Changes

Well, just as fast as things got started, everything changed… for the better!

The BG Boulder Project has now been officially incorporated into the Bowling Green Riverfront Foundation and will be one of three major components to redeveloping the Barren River downtown. A new website is in the works, but for now, check us out of FaceBook and give us a thumbs up!

The Foundation (BGRF) has been incorporated and we are in the process of filing our 501(c)(3) non-profit status for fundraising. Woohoo!!!

Clinton

A few more steps forward

I’m thrilled to say that I have been contacted by Paul, the organizer of the Whitewater Park effort, to team up and move forward in a joint effort to make the riverfront THE hub of human-powered recreation in Bowling Green! With both of us working together to promote & strengthen our projects, it will give us a unified support base to work from. Paul has an awesome Facebook page with tons of info and an incredible PDF outlining several park options for the Barren River. The BGBP would compliment the whitewater park by utilizing some of the area in the Proposed Park section along the north bank of the river. Can you imagine spending the day whitewater kayaking and bouldering within a minute of each other?! I’m giddy at just the thought of it.

It will take all of us to petition the community, Parks Board & the City Commission to put the whitewater park back on the forefront of the Downtown Redevelopment effort and create this area that will benefit a large portion of our population. I am sitting down with Paul tomorrow to get things started WOOHOOO!!!!!!

-Clinton Lewis

Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition

The SCC is in the running for a huge grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project! Vote every day this month to ensure climbing access!!

SCC Refresh Grant

Good News!

In just about a week, we have collected nearly 50 responses to the survey gauging interest in the BG Boulder Park! Way to go!

Keep spreading the word so we can make this happen!

-Clinton

BGBP Inspiration

Two main sources of inspiration for the Bowling Green effort center around similar projects in Jackson, Wyoming and Bozeman, Montana. Both Christian from Jackson & Tom from Bozeman have been fantastic to work with as I have sent them an endless list of questions to help get our effort off the ground. Climbers are a tight-knit community and this is proving to be very true! Thanks!

Here is a peek at what their projects are looking like…

Bozeman has their fourth boulder in the works and their approach and community support is solid!

Bozeman's third boulder under construction

Grand opening of Bozeman's second boulder

The project in Jackson just broke ground in early summer and hopes to open within the next month. Here are their renderings of the park. An idea similar to this is what we have in mind for the riverfront!

Jackson's boulder park will sit at the bottom of the Snow King ski resort

Overall view of the Jackson park

Great rendering of the 3 boulders

BGBP Logo

Identity formulation step #1: Logo. Check. (wouldn’t that make an awesome sticker and t-shirt!)
Identity formulation step #2: Email. Check. [ bgboulderproject at gmail dot com ]

In the beginning…

There was a TextEdit document and an idea. That one TextEdit file has grown into an Evernote document that I can work on anywhere from my phone, iPad and desktop. The idea has found inspiration. The inspiration has led to this blog.

Over the summer I read about the Teton Boulder Project in Jackson, Wyoming, and Christian’s groundbreaking on a park that honors the climbers and mountaineers of the Grand Teton range. Next I found the Bozeman Boulders Initiative in Montana. That was the perfect model I was looking for in developing this idea to bring a similar park to Bowling Green.

I am currently running a short survey to gauge interest in adding bouldering features to existing city parks and eventually a dedicated park on the riverfront near the proposed whitewater park. The two would compliment each other perfectly and bring some much needed life to the area. Please support this idea and help me make the riverfront awesome!

To begin, take the survey!

-Clinton