Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Happy Holidays

Season's Greetings from the Mill Creek gang!

We hope your days have been as cool as finding a Montana-made Tufa chalkbag under your tree.



Here's hoping your adventure sports activities lead you to wonderful horizons in the year ahead.

Cams not guns in 2013. Peace.


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Career, Passion and 5.14

In early October, Deadpoint Magazine posted an interview with Audrey Sniezek. Sniezek had just sent her first 5.14a and 5.14b. As the interview reveals, it isn't only remarkable that she achieved this elite level, or that she's done so not as a 90-pound (or less) teenage (or younger) mutant, but rather, that she climbs world-class routes while holding down a high-pressure job as a software developer and program manager at Microsoft.

Now, word of Sniezek's achievements has spread beyond the climbing community. Microsoft technologist Scott Hanselman, creator and host of the popular and always-engaging technology podcast Hanselminutes, has just released a show featuring Sniezek. To head off any fears for non-technical listeners, the 30 minute podcast only mentions "spreadsheet" a couple of times, and instead focuses on climbing, training, and balancing job demands with the pursuit of athletic performance.

This is a great listen for anyone wondering how to manage the passion of climbing in the context of a busy life.

Access the podcast here: http://hanselminutes.com/345/world-class-climbing-with-audrey-sniezek

Monday, November 19, 2012

Climbing Into Art


Submitted by Tim Karst

Nature, fresh air, physical challenge, and camaraderie with like-minded enthusiasts are only a few reasons why I constantly hunger for my next climbing adventure. It's been a part of my life for the past thirty years. I guess I could be considered an experienced climber, but please don't earmark me as a master - a premature senior, yes, but not a master. Some may call me an old school climber, others Long Stockings; but I like to think of myself as an artist.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines an artist as "a follower of a pursuit in which skill comes by study or practice." I follow; I pursue; I study, and I practice; so by all rights, I think of myself as an artist. I'm not an artist as in the sense of Michelangelo who chiseled Carrara marble. I might drill into granite with a barrowed drill to place a new bolt, but restructuring the actual stone is not on my top ten list. Perhaps, I am more of a performance artist? Whether leading, laybacking, jamming, or stemming, it could be considered an interactive dance with the rock; or it could just be the best way I can pull myself up the route before my arms tank.

However, I do find myself making the analogy to art since my wife, Barb, of twenty-six years is a professional painter. I can't help but sometimes see the world through her vision. She doesn't care if a climb is rated 5.11 or 5.8 as long as I am safe while climbing it or if it looks "pretty" in the morning sunshine. So, alas, this past year she was on a quest to paint a large acrylic of me completing a lead climb in Mill Creek. Together, we scoured through my countless climbing shots on our computer. Barb, trying to nail down the perfect photo, made the search a little trying. This one was out of focus or had not enough color or was too far away or was not the right angle or she couldn't see the gear or I was wearing drab colors, etc., until all at once an epiphany hit Barb and she found her muse. The problem was, it wasn't me. It was Ken Turley. Now an insecure man might be rattled by this gesture and start hitting the gym more often to pump up his biceps. But no, I stood my ground, and accepted the fact that my wife was going to paint an image of me modeled after Ken or perhaps superimpose my head on Ken's body. So the quest began.

Ken - Sinks Canyon
One day last December, while climbing with Dane Scott, Brian Quilter, and Carlene Quilter in Mill Creek, I asked Dane if he would take some pictures of me leading "Witness the Tickness." However, the picture couldn't be the stereotypical butt shot from the ground up. No, it had to be a profile shot, just like the one I originally took of Ken. In order to do this correctly, Dane had to climb halfway up the adjacent route, harness himself into position, stabilize the camera, and conduct a series of profile shots of me sending "Witness the Tickness". Even the best photographers who shoot for Climbing Magazine would have been proud of Dane's fearless task. After the deed was done, I thanked him profusely and headed home with a digital card full of me...wearing red...in profile...not too far away...at the perfect angle.

Brian and Tim - Witness the Tickness
It was like Christmas morning, opening those photos in Photoshop, each one popping open like a child's wide eyes while unwrapping their holiday gifts. But when the last one was opened, there was suddenly a crushing realization there were no more gifts to be had. "Is that it?" remarked Barb. Just to fill you in, Ken's climbing style is controlled and powerful, always in balance. I use long leverages and extreme reaches to gain purchase. So, while Ken's picture was cropped tight and fills the entire frame of the picture plane, my climbing picture looked more like Stretch Armstrong. "Well, I guess I'll have to superimpose the legs on this picture onto that picture, beef up the color, take out the backpack, change the hands, tilt the head, etc.," Barb pronounced. I knew I was in for some intimate hours with my computer.

