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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Jun 30, 2010 - 06:18pm PT
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I've wondered about that too, don't the beetles just crawl out of the fallen trees and get into another? IDK. As a FF I've butted heads with the FS more than once about the amount of debris left from thinning and slashing in places. Sometimes it creates more of a fire danger.
I did see some perfectly green trees cut and some bug infested ones left standing, makes no sense to me, but I'll leave that up to the ones that know. When its all said and done, the Harney area isn't going to be pretty. There are a lot of bug trees that are coming out of that area. The fire in Yellowstone wasn't pretty either, but with time, look at it now. Hope they know what they're doing here.
Doesn't look to busy in the Spires so far this season.
Curse this working for a living.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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I got out with a buddy another day last week as well and we did a few routes on Bartizan. They were Crack of Earthly Delights, Terror-Cracktyl, and Afternoon Delight some of the parties involved in the FA's were Bob Archbold, Pete Delannoy, Jim Black, Steve Levin, Rich Cordes, John Matteson, Jay Ellwein and Todd Van Alstyne. I know Pete and Bob and I have done a bunch of their routes. They were picking off some real plums considering names like the Conns, Kamps, Robbins, Steve Wunsch, Chuck Pratt, John Gill, Jim Beyer, Mark and Beverly Powell, Rich Goldston, Dick Williams, Pete Cleveland, Dick Laptad, Kevin Bein, Barbra Devine, Tom Higgins, Paul Muehl, Fritz Wiessner, Dennis Horning, Paul Piana, Frank Sanders, John Bragg, Art Gran, Dave Rearick, Walt Bailey, Don Lauria, Greg Child, Lawrence Covney, Mark Hudon, and Fred Beckey have already had their pick of the litter. I bet those guys and gals could tell some stories.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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OK crimpie it is finally warm. Upper 90's most of the week. Getting a little greasy out there. Here are some pictures that aren't in the Needles but still good Black Hills rock. The warm weather really makes the rasberries ripe.
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Cool! We were driving home from today's adventure on the East Side and I was actually day-dreaming about the Needles. Very neat to get here and see these photos. We need to make plans and get out there! Thanks for the mini-TR!
edit: Ooops. Crimpergirl here - Obviously BrassNuts was signed in on the machine.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 23, 2010 - 10:21pm PT
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Took my 9 year old up Spire 4 yesterday. It is the highest summit of about 90 in the immediate area. He had done a couple of 5.8's at the the tower a couple of weeks ago, but old school 5.4 kicked his but a little. He made it to the top though and had an experience he wont soon forget as he did his first multi pitch and his first rappel controling himself with me backing him up.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Nov 14, 2010 - 08:36pm PT
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Did some climbing in Grizzly Bear Creek and the Playground this weekend with a good crew. We did Yellow Devil, Kid Sister, Mopsie, Owly, Cowly, Wren Nest, Long John Silver, and some others that I can't remember the name of.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Nov 14, 2010 - 08:43pm PT
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Nov 14, 2010 - 08:50pm PT
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That's a sweet bunch of pics, Mike!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2010 - 11:09pm PT
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Love the posts Mike. Given the addition of titanium in our house, only one trip was made to the Needles this year - and it was for a single day. BrassNuts went with a friend.
Next year.... Until then, these photos rock!
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Feb 17, 2011 - 01:57pm PT
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Just wanted to share some great areial photos taken by Andrew busse who is a hllecopter piolot in the guard and is writing a new guidbook to the Mt Rushmore area that will include a huge area and a massive amount of stone. These photos give you a good idea of the huge resourse available to climbers in the SouthernBlack Hills. The book will have photos by the well know climbing photographer Andrew Burr and will cover a lot of obscure areas that were documented in Touch the Sky in 1980 but with little real way to find them. They have researched this ifno maticulously and have devised a system to make it much easier to find what you are looking for in a very complex area. Here is a link to his site on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Black-Hills-Rock-Climbing-Guidebook-Vol-1-Harney-Peak-Southeast/102014433195714
The rocks in these photos can be upwards of 400 ft so as you can see there is a lot of potential.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Feb 17, 2011 - 02:45pm PT
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Just a few more from the area taken about 2 weeks after Sturgis this last year.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 17, 2011 - 02:57pm PT
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Oh, this is just what the doctor ordered. My feet feel tingly just looking at these. Thanks!
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Bobert
Trad climber
boulder, Colorado
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Feb 22, 2011 - 01:28pm PT
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If I had to pick a favorite rock climbing area, it would be the Needles near Sylvan Lake. I like everything about it. Some people whine about the tourists, but I have been able to successfully ignore them. They are harmless and don't venture very far from the road.
The climbing is spectacular and steep, mostly on crystals, and tests your ability to trad climb. Protection is mostly hand-drilled bolts (many of which are old and too small to begin with).
Paul Muehl, one of the area's pioneers, guarded the area like one of his children. Bolts were to be hand-drilled on the lead. That means its very challenging to put in new routes. Actually its very challenging to repeat the old ones since bolts are often few and far between due to the difficulty of placing them.
So far, the area has not been reduced to thousands of rap-bolted sport climbs. I like rap-bolted sport climbs, but I also really like at least one place in the world that requires a leader to climb with total commitment.
The Indians were rumored to consider the place one of great "medicine". I always feel something like that when I am there.
And the spirit of Paul Muehl seems to be floating around. Sometimes I imagine seeing him perched on top of one of the pinnacles and can hear his sardonic chuckle in the distance. I still automatically look for his old white pickup driving up to the parking lot.
Bob Culp
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Bobert
Trad climber
boulder, Colorado
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Feb 22, 2011 - 02:07pm PT
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Rich,
I just read your account of the first of Needle's Eye. Classic story and really takes me back there. My palms were sweating just thinking about it.
Paul took me up that climb on my first trip to the Needles. I still remember trying to figure out reasonable moves near the top above that manky old pin. When I got up I asked him "How hard is that anyway?" He replied "I think Goldstone called it 5.8." Then he added with a little snort "Needles 5.8."
Anyway I know I'm in Needles climbing shape when I can lead that one without freaking out.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Feb 22, 2011 - 02:45pm PT
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Did one trip, totally memorable.
I remember the rock is like concrete with broken shards of glass mixed in.
Crimper is right... all ya gotta do is brush up against it and you'll know it.
Love the scenery there and the pins... beautiful, wanna go back.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Feb 22, 2011 - 02:50pm PT
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Bob, thanks for the perspective. I did your route on Hallet's a couple of years ago and it reminded me a lot of climing in the needles. Sort of a macro version on East Gruesome. No extra bolts on those routes.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Mar 13, 2011 - 11:42pm PT
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Got over to the needles to do a little ice climbing.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2011 - 11:47pm PT
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BBBRrrrrrr! Cool stuff.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Mar 13, 2011 - 11:50pm PT
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Weschrist, tried to see why they put the smith rock pic up but could not find anyone that would claim the site. "Contact us" just sent you to advetisors. Lame.
Crimpie, I wanted to rock climb but too cold. It was fairly warm ice climbing though.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Its getting to be time. Mid 60s yesterday.
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