Holiday Season

Tim and Brian Enjoying Shirtsleeve Conditions
Tick Farm, December 2011

Busy work schedules and the demands of the season have conspired against regular blog posts these last couple of months.

But know that even here into December, we've been able to work on new routes in the Big Science and (new) Little Heroes areas. By the time spring rolls around, we'll have a new edition of the guide posted. There are many new routes that have gone up since the last edition.

For now, we want to wish everyone a great and cheerful holiday season! Thanks to all for visiting this blog and for supporting the climbing both at Mill and throughout Montana.

On behalf of Dane, Ken, Kurt, Michael, Tim, Olin, Dave, and everyone else who has contributed to development of the North Rim, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Gray Thompson Lecture Dec. 8th

Gray Thompson, Ten Sleep, WY

Here's a unique opportunity to spend an evening with lifelong climber and UM Emeritus Professor of Geology Gray Thompson, courtesy of the UM Outdoor Program.

When: Thursday, December 8, 7:00pm
Where: McGill Hall 210, University of Montana, Missoula
Admission: Free!

From the Outdoor Program's web site:

Gray Thompson, a local climber and geologist, will be sharing his climbing experiences through stories and photographs from Denali, Lotus Flower Tower, The Matterhorn, and Canadian Rockies. You are sure to find inspiration in his experiences.

See you there!

New Route Cougar Bait

Dane and Ken were up at the North Rim for a full day Saturday plus half day Sunday. We had intended to get back to work on Big Science, but a new line located right of the recently bolted route Liger caught our eye. By end of Saturday we had all the bolts in on what is intentionally a path of most resistance. Sunday we added top anchors and then managed to each redpoint it.

The climbing is high quality and engaging. As usually happens, it also turned out to be harder than we expected. It opens with an 11b/c tricky layback off a large, flat vertical edge. Then there's a small roof to turn in order to reach a big rest stance. A crimpy 5.11 boulder problem takes you to another ledge where you embark on amazing rock through pumpy jugs, another 5.11a move, and a shakeout before the final crux. The crux section involves a technical traverse left and will be a real heartbreaker sure to spoil the send for a lot of climbers, just as it did during our first attempts. This will be a hard route to onsight. Our proposed grade is 5.11d.

The climb is called Cougar Bait. Some might think it was named for Max, the charismatic min pin, although it should be noted we've already dedicated the Rattler route Ankle Biter to his honor.

Max - would kick a cougar's ass!

Or is it named for the dashing Mill Creek regular Olin Martin?

Olin - 'nuff said

Hmmm... Either way it's a climb we highly encourage everyone get on.

A couple of notes about working the climb. First, we spaced the bolts close together to make it easy to project. Each crux section has a bolt at chest level for sussing the moves. Or, you can climb the super fun Liger (5.10d), then work your way through the small tree at the top to set up a t.r. on Cougar Bait.

There are also two possible extensions we may add some day: one to the right of the roof that goes to the rim and another that goes straight over the roof on viciously small crimps.

Cougar Bait. 5.11d. 14 bolts. Sport anchors. Ken Turley, Dane Scott, Oct 2, 2011.
Starts on the ground right of Liger and left of Tick Traverse just past the west end of the Tick Farm wall.

Yes! Go! Go! You want to do this route!

First Ascent