At last, we had a picture that captured her vision of me climbing. All was right in her world and mine; "happy wife, happy life." Barb started painting the four foot by two foot acrylic of me in early January of 2012; and after three-hundred hours of easel time, she finished it in mid-March. The painting was shipped off to New York City and was shown in a gallery on 5th Avenue in June. If you want to see the blood, sweat, and tears up close and personal, the painting, Face to Face, is now hung on the wall, with a plethora of Barb's other painstaking grid paintings, at the Women's Care Center, located on the 3rd floor in St. Pat's Hospital. It will be displayed until the end of December 2012.

So, yes, I would say climbing is like art. It takes time to develop, to constantly try to perfect (though we all know that is an unrealistic goal). It's the blood that courses through my veins. I find solace in it. Just like Barb with her painting, I climb because I must.

Face to Face
Acrylic on Gessoed Wood Panel
48x24x1-1/2
2012 (c)
Barb Schwarz Karst
Acquire at info@schwarzkarststudio.com

"Face to Face depicts my husband climbing a rock wall in the Bitterroot Mountain Range. Tim's hunger for climbing was evident when I started dating him thirty years ago. Even though this biographical painting is liberal with its approach to color and symbolism designed to entice the art viewer, it is also loaded with accuracies concerning the gear to please any technical climber that might gaze upon my artistic, non-climber, interpretation of the sport. The title, Face to Face, not only refers to Tim physically turned toward the granite's surface or face; but it also refers to confronting fears, head-on." --Barb Schwarz Karst

Friday, November 9, 2012

UM Climbing Club Slide Show


Kurt Krueger will be giving a mountaineering slide show for the University of Montana climbing club next Wednesday, November 14th.

Many of you may only know Kurt for his unique brand of humor through his posts on this blog, or when you've run into him at Kootenai or along the base of the Tick Farm. But Kurt's been at the climbing game for over 40 years and has spent considerable time in the major mountain ranges across the planet. Kurt's levity at our local sport crags only means he knows how to keep things in perspective. He matches his approach to fit the context. When the stakes go up in the mountains, you'll never find anyone more serious or capable.

As Kurt's lifelong friend and climbing partner Bob Siegrist, father of climbing hotshot Jonathan Siegrist, said during a recent Ten Sleep trip, "Kurt's the most solid guy I've ever known."

Denali: Going from Big Mountains to Bigger Mountains 
University of Montana, University Center, Room UC 331 
Wednesday, November 14th, 6:00pm 

Email us here or leave a comment if you need more info.

Gracie and Buck packing gear and ready to go.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Banff Film Festival in Missoula


The always popular Banff Film Festival world tour will be showing in Missoula this Sunday, November 11th at 6pm. The screening is being held at the Wilma this year. Previous years have been on the UM campus. More information with ticket prices and where to but them: http://life.umt.edu/CREC/Outdoor/films_lectures.php

Kurts Causal Election Analysis


Not to be outdone by the national pundits and mountains of post-election analysis, your Mill Creek blog jumps in the fray with this timely election recap by Kurt.

Obama Victorious, Packers to Receive Super Bowl Win
By Kurt Krueger 

November 7, 2012. Missoula, Montana Paul Ryan tried to use the Packer name for his campaign. He tried to pick up the union vote with the bad call the replacement refs made during the Seattle game. Ryan's home state of Wisconsin was not impressed and they voted accordingly. The nation followed, and President Obama was reelected for a second term. The President demands the Packers be given the Super Bowl win. All is right in the world.

 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Firsts, Flashes and Friends

What a time at Mill this past Saturday! The beautiful November forecast brought out many groups of climbers for what was certainly one of the best days we've ever had up there. The temperature was crisp, and the sun shown most of the day making for aweomse friction in teeshirt conditions. The crag filled with activity.

