familiar to most (we'll introduce them to the rest of y'all): Pulaski, McLeod, Sledge Hammer, Crosscut Saw, Shovel, Pick Mattock, Rock Bars and Rock Bags. This will be a "master" project and one you will be proud to be part of!
• CLEAN SWEEP TEAMS
  Part of our ethic as climbers is to Pack It In and Pack It Out... we will help others who can learn from us. The areas we will concentrate on are:
  
  - High Peaks Circuit - 2-4 walk the trails and climbers approach paths (take your guide book & locate routes).
  - Reservoir - team of 2-4 walk the trails along the banks. Extend your search away from the reservoir along the way via social trails and clearings.
  - Chalone Creek Picnic Area to Balconies - stretch your legs while searching for trash along this popular East - West connector. This is an easy, scenic walk - right from our Base Camp.
  - Tools: Big Trash bags, roomy pack, trash pluckers, leather and nitrile gloves
• TECH TRASH TEAMS
  Lower Caves (4pp) - Friday: Caleb Rightmyer, NPS Gavin Emmons & Alacia Welch plus one more Volunteer.
  Monolith 360 (4pp): approach from Rocket to Cataract and beyond; drainage adjacent to stairs below dam + Backdoor to the Monolith - rap in, pick up trash from rim trail. If interested in leading this and you have the requisite skills - let us know.
  Tunnel Trail - Hike to the High Peaks and rap into the gorge adjacent to the Tunnel. This could be coordinated with High Peaks Sweep Team. Coordinate with Team Leader Bruce Hildenbrand if you have the skills, equipment & experience to do this work safely.
  Tools: Technical descending / ascending gear, helmet, big trash bags, (haul bag?) trash grabbers, leather and nitrile gloves.

OPTIONAL PROJECTS / TIME PERMITTING

1. PIPSQUEAK - (4pp) This for the Carabiner sign (with Conservation plaque) at Pipsqueak. You might want to mark position beforehand. I would send 4 volunteers; 2 to install the post base and post and 2 to "tune up" the brushing, blocking and path clearing.
   Tools: 1 Pulaski, 1 McLeod, 1 loppers, drill, bits, bolts, hammer, chisels for leveling post base site.
2. CCC ROAD (2-4pp)- fine tune brush work started LY; check & improve delineation of "cross over" path (from CCC to drainage) Tools: 2 loppers, 1 ea Mcleod, Pulaski
3. DISCOVERY WALL (2pp) - inspect previous work, check fence & add plaque. Note: base of Swallow Crack area needs detailed plan
4. TOURIST TRAP - (4pp) extend trail, log check steps, add plaque
5. TEACHING ROCK - check fence and add plaque - Team for #1 could do this. Note: Base of TR is a future "big" project.

WHAT TO BRING

To be safe and comfortable we encourage you to wear durable clothing: jeans or canvas pants, a long sleeve shirt and sturdy shoes or boots. The rest of your personal kit should include: crag pack, helmet, safety / sunglasses, sun block, sun hat / bandana, leather work gloves (we'll have some to loan), headlamp, plenty of water (2 qts min), lunch for each day. For camping - bring your tent, pad and bag (group camp space provided), camp chair; food and cook kit for Fri night and breakfasts, hearty lunches... and utensils and plate for BBQ.

WEATHER & FINAL NOTES

The 10 day forecast is for sunny / partially cloudy / partially cloudy with temps 79-82 degrees! Awesome! If for any reason your plans change and you are unable to volunteer, please let us know ASAP - so we can make your spot available to those eager volunteers on our Wait List. We will be available by phone thru Weds evening if you have any questions.