Cave Rock talks near impasse

Tuesday, April 14, 1998 | 9:08 a.m.

But despite the greater familiarity, Washoe leader Brian Wallace says the tribe hasn't changed its principal goal of limiting public use of the Tahoe landmark.

"To be simple and frank about it, nothing's changed from our point of view," Wallace said.

He added proposals by climbers that emphasize respect for Washoe customs, including leaving the rock when Washoe elders arrive, don't go far enough in recognizing the importance of Cave Rock to the tribe.

"What appears as a compromise has a completely different meaning to us," Wallace said. "We're not talking about access, but the integrity of the site."

Terry Lilienfield, a Tahoe climber who has proposed a number of ways that climbers and the Washoe could share the craggy rock, conceded that obstacles remain despite the understanding each group has gained of the other.

"I don't think we'll ever completely understand where each other is coming from," Lilienfield said. "I know you don't understand why, when you've told us how spiritual Cave Rock is, that we still want to visit."

Despite the tough talk, both interest groups have agreed to meet at least once more under the auspices of the U.S. Forest Service, which held the fourth in a series of meetings on the issue last week.

The Forest Service's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is seeking direction before adopting a long-term management plan for Cave Rock. At the same time, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency may apply under the National Historic Act to designate Cave Rock a historic cultural site.

Cave Rock is the most sacred location in the Tahoe Basin to the Washoe, a place where only the tribe's elders are allowed to visit.

But the ancient lava plug on Lake Tahoe's East Shore has become a popular draw for rock-climbers, who regard the rock as the most challenging technical climb in the area that is accessible year-round.

Last year, the Forest Service briefly closed the site to climbing, but modified the closure order in December, when it reopened Cave Rock to climbers. Installation of any new climbing bolts was prohibited.