February 2021 Minutes

Black Hills Climbers Coalition

February 15, 2021


Attendees: Mark Rafferty (Pres.), Peyton Hinn (Publicist), Luke Ross, Chris Hirsch, Aaron Stetzer, Jeff Lewellyn & Brandon Emery (Sylvan Rocks Owners), Bennett Eisenbeizn (VP)


Notes Taken by: Peyton Hinn (publicist) 


  • Talking about the LCO meeting with Wyoming, Montana and Idaho climbers coalition. They had problems with climbing access. Mark and Peyton attended the meeting and gave input on how we communicate with our land managers. Maybe future meetings will happen to help our sister and brother coalitions keep their climbing access or gain it back.

  • FINAL THOUGHT: We are available to help our neighboring coalitions and will be helpful when they need us


  • Finding different alternatives to fundraising

    • VIMFF film festival reached out to us to help us promote their film festival and we get 20% of sales

    • Will this be what we do for the future? Reaching out to other places and seeing if deals like VIMFF can be struck up to help fundraise

    • FINAL THOUGHT: Thinking of new ideas, getting creative with fundraising


  • Black Hills Crux Club asked us to help them with the Scramble

    • Our problem is insurance through the black hills national forest

    • We don't know how to do the insurance with them, maybe its something we can figure out and reach out to the access fund to figure out

    • The craig classic- the alpine club puts on? Similar?

    • Can the Sylvan Rocks help put this on? They will look into it, they have specific insurance so they are not sure.

    • Talk to the Black Hills Forest Service and see if we really need a permit for this to get together, or if we fall into a different one?

    • Look into the assumption of risk policy in South Dakota

    • The dakota 50 Perry Jewett may have some info on what is needed

    • FINAL THOUGHT: Do we even need insurance, it is probably just a school thing? Talk to the BHNFS and see what they need from us, and see if there is a different way to be registered for it


  • Doing pumpfest again this year at the custer state park

    • It would be another great fundraiser

    • Doing it at the beacon again and doing what we did in 2019 would be ideal

    • We discussed what happening in 2019 and found that to be a great path to take

    • We think of doing September instead of july, during Labor day

    • Doing Beans and beiners on sunday and pumpfest on saturday

    • We are thinking about separating B&B and Pumpfest as well

    • Sylvan Rocks is thinking about being a part of it

    • Now we are thinking separating B&B and Pumpfest

    • Doing B&B later, Maybe pumpfest in Summer and Scramble sometime inbetween

    • FINAL THOUGHT: It will hopefully be easier this year than last so we will plan on doing festivals, separating B&B and Pumpfest and figuring out the dates


  • Sylvan Rocks has two ideas

    • First is fundraising for BHCC

      • Doing Pints for coalition at Granite Sports or South Dakota Outdoor shop to donate beer and then we would get the money

      • Selling pint cups for $5 

    • Second is doing something with Granite Sports & Sylvan Rocks

      • Rise money for wag bag project, and putting one in at the Black Elk Trail head at CSP

      • Brandon reached out to a wag bag company to see if they sponsor events or give discounts

      • Maybe middle earth and spires too for the wag bag

      • Doing something similar “Pints for Poop” and using that money for wags

      • Granite Sports would help supply wag bags if we don’t get anything from other places

      • John Lang talked to some people last year about their info on their wag bags so we can contact him and see if we can get some of that info

      • See if the park will match our fundraising goal with the wag bags

    • FINAL THOUGHT: LET'S DO IT

  • Rout repair meeting

    • Chris Hirsch discussed the topics:

    • List of things that need repaired, inventory, things that were repaired

    • Two routes in custer, Four routes in rushmore, seven routes in spearfish

      • Not a big year but fundraising was small

    • Discussed potential new bolts

      • Instead of triplex bolts we are looking at simpson titan bold

        • “Big rock screws”

        • Trying them in the granite

      • Using glue-ins in more problematic areas

    • One guy on MP said at 1,200 lbs he broke his puller using the simpson titan

    • Committee is looking into installation ease and how to replace it

    • Replacement seems very easy

    • Pros and Cons but Chris will be looking into the new bolt idea

    • Simpson is cheaper and one piece and easier to learn how to

    • FINAL THOUGHT: Will be using Simpson Titan Bolt on new projects and see how they are holding up, no purchase this year for the committee


  • Someone asked if he had a minimum goal for  fundraising 

    • We don’t, depending on the year it is always flexing

    • Maybe a $500 min if we think about it hard enough

  • We are getting on the shirts and stickers so we can sell them



Meeting Adjourned @ 8:17


Black Hills Climbers Coalition