Behind the Rocks

I wake to my phone ringing and realize that the dream I had about turning my alarm clock off and going back to sleep was in fact, not a dream.   Bill is waiting in his truck out front wondering were I am.  You would think that after years of me giving people crap for being late, slow, and inefficient that when I mess up and am slowing down the show I would get it back in folds.  But Bill doesn't even have a sarcastic remark for me.  One of only three things can explain this 1) Bill only got two hours of sleep. 2) He realizes that I'm beating myself up already. 3) He's a better person then I am.  The truth is likely a combination of 1 and 3 but I like to think it is 2.

Packing for "Brad's Tower"  

It's getting light when we are driving past Cortez and I'm kicking myself for slowing down the show and wasting daylight.  We stop along the highway near a tower that Brad has been pointing out every time we drive by for years.  It's been dubbed "Brad's Tower".  The closer we get to the feature the less and less it looks less like a tower, until Bill and I stop walking.  We decide "Brad's Tower" is unworthy of our effort and head back to the car.

Unsure of what to do Bill drives north as I frantically flip through guidebooks offering suggestions.  I hear a quiet "I've been looking at that for years, we could do that."  Just of the road is a little spike of rock near the Behind the Rocks area.  It's not super proud but it will do.  Bill leads and I jug the line that Bill has fixed to a few bad pins and himself.  After a experience the night before Bill calls the tower "The College Girl" and names the route "Almost got Laid."

Bill, checking to see if there are signs of anchors. 

Bill, doing his happy dance.

Summit!

The reason for Bill's 2 hours of sleep the night before.

Near by is another small feature that we decided to climb before heading home that we are calling, "Table Scraps."

Me on top of "Table Scraps".

"Table Scraps" on the hill and "The College Girl" in the lower right. 

Astroman!

Bill, Matt and I climbed Astroman in the end of September.  Turns out the thing is classic for a reason!  Amazing climbing!  We started out behind a slow crew which was frustrating but they got turned around by the 'Harding Slot' and rappelled.
Bill walked the 'Boulder Problem' which had turned me away.
The 'Enduro' pitch was a little easier than expected with a few rests along the way. But still a great lead by Matt.
Matt yelled down from the top of the 'Harding Slot' after leading it, "I don't want to be cocky but I'm pretty sure that where we come from that was easy."
We topped out just before dark thirsty and happy.  We ran back down the North Dome Gully to our bags at the base and some extra water.

Bill on pitch 1.

Matt following pitch 2.

Checking out the Boulder Problem.  About to get shut down.

Bill knows that to send you must be one with the rock.

The ultimate crotch shot.  Matt on the Enduro pitch.

Ready for something.

Matt

Bill

Bill after the 'Changing Corners' pitch.

North Cascades, WA

Chris and I had been talking about going to the North Cascades to climb for a while and we finally made it happen.  Chris flew in from Chicago, and I drove up from Durango and picked him up from the Seattle Airport.  The next day we approached Forbidden Peak and set up camp in Boston Basin where we had great views of Johannesburg Mountain.

Packing at the trail head.

Camp with Johannesburg Mountain in the background.

Chris enjoying the day with Boston Peak in the background.

We climbed the West Ridge on Forbidden the following day in perfect weather and then camped one more night in Boston Basin, before heading through the mist back down to the car. 

Negotiating the moat.

At the notch on the West Ridge of Forbidden.

The West Ridge of Forbidden.

Summit!

After descending we drove over to the east side of the North Cascades to the little town of Mazama.  Where we were lucky enough to be there the night of the 2012 Fall Mountain Festival, and get stoked for the next day of climbing with slide shows from Mark Allen and Blake Herrington.

Morning view form the tent.

Walking though the mist.

The morning after all stoked up from the slide shows we climbed the SW Rib on South Early Winter Spire on Washington Pass.

Chris on the SW Rib of South Early Winter Spire.

Last pitch.

What a great way to end our trip in Washington!  Super fun climbing with spectacular views!

Elk Hunting

My Dad, uncle Bill and cousin Mick just came out to go elk hunting.  Bill, Dad and I with Muzzleloaders and Mick with his bow.  We ended up not getting anything but had a great time chasing the elk around!  Dad as usual was the camp cook, and did a damn good job!  Mick did the dishes and Bill kept us all in line.  Word is that another Kiessel crew is thinking about coming out next year.  I look forward to it!  Hopefully Bill and Mick will come out again soon as well!  Thanks for the great week guys!  Below are a few photos of camp life.

The new wall tent.  Very plush!

Mick, Bill, and Randy.

Mick roughing it.

Bill supervising.

Getting ready to head out for the afternoon.

What a good looking bunch of Kiessel's!

Amanda in between her two naps for the day.

Bill, Dad and I in 2009. (I had to add atleast one photo of an elk.)

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