Bouldering Montana

TRoots & some more Ten Sleep

Posted on July 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

A couple weekends ago I made it out to the Tobacco Roots to check out some potential boulder. While the Pony fire was raging, I started searching for other options in the TRoots. The best option I could find was a basin up above South Willow Creek, only a short 3 mile hike from the trailhead. Easy, right? While the first mile was a simple uphill hike on a trail, the last two miles was off trail and very nasty. By the time I hit the boulders, 3 hrs later, the blue skies had turned to overcast and within another hour the clouds turned to a steady rain. I had just enough time to explore the first boulder field before I had to hide for cover and eventually make the multi-hour trek back in the rain. The boulders I saw looked pretty good, but I’m not sure if the hike to them was justified. Worth another exploratory trip – but not anytime soon, too many closer areas. I forgot my camera so here’s some iPhone photos from the day:

Note big Organic pad for scale

TRoots

The field I explored.

Hauled the pad around for 8 hours and didn’t even use it…

This last weekend I headed back to Ten Sleep to meet up with the Groseths and do some fantastic sport climbs. They put up some great photos and a wrote up a few of their bullet points took place while I was there. Check it out here. A few more photos:

Ten Sleep Saloon

Jess – Weight of the World 5.12a

Peder – Team Whiny Baby 5.12c/d (Peder warmed up by onsighting it…)

Rattlesnake!!! Yes, there’s rattlesnakes at Ten Sleep (Whiny Baby Wall)

EC – Cloud Peak Vista Traverse Company 5.11a

EC displaying perfect leg shake form on the Cloud Peak Vista Traverse Company 5.11a

Until next time,

Ten Sleep, ‘Merica

Posted on July 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Jess on Kyber Space 5.13b – Jess sent this a few days after I left!

Jess – Kyber Space 5.13b

Jess – Happiness in Slavery 5.12b

EC – Suck the Nipple 5.11b (Flash) (Photo by Jess)

SHo concentrating real hard while sending Center El Shinto, 5.12b

SHo – Center El Shinto 5.12b

Berkeley and Jarred hanging out at camp

Groseth’s cleaning house at the lake

Myself hitting the second dyno on Shaft’s Big Score, 5.11c/d. This was my ‘Merican flag route on the 4th of July. If you like dynos – do it! (photo by Peder)

Peder – Heart, Balls, Swagger 5.13b/c. Bizarre line… (photo by Jess)

Peder – Superfly 5.12c/d (OS). While I was there Peder systematically onsighted a 5.12+ each day we were at the Slavery roof. He onsighted the Burden of Immortality (5.12d/5.13a), Aunt Jemima’s Bisquick Thunderdome (5.12d), Crown Prince Abdullah (5.12d), and Superfly. It didn’t even look like he struggled on any of them – very impressive.

Peder – Superfly 5.12c/d

Myself flashing Moltar!!! (5.12a) (photo by Peder)

Ten Sleep

Jess flashing Napoleon’s Highchair, 5.12a/b

I’ve got a new Tobacco Root’s boulder field scoped out and if it pans out they’ll hopefully some photos early next week. Wish me luck!

-EC

A lil’ BOULDERING

Posted on June 28, 2012 | 1 comment

Alright, I know it, I haven’t had a true bouldering post in nearly three months. That changes now. Been trying to get into rope climbing shape for an upcoming trip to Ten Sleep, but I’ve managed to get out a few times here and there. I made it out to Whiskey a couple times before the heat set in and did a few new (some new to me, some new to everyone) moderates. One, in my opinion, may be the best V3 at Whiskey – the Flying Saucer. From what I’ve heard, DJAJ and the BCC kids put the problem up a few years ago. I never heard a name for it, so I’ve just been calling it the Flying Saucer, which is also the name of the impressive boulder it’s on. For some reason, I’ve put off trying it since then, but I finally did it and it was amazing. For the grade, it’s about as close to Hueco style climbing as you can get at Whiskey – a few horizontal moves followed by the crux heading up a vertical face to the top. Here’s a little video I made of the Flying Saucer, along with two other excellent problems I put up in the same general area. All three are located in the large area south of Whiskey Proper known as Southern Comfort.

Last weekend I made it up to Lower Mason Lake in the Tobacco Roots up from Pony. Unfortunately, the day after I was there a large wildfire started nearby and has closed down access to the entire area. As long as the winds don’t change directions drastically, the bouldering isn’t in danger, but there are a bunch of people in nearby Mammoth that have been evacuated. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and they can get it under control and re-open the roads and trails before the end of the season.

Anyway, I planned ahead and brought the trusty snow shovel with. I spent the first hour getting re-familiarized with the talus, then got to work on the snow. I dug out a good landing for a couple problems I eyed one of the last couple years and managed to climb both. The left line was alright, but the right line (Stone Cold Crazy V4) was a true gem. Kneebar, toe-hook, crimps, sidepulls – it had a little bit of everything. I’m really curious how it will be in a month or so without snow. No idea how deep the snow was, but I’m guessing the sit start I did will turn into a high stand start. I finished off the day with a few other new ones in the lower talus that didn’t require any snow removal. All in all, it was a great day in the mountains, in one of my favorites areas in Montana. It was also a perfect place to beat the heat. It was still warm in the sun, but climbing over snow in the shade felt great compared to the 90+ degree temps in Bozeman. Here’s a few photos from the day: