The AAC and other organizations will cosponsor a weekend of trail work on Castleton Tower in October, after a cloudburst on August 7 badly damaged the climbers’ trail to the base. Approximately two inches of rain fell in less than an hour on the iconic sandstone pinnacle near Moab, Utah, wiping out portions of the steep approach trail that threads through scree and cliff bands. Last week a guide reportedly had to short-rope his clients across an exposed traverse near the top of the trail.

Dave Erley of Utah Open Lands, which has managed the campground at the base of the popular tower in recent years (with support from the AAC and Petzl America), has marked the route of the old trail with pink flagging, and he asked climbers to stick closely to this route until the trail can be rebuilt. The trail route was carefully planned to avoid colonies of endangered plants that grow on the scree slopes below Castleton.

An Adopt-a-Crag event slated for October 24–26 at Castleton Tower will be dedicated to rebuilding the trail, with support from the Access Fund, the American Alpine Club, and Utah Open Lands. Erley urged climbers to volunteer to help that weekend. Additional funding for the trail rebuilding effort is required, and donations can be sent to Utah Open Lands, 2188 S. Highland Drive, Suite 203, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106. Please specify "Castleton Tower trail work" with your donation.

In the meantime, Erley said, climbers should try to avoid descending the washed-out trail from Castleton in darkness or storms.

Dates of Adopt-a-Crag Event: October 24–26, 2008