Photos from a Trip Northwest

We spent a couple weeks on the road, visiting family, and bouldering in Washington.  On the way out, rain was forecast for Montana, so we took the southern route through Idaho.  Based on a recommendation from Bouldering USA by Alli Rainey we visited Dierkes Lake near Twin Falls, ID.  The cold front that brought rain to Montana, gave us a sunny 60 degree day in Idaho.  As perfect as a day in June could be out there.  I don't know any problem names, but the rock is basalt with huecos.

 Some of the huecos are so big you can get inside the rock!

 This was my favorite line.  We started it sitting to the left and traversed into this top out.

 Dierkes Lake isn't extensive, but it could keep most traveling boulderers occupied for a couple days, and it's the best basalt bouldering I've ever visited.  While there, make sure to take a look at Shoshone Falls, it's "the Niagara Falls of the West."

 We enjoyed our bouldering days in Washington.  Conditions were warm and humid, so it was hard to get psyched on the harder lines.  We chased stars and climbed 10-15 lines per session mostly in the V3-V6 range.

We spent our first day at Forestland.  Here are a couple photos.

"The Real Thing" V4.

 "Feel the Pinch" V4

 Our second climbing day was spent at the Beach, forest area.

 "U2" V3

 Our third climbing day was spent at Gold Bar.

 We weren't able to find the Five Star Boulder.  So we hiked up the closed road, which is rapidly being absorbed by the forest, to visit the Sanctuary, Clearcut, and Forest areas.  It's really all one boulderfield.

"Water" V5, yeah I'm downgrading this one.  It's definitely a classic though!

 "Midnight Lichen" V4.

The beauty and rock quality of Washington's bouldering areas are impressive!  Gold Bar reminded me of Squamish, but with better friction!  So it surprises me that moss is returning to many of the problems at Gold Bar due to a lack of traffic.  Either the hike is keeping people away, or it's the possibility of vehicular break-ins.  A car parked just down the road from ours had it's passenger side window bashed in while we were up the hill bouldering.  Our truck wasn't touched, but it felt like we'd dodged a bullet. The guidebook mentions that this was a problem in the area, but it's disappointing that it's still a problem seven years after the book was written.  Seems like the culprits should have been caught by now!

It was fun to visit some new boulders, see some new scenery, and enjoy the ambiance of northwestern forests!  But it's also nice to be back home.  We've been busy bouldering around Lander since our return, so I'll probably be writing another post soon...

20 Days on the Road: One Day in Leavenworth

Camping in Tumwater Canyon

One day in Leavenworth, wasn't nearly enough. In hindsight, maybe we shouldn't have been in such a hurry to move on. We expected heat, so we spent our day at the Swiftwater sector. It has a lot of shaded problems, and each of the three types of stone found around Leavenworth. We warmed up on a large schist boulder, and then checked out Hate Rock which is just below the parking area.

Ashley climbing "Hate Monger"


The Hate Boulder has granite similar to that found in Little Cottonwood Canyon, so it's really good. But I had no idea that granite existed so fine as what we found across the road. It's granite with crystals so small it feels like sandstone. Absolutely solid, with the best friction I've ever experienced. Features that look impossible to hold onto, turn out to be good holds. The friction is that good. Here are a couple photos of Ashley on the end of "The Footless Traverse." Click the photos to see the texture up close.
Ashley's swinging, but her hands are sticking.
I climbed 11 problems, and Ashley did 9. The highlight of my day was sending "Raging Bull." A lot of my photos were taken in dappled sunlight, and didn't turn out well. If you're interested in Leavenworth bouldering, I recommend the video 5000 Miles-Part 1:Leavenworth by Max Moore. It documents the style and quality of the area's bouldering very well. As we continued our journey towards Squamish we saw many rocky canyons obscured by the thick forest. I wondered "Could an American Fontainbleau be hidden in the state of Washington?"