The Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition has acquired 70 acres of land to develop a 60-vehicle parking lot and a new trailhead at Farley Ledges along Route 2. The land acquisition was funded through the Climbing Conservation Loan Program and is part of the coalition’s multi-year Farley Conservation Initiative. The coalition is seeking to raise $430,000 to pay back the Access Fund loans, already meeting an end-of-2025 fundraising goal of $50,000.
ERVING — To help maintain public climbing access at the Farley Ledges along Route 2, the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition has acquired 70 acres of land that will be developed into a 60-vehicle parking lot and a new trailhead.
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The coalition coordinated with the national advocacy organization Access Fund and funded the land acquisition through its Climbing Conservation Loan Program, which offers loans to local organizations that are seeking to acquire and protect climbing land across the U.S.
“This acquisition represents the second phase of WMCC’s multi-year ‘Farley Conservation Initiative,’ designed to enhance public access and safeguard climbing at Farley Ledges,” a statement from the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition reads. “With this new purchase, WMCC is moving closer to its vision to secure long-term public access to the ledges with sufficient parking, ATV access for emergency crews and permanent protection of the cliff.”
The coalition is a volunteer-run nonprofit that works with stakeholders in town government, advocacy groups, landowners and conservation groups to keep climbing areas open and accessible to climbers of all backgrounds, and to conserve the climbing environment.
The coalition also received financial support from a Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts grant and $5,000 from the Central Rock Gym in Hadley.
“This project marks a major milestone in a 20-year-long effort to expand access to Massachusetts’ premier rock climbing,” Jon LaValley, a founding member of the coalition, said in a statement. “There’s no shame in the long game.”
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Coalition Executive Board Member Nick Friedman purchased the 25 Old State Road property in 2023 to take the land off the market and allow time for applying for permits and grants. The land was sold to the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition in December at a price of $182,500, according to real estate transactions.
Friedman, a Cambridge resident, said he’s been climbing at the Farley Ledges for 15 years and he believes the land purchase and development represents a “massive step forward” in keeping access open to the public at the ledges.
The coalition is seeking to raise $430,000 to pay back the Access Fund loans. So far, the coalition has raised $53,775, meeting its 2025 goal. In addition to paying for the land acquisition, the Access Fund loans will cover the cost of the new parking lot, the construction of a new trailhead, and amenities like a portable toilet, a shed for tool storage and information kiosks.
“Access Fund has maintained a long partnership with WMCC dating back to the very beginning of our loan program,” Access Fund’s National Acquisitions Director Brian Tickle said in a statement. “This most recent acquisition permanently protects access to one of the prized crags in the Northeast and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
The donation page explains that by opening up parking access, the goal is to alleviate parking congestion along Route 2 and in surrounding neighborhoods. The new parking lot would also offer a proper staging area for first responders to access the Farley Ledges without closing down Route 2 to traffic.
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Stephanie Giguere, operating executive with the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition, explained that the development of the new trailhead will open up access to the western edge of the cliff. The parking lot will also be made of a permeable material to allow for stormwater drainage.
The donation page also notes that the goal is to protect a majority of the acreage through a conservation restriction. The coalition will respect that more than 50% of the ledges are privately owned and will not publish trail route information on private land.
Elayne Bryan, general manager of the Central Rock Gym in Hadley, said the indoor climbing gym has maintained a positive relationship with the coalition. The gym donated $5,000 toward the effort to purchase and protect Farley Ledges.
“It’s such a local gem,” Bryan said, adding that protecting access for climbers is an important initiative.
It was a treacherous commute for drivers across Massachusetts Wednesday morning. Ice on roads and highways caused several crashes during rush hour.
In Danvers, 22 miles north of Boston, the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars. Three people were taken to local hospitals.
In Danvers, Mass. the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars on March 4, 2026.
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CBS Boston
In Revere, just seven miles north of the city, two tractor-trailers collided on North Shore Road. Police said it will be shut down for most of the day. It’s unclear if this crash was caused by icy conditions.
