Dean Lords: November 2009

November 22, 2009

shifting gears

Heather and I hiking out the steep section of Scotty's after spending a portion of the day skiing laps at Steve Baugh's Bowl, east of Grand Targhee Ski Resort

photo: Rick Williams

Heather exiting the bottom of Scotty's Chute on our way to Steve Baugh's Bowl.

The time has come where I'm shifting gears and adding winter ski content to East Idaho Off-Piste. If you are interested, please follow my ski adventures at www.nopiste.blogspot.com and i will continue to post winter climbing on The Indulgence (this site).

Palisades Creek

Located in the Snake River Range east of Swan Valley is the ever popular Palisades Creek. Mostly known for its Lower and Upper Palisades Lakes, Palisades Creek also offers outstanding limestone climbing. The two sectors are known as The Weeping Cave and The Pines. Both offer easy vertical routes and overhanging desperate projects.

A collective development effort between East Idaho locals Matt TeNgiao, Tom Smartt, and Dean Lords started during the spring of 2009 and continues today. Currently only two sectors exsist however, new potential abounds and it's only a matter of time before the other pockets of good stone get developed.

The Pines and the Weeping Cave are located on the north side of the trail about two miles from the parking lot. Complete info in the Guides section of SeiClimbing.com

Some fixed draws exsist on the harder steep cave routes and a stick clip is maditory at the Pines unless you like gambling on the suspect rock to reach 1st bolts... which don't have clipping holds! Enjoy the hard work from the route developers and please respect their generousity by not stealing fixed draws and lower off carabiners.

Dam Boulders - Lower Teton River Canyon

With just over 80 established boulder problems up to V9, the Dam Boulders in the Lower Teton River Canyon are turning into an area hot spot for the Upper Snake River Valley climbers.

Located below the Teton River Dam just north and east of Newdale, Idaho, the Dam Boulders are a series of short vertical walls and various erratics of all shapes and size.

Check out www.tetondamclimbing.com for all the current beta. Also, check this site in the near future for the first edition PDF guide for all things bouldering in the canyon.

Teton Canyon Mixed Climbs

The steep limestone wall behind the Right Ghost WI-4/5 in Teton Canyon offers a couple of worthy sport style mixed climbs. The long slog from the valley floor up to the Right Ghost is a bit more enticing with these optional varations.

Both lines are best climbed in true mixed fasion... before the pillar touches down! Once the Right Ghost is touching, it quickly fills out and it becomes easy to stem between the rock and ice right from the start. Get 'em early in the season for the full value experience!

Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell is the more difficult line on the left of the Pillar. Poltergeist is the right hand line. It's a bit easier and a bit more spicy early in the season.

Further up the South Fork are several worthwhile traditional mixed climbs as well. Some are two pitches in length. And for the full alpine mixed climbing experience, make the trek up Roaring Fork and scratch your way up Table Mountain's Southwest Chimney. Follow Jack Tackle's summertime 5.8 rock route; in winter conditions it is one of the best Scottish style mixed climbs i've done!