Black Mountain y-couloir

Winter is finally here. This past weekend Bridget and I chased the snow that accumulated high in the mountains of central Montana. We decided to climb the Y-couloir on Black Mountain (located east of Paradise valley). Bridget and I had been kicked off this peak with force this past spring by a strong snow storm that left us sprinting for the trail head, a rematch was in order. We figured that there would be ice somewhere on the peak and perhaps the Y-couloir would be in fine shape. We left Pine creek trailhead at 8:00am and made great progress to the beautiful Pine creek lake; one of the coolest high mountain lakes I have ever been to.


Bridget hiking up the 5,000 some feet to Black Mountain under perfect fall conditions.


Bridget on the approach

When we reached the lake we could just slightly make out the summit of Black Mountain as strong winds raked the summit and clouds swirrled around it. We climbed up snow covered boulderfields to the base of the route, passing beautiful blue marble (?) boulders that would be perfect to climb on in the summer. When we reached the base of the couloir we found the snow to be incredibly windloaded and a bit spooky. We decided to rope up, hug the rock to our right, and place as much gear as possible between us as we simul-climbed. We literally swam up the couloir as spin drift slides randomly cascaded on us. After looking at the left branch of the Y-couloir we decided to go up the right branch. We could see some ice bulges and the objective dangers didn't look as bad.


The bottom section of the couloir, spooky windloaded snow and strange pro.


Bridget is down there somewhere.

Bridget lead out as she got pounded by spin drift "slides". She climbed through the crux of the route over a fun 80' section of ice and neve. We topped the couloir out and both sat in the sun as we nursed the first screaming barfies of the year.


Bridget on the upper section on the couloir




just having fun


This whole section was composed of rock-hard ice, burried just under the powder snow.


Bridget nears the top of the couloir


Heading to the summit.


Bridget on the top


And this is why I love Montana.


This is another reason why I love Montana.


The only down side was the amount of trash we found at the lake, lame.

We scrambled against the wind to the summit then decended the North ridge back down to the lake. We hiked out to the trailhead in the dark and decended from winter back into autumn. The experience was about as good as it gets and a great reintroduction back to winter.



Cheers, Loren

Pensive Tower

Pensive Tower and where we went, take this topo with a grain of salt

Bridget and I had another great climbing trip this past weekend (Oct. 1). We drove to the west fork of Rock Creek and camped at the trail head on a Friday night as the stars illuminated the trees and mountains around us. We awoke early (5:00am) and hiked the 9 or so miles to the base of the tower. Along our hike we encountered a small pine martin on the trail. The pine martin was inquisitive and kept poking it's head out from rocks at our feet. We continued hiking and turned our headlamps off at quinnebaugh meadows where we rounded a corner and saw two large moose grazing in the meadow.



From this point on the west face of Silver Run Peak dominated the view, as a series of walls drop down to the creek for nearly 3,000'. Pensive tower is a route I have always wanted to climb ever sense I had first wandered up the valley. It's a perfect line on a perfect piece of alpine granite. There is no real information on the route aside from a very brief mention in the Brunkhorst Guide. I had heard of a few people who had attempted the route. Most of the parties I knew ended up bailing on the route because the difficulties encountered were much harder than the guide book states, or the notorious Beartooth weather swept them off. For some reason I kind of had a stigma with this piece of rock...


Bridget crossing the creek


Bridget on the approach. Pensive tower looms above.

With this in mind Bridget and I crossed the creek then headed up to the base of the route. The fist "approach pitch" was composed of terrible loose choss and steep grass climbing. I was hoping the whole route wasn't going to be like this. After the approach pitch the rock got better, dare I say, good! Steep, short splitter cracks abounded and the rock took protection well.




Myself climbing up the prow




Bridget following one of the 5.10 pitches.





The guide book says the route should be 9-14 pitches of 5.8 climbing. On pitch 4 we hit a solid bit of beautiful 5.10 climbing, not hard, but hard enough in the mountains with a pack on. A few pitches later I looked up and saw some leaver gear at the base of a steep corner system. I climbed up to it, clipped the fixed gear, then tried to wiggle my way into a steep groove that lacked holds or a crack. The back of the rounded groove was composed of loose brick sized blocks. I down climbed and looked around, the fixed gear was obviously a rappel/bail anchor (as it wasn't in the least bit stuck). I peered up into the groove again and pulled off the #4 cam. I placed this between the loose blocks (so the blocks cammed on either side of the groove) and sketchly french freed at A0. A good #3 placement was just in reach now so I plugged and pulled on this piece as well. After that episode (and a few more A0 moves) we arrived at a large ledge. We continued climbing pitching the feature out until the terrain mellowed out and we could safely simul-climb. We topped out at 4:00pmish.


Bridget leads through a few roofs




Miles of easy simul-climbing near the top


A confused Asian man near the top, White tail peak in the background.