Michael is now the Missoula area coordinator for the MT Rock and Ice Meetup started by Chris Nadasi in Kalispell, and he's been getting some great response. He was joined by several climbers who coordinated through the Meetup, including repeat and first-time visitors. Among them was Gina, climbing with Michael on the Tick Farm, and enjoying her first climbing day ever. It's always great to hear of someone trying climbing for the first time. Shout out to you, Gina!

First Girlfriend Buttress
To the left of Tick Farm and Tiger Stripe, Ken got the first ascent of a new route he bolted a week ago. The climb ascends Cougar Bait to the second large ledge, then follows four new bolts straight up to Liger's anchors. Since it starts on one route and finishes at the anchors of another, we gave it its own name of "Coyote Tricks."

Opening Coyote Tricks
It has a provisional grade of 5.11d R (could be 11c/d, more feedback needed). The "R" comes from ledge-fall potential if you blow the clip at the 2nd new bolt. Hollow-sounding rock leading up to this bolt prevented a better spacing. The climbing through there is on big holds and is not the crux, but is still reachy and somewhat powerful. The best approach is to do what Ken did: climb Liger as your warmup, then on the lower pre-hang the top three Coyote Trick bolts, placing a longer draw on the third bolt from the top (which is also the bolt that protects the crux). With that bolt pre-hung, the clip is pretty mellow with your right hand on a fairly positive large, flat-topped ledge. After that, you're super safe and good to go as you contemplate the postive but small edges of the crux bulge. You'll also want a single-length runner to clip the last bolt on Cougar Bait off the big ledge before moving up and left to Coyote Trick's first bolt.

22-Liger (10d), 23A-Coyote Tricks (11c/d R), 23-Cougar Bait (11d)
One of the climbers sampling the area for the first time was the very strong John Gogas. John was in town visiting relatives, and we owe Tim thanks for getting him up to the crag. John was a pleasure to meet and climb with, and it didn't take more than a minute watching him warm up to realize he's the real deal. Turns out this initial impression was not only accurate, but a fair understatement. Climbing with Tim, Dane and Ken, John steadily clipped his way up the grades at the crag. He finished the day by flashing both Big Science (for its 6th ascent after Dane, Hobbs, Ken, Conor and Bill), and Scary Math for its 2nd ascent (Dane FA). With his input, we've finally settled on grades of 5.12b for Big Science and 5.12c for Scary Math.

John Gogas - Big Science crux during the flash.

Big Science - Last moves before the chains.

Scary Math - Flash, before the roof shakeout.

Scary Math - Above the roof.

Scary Math
Face to face with the redpoint crux after all that climbing.

It turns out John is not just the "real deal," but has a significant history with modern climbing and the upper echelon of our sport's athletes. For example, you can read of his role in the development of Hueco Tanks bouldering here and here. Needless to say, it was highly motivating to watch John climb our hardest routes with such solid control and power. We'll all be hitting our own training harder this winter as a result, and will look forward to his next visit to Missoula!

John Gogas
Speaking of Scary Math, everyone should feel free to give it a try. Dane got the first ascent July 25th. Ken has been projecting it this fall, with several one-hangs, tagging the last hold near the anchors, but has yet to stick it for the send. The draws will stay on more or less until he does. You're free to clip them. Note you need to bring your own for the 1st/2nd bolt right off the deck. Also, there's a bolt above the main roof two-thirds of the way up that isn't pre-hung. This is a bolt best skipped on redpoint when the roof moves are sussed, but can come in handy if you're trying to figure them out for the first time. So bring your own draw if you want to use it. Be sure to let us know if you send!

QED-MF is Dane's main unfinished business. He got on it Saturday for the first time in quite a while to re-learn sequences and change out his old draws. He climbed each segment solidly, easily pulling the boulder problem crux. If the mild weather continues for another week or two in November, he looks well positioned to link it up into the redpoint.

Last winter Dane and Ken made good use of cold weather days to put up Big Science and Scary Math, with the routes ready to climb in time for spring. That proved a great use of off-season time, one we'll repeat again this winter. We have a rope hanging now from new top anchors left of Big Science. This marks the beginning of work on a route to be named "Dark Matter." The route will go up this winter. We hope to also bolt a line to its left more or less following the arete right of QED-MF that will be called "Event Horizon." Dark Matter will be another 5.12. We're thinking Event Horizon might be in the 5.10 range.

