The Bruce Traverse

David did a big traverse with us in the Weminuche a month ago and decided he needed some more.  For round two we decided to go for 8 days, climb a peak and spend some time in the very remote Ten Mile basin.

Day 1: David and I took the train to Elk park and hiked up the Colorado trail to the beaver ponds at 10′000′.

Day 2: We left the Colorado trail, crossed Elk Creek and headed south into Vestal Basin on the rough climbers trail.

Day 3: Summit day.  We got up early and climbed Arrow Peak then headed back down to camp.  David upgraded from having “Mad Skills” to having “Crazy Mad Skills” on the climb.

David on the way up Arrow.

Summit of Arrow Peak

Day 4: We headed back up to the upper bench then traversed over to Vestal lake and over the strenuous Vestal-West Trinity saddle.  Then descended to camp at the west side of Balsam Lake in Ten Mile Basin.

Below Vestal Peak.

Asking for directions from the locals.

Balsam Lake below.

Day 5: Rest day at the seldom visited Balsam Lake.

Day 6: We continued the southern trend and hiked up and over the Peak 5/Peak 6 saddle into upper Noname Basin.  Then dropped down to the second tier of Noname to camp.

The “Bruce Traverse” is a high alpine traverse that runs from the Vestal/West Trinity saddle down into Ten Mile and then exits Ten Mile at the saddle between Peak 5 and Peak 6.  It’s named after a great explorer of the Weminuche.

At camp with Knife point behind.

Day 7: David and I hiked down Noname to a great campsite at the confluence of Noname creek and the Animas River.

Day 8: We finished the hike out along the Animas to Needleton and caught the north bound train to Silverton for lunch. Then caught the bus back to Durango, finishing off a great trip!

The blog post from our first adventure can be found HERE.

David it was great climbing, hiking, talking and joking with you!  Game for next summer?

BK

Joe Wilson

As is expected Jeff was nearly an hour late picking me up.  He had some crap excuses but I wasn't really listening, I was just glad to finally be in his truck headed for the desert.  Early this spring Bill, Matt and I got shut down on what was left of the towers in the Joe Wilson area because of snow.  Although after seeing the photo of Chris on top of Texas Tower maybe snow is not a valid excuse.

We had one day and three towers to climb, starting with the East Canyon Fin.  Luckily Jeff enjoys sharing truck paint this the bushes allowing us to cut out a total of an hour of hiking compared to where Bill had parked a few months before.  I guess that makes up for him being a little late.  

While climbing "Brides of Mine" Jeff's rope received a serious core shot.  The day before we left he got his new rope in.  Jeff was ampted to break in the new line and led off on the first pitch, leaving me the second pitch wide crack.  Although I know it would surprise Sam, I'd have to say the climbing on the fin was better then anything I experienced on the Rainbow Wall in Red Rocks.  Super solid quality climbing start to finish.  

Next on the list was Moby Dick's Head and Tail.  Both of which ended up being scarier and harder then we expected.  Maybe I was not in the right mind space but I don't think Moby Dick's Head will go free very easily.  After the three towers we started looking for 'The Anvil' but decided to leave that for another trip.

Hiking to East Canyon Fin.

Jeff on pitch 1.

On top of East Canyon Fin.

Cord taken from 'Lady in a Bathtub'.

Jeff rappeling East Canyon Fin

Moby Dick's Tail

Moby Dick's Tail

Pins on Moby Dick's Head

Valley of the Gods Part 2

So two weeks later the three of us plus Jeff were able to take a day off and go check out that unknown tower.

It's dangerous asking around about a climb that you think might be an FA.  It draws people attention to it before you've had a chance to get out and climb it.  I find it's better to head out there prepared for and FA and if it's been climbed it's been climbed.  That's what we did.  We looked through the books and online and found no info on the unknown tower so we carried the kitchen sink up there to have a look.

Half way up the first pitch I noticed bolts on pitch two above me.  Damn it!  When this happens you tell your self, "Well at least we have been saved a lot of work and all the bolts be brought up can be put to use on some thing else."

Anyways the route was super fun!  I lead pitch one and brought up Ian and Bill then promply called pitch two if no one else wanted it.  With Jeff on the ground he had no say in the matter.  Bill and Ian said ok and I was off before they could realize what they had agreed to.  As I was leading pitch two Jeff came up and discovered me leading the next and final pitch and threw a hissy fit.  Of course I procceded to get shit from all three of them for the rest of the climb, "you stole the lead", "way to be a team player...NOT", and on it went.   All I have to say is I don't think they would have gotten to the top of the tower with out me dragging them up the thing!

