Wyoming climbing appreciation thread

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mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2010 - 12:45am PT

Sometimes I wish I was unemployed, but 40 hours a week for almost 20 years now. My older brother was on the dole in Winter Park for over a year and I swear he climbed more than he has in many many years, and that is with two toddlers in his mid 40's.

Pennsylenvy

Gym climber

A dingy corner in your refrigerator

Feb 14, 2011 - 01:49am PT

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Feb 14, 2011 - 01:55am PT

The top o the Grand with Moran and Jenny lake in the background?

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 26, 2011 - 08:48pm PT

Wyoming bump. First of hopefully many trips this year.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Apr 26, 2011 - 09:31pm PT

I love climbing in Wyoming, I started in the Tetons in 1966 and will be in the Winds this August. The only mediocre climbing I've done there is Wild Iris.

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 27, 2011 - 12:05am PT

Jim, have you ever checked out the Big Horns? Lots of walls from 10-13 thousand feet, but a lot of walking to get there. Would love to see some pics from back in the day climbing in the tetons or winds. MM

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Apr 27, 2011 - 10:45am PT

Mike, I took a bunch of boyscouts into the Cloud Peak area when I was working for Exum in the early 70's. Wouldn't mind going back for some new routes.

Branscomb

Trad climber

Lander, WY

Apr 27, 2011 - 12:40pm PT

Mr. Donini: awhh, how can you say that about our beloved piles of old clam sh#t and bat guano? So cruel to our delicate and ever sensitive egos.

You should have been around here when the boys and girls (with all due respect to their climbing talents) were working everything out up there. They told me if I wished to put up any routes on their preserve that I had to name them for cowboy and indian themes. That was pretty strange to me and I just thought to myself, screw you, I'll name it whatever I want. But, I do have the long history of being the black sheep around here, unapologetic and contrary as I am towards the 'beautiful people' and not an outstanding climber to boot.

I thought that one day I would go up there and see a big tent and Ferris Wheels and all. It was such a circus.

My final act in completely torpedoing myself in the eyes of the 'beautifuls' was take down about 75% of the signs they had put up for the 1st Lander climbing festival. There were signs everywhere, literally, to point out the way to what must have been blind climbers. It was really an excessive number of signs that really was what my friends and I considered a eyesore. This is public land and there were all these signs just everywhere. I mean, if you can't orient yourslef in a sport climbing place with a guide book, you better just leave. So, after asking that Fall if they were going to take them down (no real response), we took most of them down, leaving a few what we thought were useful signs posts. I dumped them on the floor of the shop one day in a nice way, like, hey, here are your signs.

You would have thought I'd punched the Queen of England in the nose. I won't go into the details, because all those folks are/were really pretty nice, but I think a couple of them had a little problem with perspective on the whole deal. It was pretty serious stuff for them, part of making big names for themselves so they could make a viable living at climbing.

Anyway, I've seldom heard such a chewing out as I got from a couple of them. It was on the verge of mental imbalance.

It was pretty trippy, especially since it's all on public land, though I seriously believe they thought it was somehow their Private Idaho. I drew some cartoons about it all to relieve my mental pressure. Maybe sometime I'll post them.

Anyway, a bit of local history from the black sheep side of the tracks.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Apr 27, 2011 - 01:14pm PT

Big Jim, we should talk cloud peak some time...
dble Owg,chillin' in the windgate, jonesin' the sherman granite....

Dick_Lugar

Trad climber

Indiana (the other Mideast)

Apr 27, 2011 - 01:23pm PT

That's a great story Branscomb! Good on ya mate for stirring the pot and being a nonconformist. I can only imagine what you have to deal with living amongst the "chosen ones".

Edit: Jaybro! Moving to FC, CO May 12th!!! Only an hr. away from the VOO! Looking forward to it. Hopefully the Bugaloo will be on this year?

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Apr 27, 2011 - 02:04pm PT

Everyone forgets Fremont Canyon; it's a pretty intimidating place.

Right now the water is too high, for many of the starting ledges are under water. The North Platte is really flowing now.

The "amenities" are minimal, but a few miles of driving to Pathfinder Reservoir will give decent campsites and water.

Carpenter's Corner, 5.8; Bushwacker, 5.9; Imjin Scout, 5.10a(X) and Greystoke, 5.10d, are my favorite routes in the canyon.

I did a recon trip yesterday to see whether of not climbing is feasible yet; it snowed on my drive home!

Dingus McGee

Social climber

Laramie

Apr 27, 2011 - 03:44pm PT

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 27, 2011 - 03:58pm PT

Brokedown, do they have a current guidebook for Freemont/Dome Rock? I forgot my book and a .5 camelot on a ledge at Dome Rock while climbing with my then Pregnant wife 11 years ago. So if anyone has seen them I would love to get them back. But I would buy a new one if they are in print if mine does not get returned. Thanks in advance. Mike

Dingus that must be your Gurnsey project. How is the Rock? It looks a little soft.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Apr 27, 2011 - 04:53pm PT

Mike-

There is still a Steve Petro guidebook "in print," but it hasn't been updated recently. There are rumors of a new guidebook and author, but so far nothing has come of it...

I've been updating and adding some new additional route info at mountainproject.com in addition to lots of photos. Check it out.

Locally I climb with Kelly Moore, one of the major new route pioneers at the canyon; he's still recovering from a near fatal illness several years ago, so I haven't been very active recently either.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Apr 27, 2011 - 05:13pm PT

Here are a couple shots taken at the Pathfinder Reservoir marina area:

I've only done one route called "Clueless," at 5.9; a 5 bolt protected face climb with a good rappel anchor atop the route. Here's a beta photo:

The rocks are a 15 minute uphill slog from the marina boat ramp parking.

Dingus McGee

Social climber

Laramie

Apr 27, 2011 - 05:34pm PT

mike m,

have you ever climbed the North Six Shooter? Yes, much like it near the top this area has some soft bands. Of the approximately 250 bolts placed two did not torque up. Because of these soft bands I placed more bolts than I typically would. Notice the new rocks (from the layer above the rap anchors) strewn around the base and how flat the base ledge is underneath these. The cliff has stood solid for some time geologically -- no angled talus. This would have been washed (smooth) flat when the stream was last here. The flat is now about 40 feet above the intermittent stream bed.

Dick_Lugar

Trad climber

Soon-to-be-a Greenie!!!

Apr 27, 2011 - 05:42pm PT

Nope, didn't see your guidebook and .5 Mike at Dome Rock, and that's about the last time I climbed there too.

Dingus...what's up with that last anchor??? Couldn't you find any rock that wasn't fractured 360 deg. all the way around it? Yikes!

Broken-No one ever mentions Fremont 'cuz we didn't want a bunch of Yahoos showing up, back in the day. Even with all the "Free" advertising it gets around here, it hardly gets climbed.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Apr 27, 2011 - 05:55pm PT

Dick-

No problems there; Fremont scares the schizz out of most casual, drop-in climbers, who then head to Dome Rock.

I've been climbing at Fremont since 1986, and still don't really *like* the place.

Dick_Lugar

Trad climber

Soon-to-be-a Greenie!!!

Apr 27, 2011 - 08:39pm PT

Yep, it's weird to have to rap into a climb, but once you get past that, it's a gem of an area. I climbed mostly there from '94-'99. Can't wait to get back this summer and get "lowered in"!