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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 24, 2009 - 12:48pm PT
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Notwithstanding the fact that I just got back from my first route on the Hulk (the Red Dihedral), which of course was INCREDIBLY sweet, I thought that I’d post a short trip report from my recent trip to Minnesota. My fiancé and I were heading to the Midwest to attend a couple of weddings and spend some time with her family…since we usually spend time in Minnesota during the holidays, this was really my first time to explore the climbing options.
I know what most of you are thinking…climbing options in Minnesota? Well, while the quality and quantity obviously doesn’t compare to California (we live in Truckee), I was pleasantly surprised.
We really didn’t have a ton of time to climb on this trip, but we squeezed in what we could. One day we spent a couple of hours at Taylors Falls (on the St. Croix River - the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin).
And then we spent a couple of half days climbing on Lake Superior.
Here are a couple of shots from Shovel Point:
My fiancé was training for the Tahoe Endurance Run, so I cruised to Palisade Head one morning by myself...luckily I hooked up with a local that was going to rope solo and we managed to get in a few routes. Here are a few photos from Palisade Head.
All and all, it was a nice introduction to Minnesota climbing and I look forward to exploring a bit more on future trips to see the family.
Shoestring
oh yeah, the biggest bolt hanger I have ever seen:
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jul 24, 2009 - 01:00pm PT
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That setting looks gorgeous. Is the climbing mostly leadable or toproped?
What are the logistics, at places like Shovel Point?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 24, 2009 - 01:03pm PT
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So was that bolt placed on lead, or was it rap-bolted? :-)
Nice TR - did you see any of my cousins?
Let me rephrase that. How many of my (distant) cousins did you see? They're spread all over Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 24, 2009 - 01:04pm PT
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how were the bugs?
nice TR, thx
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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2009 - 01:07pm PT
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Both areas on the Lake have super short approaches...at Shovel Point, you can tr a bunch of routes from two huge bolts at the top (see above). I also anchored myself to a tree and lowered/belayed off my harness for a couple of routes. Leading would be tough at Shovel Point because most of the routes start in the middle of the cliff (the bottom is choss). You can lead at Palisade Head, but you still have to lower to the base. There are no bolts at Palisade - you have to build gear anchors.
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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2009 - 01:08pm PT
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Munge - No BUGS!!! On the other hand, the bugs were terrible at the Incredible Hulk last weekend - TERRIBLE.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Jul 24, 2009 - 01:38pm PT
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I spent birth to 18 in Minnesota.
Nice place, but so glad I escaped to SoCal. I never want to venture back to Minnesota as long as I so shall live.
Yeah, mozzies suck there but then again the way were attacked at Third Lake last weekend....brought back a world of bad memories. Thank God for Deet.
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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2009 - 02:09pm PT
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yeah, I much prefer California to Minnesota and New York (where I grew up), but it's nice to know there are places to get away and get in a few pitches when time permits. My real introduction to the mountains came in Maine and New Hampshire and those mountains will alwasy be special to me. My fiance's introduction to forests, etc. was in Northern Minnesota (she now does research in Tahoe and the Sierra) and I was psyched to see what a cool place it was.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 24, 2009 - 02:14pm PT
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the flys, the black flys, oh god the horror.
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brett
climber
oregon
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Jul 24, 2009 - 02:14pm PT
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How can you tell which holds to use if there's no chalk on the routes?
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Floridaputz
Trad climber
Oakland Park Florida
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Jul 24, 2009 - 03:27pm PT
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That's a nice little tour of Minnesota climbing. You can get to the bottom of palasade head with out rap or lower. Head west along the rim and you can walk down. I wonder who put those bolts in for TR on shovel point. We used that cliff a lot when I was with Outward bound. We would do mock rescues with the students. and climb. There is a ground up climb there that I did many years ago, I think it was called "did plato love tree's 5.9. The rest of the climbs you lower and top rope back up. Thanks for the post !
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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2009 - 04:24pm PT
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Some of the locals told me that the walk down to Palisade Head was sketch, but I do know that it is possible. Also, I hope to get to Red Wing the next time I'n there. It's always fun to check out a new place...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 24, 2009 - 05:01pm PT
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Is it known as Red Wing primarily or Barn Bluff?
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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2009 - 05:05pm PT
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not sure Munge, but I think we are talking about the same place. Have you been there? I've heard it's decent (considering it's in Minnesota).
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
way, WAY out there....(OMG)
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Jul 24, 2009 - 05:54pm PT
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Really likin' it.
I used to drop into Taylor's, on occasion.
Very Cool.
Boy, the "choppers" would have fits with THAT bolt!
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Jul 25, 2009 - 01:55am PT
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Nice pics. Minnesota is an excellent place to be from.
Curt
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 25, 2009 - 03:49am PT
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Haven't been to Red Wing/BB yet, but I think they are the same.
Taylor's Falls
Shovel Point
and North Shore
Blue Mounds, but on the SD side
all as a young lad that was used to the desert. Just TR'd some stuff there. the bug ferocity at the campground near north shore sucked donky.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jul 25, 2009 - 08:11am PT
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What I really like about these photos is that expanse of water, and sense that you could be all alone.
Seacliff (well, Great Lake cliff) settings appeal to me in some of the same ways desert ones do.
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DWB
climber
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Jul 25, 2009 - 12:23pm PT
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Most people refer to it (Red Wing/Barn Bluff) as "Red Wing". >150 bolted routes, most of them pretty good, and a few gear leads that you probably don't want to whip on. However the best climbing in Minnesota is in Wisconsin.
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shoestring
Social climber
truckee, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2009 - 01:15pm PT
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Yeah, the setting really made the climbing that much more enjoyable...I learned to climb in Maine (and NH), but I never made it to Acadia. We spent a couple of years in NY after living in CA for about five years (and we have been back in Truckee for over 2 now) and we tried to plan an East Coast adventure - climbing and sea kayaking in Maine, climbing, backpacking and canoeing in New Hampshire, hiking in Vermont, etc (the Gunks was our weekend spot)...as luck would have it, it rained for TWO weeks straight. We bailed and flew to Cabo. I guess that's one of the biggest problems with the east coast - unstable weather.
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