Kurt also has tag lines on the right-facing corner system right of Scary Math. He climbed on it Saturday. This line is called "Crack a Book" and looks like it'll be mid 5.11. He's doing some cleaning of loose blocks (plenty) and determining what, if any bolts will be required. So this one is still a project that will require more prep before it can be safely climbed. Look for it also by spring.

Kurt, winner of the First Annual Green Bay Packers
Mill Creek Halloween Costume Contest held mid-October.
Dane recently added anchors between Mighty Mouse and Little Heroes and worked out most of the moves on a new route that will be named "Danger Mouse." It feels a letter or two harder than Mighty Mouse. This line will also go up during the winter, adding another fun, bouldery climb to the Little Heroes sector.

Dane beginning work on Danger Mouse.
Without a doubt, the climbing at the North Rim remains dynamic and active. New routes are going up and milestones are happening, from first-timers to first-flashes. It's the the rock and the climbing that takes us up there, but a day like Saturday brings home a deeper meaning to what climbing can give us. As Michael put it looking back on the day, "It's an actual community full of joyous, psyched people -- it may be the best thing of all, better even than Scary Math!"

Freestone Climbing Gym owner Walt Hailes

Skander on Liger.

Bill (Big Science? Check!) and Tim "Flash Belayer" Karst

Carlene and Samantha

That's it for now...

Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Pumpkin Man

Here's the perfect climbing video for Halloween. Missoula climber and filmaker, Jesse Spaulding's, The Pumpkin Man. It's SIC!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Bouldering Comp Missoula

Freestone gym's fall competition bouldering bash is this Saturday, October 27th. Open to youth and adults. Sign up, enter and get in on some gnar plastic pulling and community fun!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

New Pirates Cove Route


The route developers have been at work again. Michael accompanied Tim to the Pirate Cove to open a line that caught Tim's eye. They placed 9 bolts to new top anchors and named it "There's No ARRRR in a Bloody Stem!"

The climb is on the right side of the wall, tucked into a chimney formed by the adjacent wall. But you don't climb it like a chimney, though you can stem. It's probably 5.10a if you stem, 5.10c/d if you don't. It finishes at sport anchors and is great fun.

Tim wants you to climb this route. Michael wants you to climb it. They worked hard to open it. They scrubbed lichen and wrenched on bolts. Michael especially will be psyched if you climb it. He'll shake your hand. He'll talk to you about it. He'll hang in the shade at the base and give you beta.

He wants you to have fun. He loves you. He bleeds for you. You probably think that's a figure of speech...

Michael keel hauled in the Pirate Cove while putting up the Bloody Stem.
Note: The guide (link upper right) has been updated with three new routes including this route, a new one on First Girlfriend Buttress, and a new toprope variation from Cougar Bait to Liger anchors.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Sunglasses Found

We found a pair of sunglasses in a case and a pack of gum on the Mill Creek trail yesterday (Sunday). Dane's going to drop them off at Freestone some time this week. Email us at the gmail address shown in the lower right of this page, or leave a comment if you have questions.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Worthwhile Reads

A number of interesting posts from the blogs we follow have appeared lately. Here's a list of our favorites.

Levi Lolo Report Earlier in summer we removed the link to Levi's blog from the sidebar on the right when it reached a year of inactivity. Then in late September Levi appeared with a new post containing an introspection on the climbing he's developed these past years in Lolo. He talks about his relationship with the area, increasing popularity, and prospects for a guidebook.
Cole El Cap Report Cole has been back-filling his blog with some great writing about his travels. On only his second trip to the Valley, he and climbing partner Peter sent the Nose! That's beyond solid. His El Cap trip report, as well as other posts, make for entertaining reading.
Climbing and Meaning Skander's reflection on friendship, purpose and a day in Mill Creek.
Peder and Jess Crag Info On the road full time, Peder and Jess have started adding posts to their blog summarizing the different climbing areas they've visited. Info includes practical logistics like laundromats, camping and dog-friendliness. Areas so far include Ten Sleep, Black Hills (Spearfish and VC), and Rifle.
Butte Scarpa Boostic Review The frequently-updated Montana Bouldering blog out of Butte reviews the sweet-looking Scarpa Boostic.
DPM Ethics and Style Deadpoint Magazine writes about climbing style, bolts and ethics. Includes several links to additional reading.
Mondo Snake Bite Full-timer Scott made it to Kentucky for the Red River Gorge season only to have Mondo get bitten by a copperhead! No!! Mondo fans won't want to miss this. (She's okay.)
Montana Rock and Ice Meetup This group continues to add members and build content with trip reports, upcoming events, and pictures. Sign up for full access and to receive news of climbing events in western Montana.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Three Times Ten Sleep Part 3

Submitted by Ken

Here's Part 3 of 3 of the Ten Sleep summary.