Forty-four miles west of Boston, a tractor-trailer ran off the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westboro. One person was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with what were described by the fire department as “non-life threatening injuries.”
The ice wasn’t just a problem for drivers. People walking around Boston were also slipping and sliding Wednesday morning.
“I almost fell at least five times but I didn’t. I don’t know how. I screamed and caught edges,” Swapna Vantzelfde told CBS News Boston about her walk to work in the South End. It took longer than usual.
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“The internal streets they just don’t get plowed, the little ones that people live on and then these arteries, the big streets, they’re cleaned a lot better,” she said.
Those on two legs and four were all stepping gingerly across slick spots.
“A little treacherous. Very slick and icy out here,” said a father pushing a stroller. “Sometimes you have something to hold on to, which helps.”
With plenty of snow piled along sidewalks and between parking spots, most people are done with winter.
“I’m over it. I’m ready for the thaw,” said one man.
Massachusetts families are stuck in the Middle East amid the war in Iran, and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey says the State Department needs to do more to get them home.
The Trump administration is telling Americans to leave the region, and families would love to, but they haven’t been able to get out.
Stacey Schuhwerk of Hingham has been sheltering in place in a Doha hotel since Saturday.
“We hear the missiles outside,” she said. “We can see them.”
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The Hingham mother and her son are among nearly 1,600 Americans trapped in the Middle East with no way to get home.
“Airspace is shut down. There’s no planes,” said Schuhwerk. “There’s no way to leave.”
Flights between Boston and the Middle East are canceled or delayed as travelers express anxiety over the conflict.
At first, U.S. officials told people to shelter in place and register with the State Department — something Schuhwerk did days ago.
“There’s no help there. The last time we called was 20 minutes ago, and they continue to say that ‘We don’t know anything about any plans for government help to get people out,’” she said.
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Embassies and consulates across the region — including the U.S. Embassy in Israel — have now suspended services, saying they simply can’t get Americans out.
“They did not have a plan to conduct this war, and they clearly did not have a plan as to how to evacuate innocent families,” Markey said.
The senator says his office is hearing from Massachusetts families, and he’s pressuring the Trump administration to come up with an evacuation plan fast.
“We are going to apply that pressure on the State Department until every American who wants to leave that region is out,” he said.
Back in Doha, Schuhwerk keeps watching the war outside her window.
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“The talk here is ‘How much defensive ammunition’s left?’ Good question, you know, because the missiles aren’t stopping,” she said. “So how long are we going to be safe here?”
With no clear end to this conflict, she’s worried she could be stuck there for weeks.
Happy Tuesday! While today started off dry, we’re already looking at snow out there across the area. While this event will primarily stay as rain on the Cape and islands, it will be an icy mix of snow, ice and rain for the rest of us.
The rain/snow line will continue to advance from the south to the north as the evening progresses. Before the changeover, there will be a quick coating to 2 inches for most of our area.
The threshold between the snow and rain will feature sleet and freezing rain, leading to that icing.
For the rest of the night, there will primarily be rain with continued pockets of freezing rain, leading to increasing spotty ice accretion. Be extremely careful on roads, especially since switching between rain and freezing rain can wash off any road salt.
The rain and freezing rain will exit by 6 a.m. Wednesday, but temperatures will still be close to freezing during the morning commute, so watch out for some spotty black ice.
The rest of Wednesday will be really nice! Highs will warm up to the mid 50s with the help of ample sun.
Thursday we start off in the mid 20s and top off in the mid 40s. We’ll be partly sunny with another chance for some wintry weather Thursday night. This primarily looks like some rain and freezing rain, rather than the triple threat with snow too. We’ll keep an eye on that for you.
That will continue into Friday morning. The rest of Friday: cloudy with a chance for a spot shower and highs cooler again in the upper 30s. Saturday will be dry, breezy and cloudy but gorgeous near 50 degrees! There’s a chance for some rain showers Saturday night. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward an hour before you to go bed!
Sunday we start the day mild in the 40s and make it all the way into the upper 50s with more sun. Monday and Tuesday both look bright and in the 60s! Stay tuned.
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