Steamboat Butte and the Leaning Tower of Pitons

I just graduated from MSU-Bozeman with a teaching degree, got a job teaching 7-12 science, and then spent the last week at my parents farm near Billings, house sitting.  While at my parents farm I went exploring in the Bull Mountains of Montana (Just north of Billings). 

Farm life

I bought a few BLM maps and located some public lands that may potentially contain some climbing, but as far we know there have been no climbing routes recorded in the Bull Mountains; thus the rock could be terrible.  What I found on my solo drive out to the 'Bulls prompted me to call (the) Olin (ator) and go exploring with ropes and cams the next day.  We went to an area called steamboat butte and it was much bettter than expected, actually it was great!

Olin with the Butte in sight

 

On the first scouting trip we explored the entire butte, found a few rattlesnakes, stumbled on a historic site with knappings and petroglyphs, and climbed two beautiful splitter cracks. 

 

This butte, we agreed, was a very special area, thus we were determined to have as little impact as possible while climbing.  We determined the ethics of the butte to have two factors;

 

1.) no fixed anchors/gear

2.) do not disturb the historical markings and artifacts in the pursuit of climbing the splitter choss

 

It was obvious that the butte had been visited/abused by many others in the past (the cliff was bullet hole ridden and people had carved their names in the sandstone near the summit), all I'm saying is that we as climbers are better than this, so lets just go climbin'.

 

 

The next day we convinced a crew of fun Billings climbers to join us in picking the plumbs of the area, here's what we found:

 

The crew:  Bridget, Echo, Olin, Chad, and James.

 

 



Myself on the first ascent of "Baahpuuo crack" Which transulates from the Crow language as: they (who) shoot the rock.

 

Olin beneath "Baahpuuo crack", which takes a plumb line to the summit of the butte

 

James Melnyk climbing the beautiful "Friendship crack"

 

Chad Chadwick climbing "friendship crack"

 

Echo Oaks on Olin's awesome climb "House Cleaning"

 

Olin rapping on a gear anchor onto the short crack named "Masters of the Universe"

 

Myself on the first ascent of "Bull Mountain Jam"

 

Chad on "Bull Mountain Jam"

 

Bridget on top of the summit block over the zig-zagging crack she climbed.  The butte is set up in two tiers, so to get to the top you need to climb two pitches (or do the scramble on the backside of the butte).

 

 

 

 

We also climbed the brilliant leaning tower of pitons (aka the pinnacle) in Billings, Montana.  If you want a desert tower experience within city limits, this tower should not be missed!

 



 

 

 

  It's a bit run out until one reaches the crack.

 

 

parting shot

Cheers, Loren



space, time, and the texture of reality

Yesterday I found these topos I drew from a Beartooth climbing trip from many years ago.  For some reason I brought a really deep book to read on this trip (The fabric of the cosmos: Space, time, and the texture of reality) which describes everything physics, and I drew the topos in the blank back pages while sitting around camp.  I hadn't picked this book up for years (and I still haven't read the whole thing) but I started laughing when I flipped the book open to this page.  kinda cool to rediscover.


Cheers, Loren

A week in Zion

The towers of the virgin

Finally (and not a day to soon), I got a whole week off from school and teaching to head to the desert of Utah in an effort to create some vitamin-d, climb sandy rock, and stare awe-struck at the looming walls that are characteristic of Zion National Park.  Bridget and I started our drive from Bozeman, MT, and spent the night visiting friends in SLC.  It was a fun night exploring the city and hanging with the Volkenings. 

We entered Zion National Park during the busiest ever recorded time in its history.  But somehow the cliffs and walls were empty of climbers. The buses, however, were packed to the max with tourists who asked us questions about our strange climbing gear and on why we were covered in sand and blood (most were polite enough that they didn't recoil at our stench and we didn't recoil at their cameras).

Montana wildlife near West Yellowstone

 

Finally in the sunny and sandy land of Zion

 

We started the trip by climbing the fun "right toilet crack" at the temple of sinawava. It was a butt kicker for "only" being 5.10-, but it was fun and we had the route all to our selves.

 

Bridget following on the first pitch of "right toilet cracks".

 

Bridget on the second pitch of "right toilet cracks".

 

 

 

Bridget on the 4th pitch of "right toilet cracks"

 

myself striking my best warrior pose on the top of "right toilet crack"

 

Bridget becoming one with the universe

 

We then climbed "lead by sheep" on Aries butte during a day when it was predicted to rain (which it didn't). What a strange yet satisfying route. Run out 5.7 climbing on petrified sand dunes brings one to the summit of this feature with great views all around.

Bridget approaching Aries Butte

 

pictographs

Bridget on the first pitch of "lead by sheep"- Aries butte

 

Bridget climbing on "lead by sheep"

 

View from near the summit of Aries butte

 

 

 

 

Bridget bouldering

 

After "lead by sheep" we geared up for 'Space shot" on the leaning wall. We planned on spending a night on the wall and got an early start. Once we reached the fourth pitch we were in the full sun and baking under the heat. I managed to lead the C2 pitch in two hours. I am not an aid climber and this was the hardest thing I had ever lead on clean aid; it kinda fried me out with the mental weirdness and the intense sun beating down on us. I decided that I didn't want to lead the next pitch (also C2), so we bailed and were back in Springdale by supper. It was a learning experience for me for sure, I need to get my wall climbing techniques down better.

 

Space shot ascends just to the left of the great arch in the background.  (photo by Kevin Volkening taken from the base of moonlight buttress).

 

psyched!

 

Bridget leads the second pitch of Space shot

Bridget being cognizant of the buses below

 

Merica' - myself rigging our "cheater stick" with some pride. 

 

Myself on the first C2 lead (pitch 4) of space shot

 

This is about when I decided that aid climbing may not be my thing.

Even when we bail on a route Bridget keeps on smiling

 

Bailing from space shot

 

A scorpion that was under our tent

 

We spent the next day climbing the best route of the trip- "headache" near the tunnel. Three great 5.10 crack pitches brought us to the top with poop-eating grins on our faces. 

 

 

Bridget on the first pitch of "Headache"

Myself on the second pitch of "Headache"

Myself on the third pitch of "Headache"- tight-tight hands.

 

Mt. Kinesava from our camp site

 

Unfortunately our camera batteries died with a few days left on the end of the trip. We did some really good climbing sans photos. We got on "Iron Messiah" A pretty cool route. The first pitch was the best by farrrrrr- but don't blow the first three clips. We also headed to St George where we finally were able to take a shower and camp with a flush toilet in the beautiful Snow Canyon State Park. We climbed the ultra-classic "Living on the edge" a great 4 pitch (5.10) sport route (except for the last 5.9 pitch) that climbs right on the edge of a small arch and then takes a plumb line to the top of the formation. On the descent Bridget and I ran smack dab into a Gila monster that was as large as my forearm!

I had a lot of fun on this trip and I can't wait to head back this coming fall with a rack full of offset gear!

 

Cheers, Loren