Sept 28 to 30

One reason I stressed the social side of climbing last trip is because MY CLIMBING SUCKED. Okay, I had a few decent sends, but mostly I needed to look elsewhere for the high points. Since that time, with additional motivation caused by August and September's unrelenting heat and smoke in Montana, I'd settled into a long training phase and just sort of hunkered down indoors on my basement climbing wall. Following that, I thought I should see what gains I might have made on the Behemoth.

So, with the unending support of my wife, Sarah, I again loaded up the Toyota along with June, and drove Thursday evening to Bozeman to meet up with the ever-psyched-for-Ten-Sleep Leslie for a quick 3-day trip. Part of this was an experiment to see if it would be worth my while to go that far for what would amount to two half-days on Friday and Sunday, plus a full day, Saturday, of climbing. Bozeman climbers routinely head down for the weekend since the drive is only about 4-1/2 hours. But add in the 3 hours from Missoula to Bozeman, and another hour from my house to Missoula, and the commitment changes a lot.

We got to the town of Ten Sleep around noon, had lunch at the 2nd Street Bakery, filled up water at the always welcoming Lyons Club park on the east end of town, then drove up into the canyon. We were able to get the campsite across the road above the main, large site. The large site had what looked to be a hunter's camp trailer occupying it, no doubt staking a claim for the upcoming big game season. By 3:00pm we were hiking up to the Superratic so I could hang my draws on Great White Behemoth.

Leslie - Tricks for You 5.12a
Sending on her 2nd try after narrowly missing the on-sight.

I got the draws up on the Behemoth and found a lot of the moves felt easier, but it would still turn out this trip that the best I could do were two long links from beneath the crux to the top. I was pretty happy with this, since Great White Behemoth is a hard style of climbing for me. The bottom line is I'm going to need to get my core strength and core endurance up. The climbing requires that your body is always under tension. You can never just rest on your feet, relaxed. For me, this is a type of climbing that exposes my weaknesses and identifies areas to emphasize in my training this winter. Climbs like BRIK, Ball and Chain, and Scary Math are in this same category, which means I have plenty to measure progress on close to home.

I was at least able to confirm that I continue to climb well on less bouldery, technical climbs. I managed a flash of Tricks for You and a first-go send (after having tried it once last year) of Wutang's Wild Shinto Ride, both 12a. So I didn't come home empty-handed in the 5.12 category.

End of the day, perfect conditions.

We hit perfect weather during this trip. The aspens were changing and the days had highs in the low 60s. We could climb in the sun, which meant we didn't need to wait until the usual 2pm shade. When the shade did come, we were reaching for hats and layers. We saw only a handful of other climbers outside our group, which expanded Friday night when Jeff and Sarah Ho drove down from Bozeman for the weekend. Jeff and Sarah are co-owners of Bozeman's Spire climbing gym with Meg Hall. Meeting them for the first time and camping and climbing with them continued my streak this year of getting to know a string of first-rate, super chill Bozeman climbers, who also happen to crush on the rock.

Jeff with June and Tika

As far as the experiment of a 3-day trip from Missoula to Ten Sleep, it pretty much worked for me. For Sunday, we got up early and broke camp, then got to the rock by 11am. We climbed until 3pm, with Leslie redpointing Center El Shinto, 12b, on her last attempt of her last trip to Ten Sleep for 2012. Pretty sweet. I broke up the drive home by sleeping at Homestake Trailhead, Homestake Pass, Sunday night, then drove early Monday the rest of the way in order to be back in time for work.

Moonrise south of Billings

I'd probably take an extra day off and make it a four-day trip if I were to do this again. I also found that the drive down combined with hard-for-me routes three days in a row made me pretty ineffective 3rd day on. In the future, I will consider working projects on Friday, climbing easy or resting Saturday, then climbing hard again on Sunday.

We also found out after the trip that the perfect weather we experienced is not typical for end of September. It usually starts getting cold and wintry up the canyon by then. However, I would still definitely consider a post-Labor Day trip to Ten Sleep next year, maybe a week or two earlier, with hopes of again catching awesome conditions and climbing sectors all to ourselves.