Hopefully we will figure out some history and get the real name.  But until then, to save the world from another unnamed route we called the tower "Brides of Mine" and the route is "Yes Dear".

Ian on pitch 1.

Leading pitch 2.

High on pitch 2.

Bill jugging pitch 2.

Ian looking towards Tides of Mind.

Thigh tanning.

Ian trying to free the bolt ladder.

Bill still thigh tanning.

The price we pay.

With no drilling needed we were done pretty early and thus headed over to another tower none of us had climbed, "Lady in a Bathtub".  Jeff had climbed the first pitch solo in the past but didn't summit.  I was told that I was not to lead on this tower to make up for "Brides of Mine".  Fine by me.
Great day in the desert guys!

Hiking up to "Lady in a Bathtub"

Bill on pitch 1.

Jeff's angry face.

Jeff near the top of pitch 2. 

On Top.

Bill heading for the car.

Valley of the Gods Part 1

Bill, Ian and I were going to the desert for a day of climbing without a plan.  Well with out a plan other then the climbing done was going to be on towers.  Bill nor Ian had been to the 'Valley of the Gods' before and I had not been since Brad and I spent a weekend there in 2006.  So the decision was made.  (Brad has some great TR from those climbs here, here and here.)  We talked to Jeff since he has climbed everything in the area to see what he would suggest.  We were told that Tom-Tom, Tommy Knocker, and Tides of Mind would make a good day.  Of the little that I remembered from my last trip, I did remember to expect some loose rock.

Tommy Knocker was first since it was closest to the road.  Besides a fall on the first pitch because of loose rock, it went well.  We did apparently did the third ascent which is hard to believe.

Starting Pitch 1.

Checking out the offwidth on the last pitch.

Bill on top of Tommy Knocker.

We had read the route description of Tom-Tom and looked at the route and were less then impressed.  So when it looked as if we could put up a two pitch link up/variation we did it.  We rapped off Tommy Knocker back to the notch between the two towers and were able to traverse a loose ledge over to the original route of Tom-Tom.  Meeting it part way through the last pitch.  Skipping the loose rock and unprotectable chimneys/offwidths below.  Tom-Tom must have felt cheated or maybe thought we didn't try hard enough, because our ropes got stuck on top of pitch one on the rappels.  Meaning we had to lead the first pitch of the original route to retrieve them.

The traverse ledge on Tom-Tom.

Ian's attentive belay for the traverse lead.

Bill showing off on the last bit to the summit.

Tom-Tom

Less then an inspiring anchor situation.

Retrieving the stuck rope.

On the hike to Tides of Mind we noticed a tower that was not in the guide books.  We made a mental note and kept hiking.  Stick to the Mission!  Tides of Mind goes all free and of the 10 towers I've done in the valley, by far the most quality!  Super fun way to finish the day!

The unknown tower...

Leading Tides of Mind.

Bill rappeling off of Tides of Mind.

The Red

Ever since Sam and Liz's wedding in Kentucky last year, Amanda and I have decided that we need to make climbing in Red River Gorge an annual thing.  This year Bill, Amanda and I flew out to Chicago to meet Chris.  Chris picked us up at the airport and showed us around the town.  The next day we stopped at the indoor climbing gym that Chris climbs at and got in some laps to keep us from going crazy on the drive down to 'The Red'.  We stayed at Miguel's as usual.  It's hard to beat the conveinience of Miguels, camping, showers, pizza, wifi, covered cooking area, etc.

Chicago 

Thwe ever popular Miguel's.

Ben on 'Stunning the Hog'.

Amanda on the first of two sit down rest on 'Banshee'.

Chris taking some whips!

Bill.

Chris

Bill going for it at the 'Solarium'. 

Amanda having a horrid time in 'The Red'.

Amanda on 'Aquaduck Pocket'.

Playing 'Angry Birds' on the drive back to Chicago.

The climbing in 'The Red' is nothing less then amazing!  There are so many walls and so much rock it's hard not to find routes that get you giddy!  I think we all have our projects that we are going to go back to next year.  Although we all would have loved to stay longer, after 3 days of climbing it was time to head back to Chicago for work and flights home.