Bridget on zee summite

We packed our bags and hurried off the Silver Run Plateau under dark skies. We eventually hiked the 9 miles back down (Sundance Pass) to the car, 15 hours after leaving it.


Bridget doing a speedy descent off the plateau


Hiking out we stared at the golden aspen trees as they swayed in the breeze, then scarred a porky pine that was in the trail. The best part of the hike out was finding a lodge pole pine that had been mutilated by a cantankerous bear.

This climb coincided with my Birthday, and you know what? I couldn't have had a better present.



Cheers, Loren

Classic Routes for the Mortal man

La Sportiva Live and I collaborated to write a short article on "Classic routes for the Mortal Man". I'd like to thank all the folks at La Sportiva, Bridget, and Brad for being great climbing partners and for providing pictures.

to read the story click HERE .

Cheers, Loren

Lines on a topo map

The back side of the Dog's tooth at sunrise

Scott Salzer and I ventured into the Crazy Mountains for our annual pilgrimage. We choose to explore a theoretical cliff located N-E of twin Lakes. The lines on the topo map made the area look promising. We started hiking at 5:00am and arrived beneath the mountain at daybreak, the problem was the cliff is located on the other side of the mountain. We climbed for 2,500 feet up following a rib of perfect pink granite. We hoped that this granite poked out the other side at the unseen cliff. It didn't. We arrived at the top of the cliff and looked down on a 600' cliff of choss. We decided to try and climb a line on the cliff that looked somewhat safe. It wasn't. After climbing around a huge chock stone I stepped to the left and placed a piece of gear, just as I did this half of the bottom of the chock stone fell off, the size of a kitchen table. Lucky I was out of the way, and Scott was hidden in a cave. Shaken I climbed the last 25 feet of 5.10- climbing to the top of the chock stone where, after finding nothing but rotton rock, I placed the only bolt I have ever placed in the mountains and bailed. The climb had a very sinister feel to it. The entire time we were climbing we had to brush off small bones from the holds. It turns out that the chock stone was home to a large owl (we never saw) and the ground was littered with owl pellets and bones. This is one cliff I don't think I ever need to go back to and honestly I don't recommend any climber going there unless you like bad rock. However, It was great learning experience and another 'crazy' climbing experience with Scott.

Cheers, Loren

Scott on top of the ridge before dropping down the other side to the base of the wall.



Scott splunk-climbing



Scott rappelling off the wall




I know this is cheesy, trust me.



A video of the day.

Ainger Lake

A climb with Nathan Cooper.

I cut back on the wording for this original post because it was to verbose for me. I had to include something about this haliarious day though.

1.) Nathan is not a climber. This climb "jump the gap" is 6 pitches of 5.10 climbing.
2.) We forgot to bring along 2 belay/rappel devices. I belayed with a munter hitch.
3.) Nathan had a baskeball sized rock fall directly on his head. He nearly blacked out, we tested the munter hitch belay.
4.) The runouts were real on this climb. Broken-leg country abounded. The tiny rack of draws and a half set of hexes were inadequate.
5.) We did a semi-blind, 60M, free hanging rappel off the formation. Nathan has never rappelled. We had only 1 belay device. I went first to make sure the ropes touched; I tied the belay device on the ends of the rope, Nathan brought the device up to him, and I coached him how to rappell, from 200' below.

it was a classic climbing trip with Nathan.
Cheers, Loren

Cowen Cirque

Mount Cowen from paradise valley. The NE arete is the left skyline.

Brad Stanton and I just returned from a fun weekend trip to Mount Cowen in the Absorka range of Montana. This beautiful peak (cirque) has great rock and breathtaking vistas. As Marko Prezelj has stated "Personal experiences in the mountains can't be transformed into a uniform creation that will copy and transmit the same feelings". Every single post in this blog is an example of this statement. Writing these posts I always feel a bit awkward as I try and hint at a deeper meaning to being in the mountains.


Brad and I's darker sides exposed at the start of the NE arete of Cowen


View from the NE ridge


Brad on the NE arete. We simul-climbed the fun route in 3 "pitches".




Lewis and Clark would be proud


On the descent we encountered a Ram who had fallen from cliffs high above.


Brad showed me "the world's smallest boulder problem". It works with any rock about this size and is actually wicked hard, similar to chair bouldering. photo by Brad Stanton

After climbing the NE ridge of Cowen we decided to climb "GO West!" on the Anacker Tower.




Brad on P1


P2 photo by Brad Stanton


P2


P3


Brad not finding much gear on P4


P5


P6


P6 photo by Brad Stanton


Brad on P7. An outstanding pitch of exposed knobby face climbing into a splitter hand crack, great way to finish.


Brad on the top, again Lewis and Clark would be proud.


Descent off the tower

The Cowen cirque is a pretty amazing place.

Cheers, Loren