So, Great White Behemoth and about 50 other projects I want to climb await me next year in Ten Sleep. I know what I need to focus on in my training for the months ahead. I've also come home with copious notes on the beta and "micro-beta" for Behemoth. Goal next year is to cruise that route feeling well within my limits. Specific objectives like that always motivate me and keep me working hard in my training. I know I'm going back!

A few things to remember...

Monday, October 8, 2012

Three Times Ten Sleep Part 2

Submitted by Ken


Here's Part 2 of my three-part series on climbing at Ten Sleep this year.

July 31 to August 5


July is the peak season in the canyon. The July 4th rodeo and street festival swells the town of Ten Sleep and the original core of Ten Sleep route developers, including guidebook author Aaron Huey (also http://www.ted.com/talks/aaron_huey.html) assemble for an annual bacchanal at the main climbers' campsite off the old road. The crowds thin somewhat as August approaches, but there are still plenty of climbers throughout the canyon.

Leslie was back in Ten Sleep for 10 days with Kelsey and hanging with Bozeman road-trippers Peder and Jess, and another full-timer, Scott, from SLC. Leslie was gunning for Great White Behemoth, which is a route high on my list, so I packed up the car, loaded June, and drove down to get in on some single-focus, project mode climbing.

This trip reminded me of how much fun the social elements of climbing can be, and how great it is to meet new people, hear their stories, and cross paths at the crag throughout the day. Scott, Peder and Jess had scored the big campsite and we had plenty of room for 4 vehicles and a good representation of dogs, including June, Kelsey's dog Titia, Peder and Jess's dogs Maverick and Berkeley, and Scott's heeler puppy, Mondo, who easily qualifies as the cutest blue heeler puppy, ever.


Scott and Mondo

June, Maverick, Berkeley
The weather was warm and the regular Ten Sleep climbing cycle was in full swing: Sleep late, hang around camp (a good reason to find a campsite with morning shade), pack up around 1:30pm, drive to one of the parking areas, hike in and start climbing in the shade at 2pm, climb in full shade until dusk, return to camp, spray on mosquito repellent, eat, visit and go to bed. Repeat.

Leslie and Kelsey
20 5.12s in 2012 (and counting).

Camp action - Mondo!

We met a lot of climbers at the cliffs, from the perpetually-psyched Justin of Lander, to three visitors from the Czech Republic who showed surprise when I knew the names of their famous countrymen Tomas Mrazek and Adam Ondra. With heavy accents, they told us the Ten Sleep dolomite equaled the good quality stone of Europe.

Definitely not alone at Home Alone wall
(Michael, this one's for you!)

We also met another full-time climbing couple, the way-dialed Becca and Mike, from Canada. Mike was projecting Hellion (13c), demonstrating unwavering tenacity, throwing burn after burn at the low crux.

Mike - Hellion 5.13c
(Great White Behemoth draw to the right.)

Scott was also working the route and we all soon found ourselves in many of the same sectors, exchanging stories and beta. Besides being super chill people, Becca and Mike were practicing what they preached. Becca runs an online lifestyle coaching business called The Uncaged Life where she guides people through life changes that move them toward their dreams. So if you have a dream of, say, quitting your job and traveling full time as a climber, then check out Becca's site. She's living the proof of her own advice.

Scott replaying Hellion beta to Becca and Mike
Mike sent Hellion on his last day before he and Becca left for Squamish. Scott sent shortly after. Leslie crushed Great White Behemoth for the send. And with a redpoint of Dickens Cider, Kelsey reached her own goal of climbing 12 5.12s in 2012. Oh, and Peder and Jess... well, they crush everything. I refined beta on GWB but was still far from sending. I did manage a flash of a technical 12a that Scott climbed first in order to collect the booty of one bale 'biner -an action of which our own Kurt would highly approve.

At the end of the trip, Kelsey drove on to Salt Lake and Leslie caught a ride back to Bozeman with me and June. Somehow all our gear fit into the Yaris.

Jess and Peder 5.11 warmup before both onsighted the 5.12 to the left.

Little Smokey

...it was a great trip.
Bonus footage!

As if this post hasn't already gone to the dogs, here's a video that all Mondo fans will appreciate. After days of being teased and taunted by June, Mondo gets revenge!  http://youtu.be/KStft9AFhhM