Tim O’Brien Band

Wyatt Rice, Josh Williams, Rob Ickes, Bryan Davies, and David Grisman

The music got better as day turned to night. We missed the last band, we had to head home to get ready for the workweek. We were treated to this beautiful moonrise as we left Lyons.

Nice way to spend the afternoon!

We got to the trail head around 9am, and headed off for our ride. We rode for about 4 hours and then headed back to Denver.

I forgot the camera, so no pictures! I also forgot my water bladder, so I lugged the Nalgene. A bit uncomfortable, but at least I wasn’t dehydrated.

Approach (Modified from advice off of Mountainproject.com): Follow the hiking trail to the First Flatiron. Continue on the trail past the bridge at the base. Stay on the trail which heads south (away from the flatiron) and continues to ascend, with much wandering and switchbacks between the First & Second Flatiron. The *first time* you get within 10 feet of the First Flatiron, bear right off the trail and rope up. There is a flat spot adjacent to the rock, which is a great place to rope up.

We started at this flat spot, and did not opt to climb the 50-75 feet down for the proper start of the climb. I have read accounts online of others starting here (about 3/4 the way up the first pitch-thus avoiding the slabby start), and one fellow referred to this as the “Bakerdango” route.

Pitch 1: Begin ~10ft off the trail at a flat spot. Overhead and diagonally to the right (~40 ft) is a large roof. To the left of this roof there is a crack system & left-facing dihedral in a corner. I made my way over the slab to this system, with fairly sparse but good gear placements. The gear got better as I ascended, and I climbed until I was out of rope.

Belay 1: The belay was on the face (to the left of the left facing corner by about 30 feet) on a nice ledge big enough for 6 people. There was a tree with ~8″ diameter trunk sticking out of a crack above this ledge, and a smaller tree ~4″ diameter on the ledge. I set up the anchor by the larger tree (I used a #1 BD Cam, a #4 BD Cam, and a sling) and extended it down low, so Jenny could enjoy the ledge while she belayed.

Pitch 2: There was much debate about the best path up from here. Jenny reminded me of the picture we had showing a dude climbing towards a very large tree (~2′ in diameter) with some blocky roofs. It looked like fun to me, so I eagerly trounced upward.

(I later learned that this is part of a “Variation” to the Fandango route…we completely bypassed the curving nature of P3 of Fandango).

I’m glad we took the bee-line approach because the blocky roofs were way fun. Just below the roof, there is a rusty & loose piton, and an opportunity for a small TCU or Alien. The blocky roof protected lovely using one of my largest nuts (how satisfying!). Climbing to the right of the very large tree, I climbed around and past a large boulder (8′ x4′) and ran out of rope on a gently sloping plank of rock with a convenient crack for an anchor. After this rope stretching pitch, we were perfectly poised for P3 & P4.

Belay 2: (The anchor is on a face about 30 feet above and to the right of the Fandango Variation Route starting point. So, we decided to finish on the Fandango Standard route.) I placed a #3 and #1 BD Camalot in this crack for the anchor. There is a small 5-7″ diameter tree about 20 feet to the right and up from this anchor…

Pitch 3: Head up towards the small roofs above. Aim for the groove in the center, which is ~15′ to the left of the large Dihedral system. Follow this groove, and faults in the rock, as there are plenty of gear placements. I stayed to the left of the large dihedral for most of the pitch, pulling little mini-bulges along the way. Aiming left of the dihedral as I climbed, being mindful of reducing rope drag by carefully placing my pro. I ran out of rope about 50 feet from the top of the summit ridge right in between two nice crack systems.

As I was in between two belay potentials, I opted to have Jenny climb up to my first piece. The ledge about 10 feet above me looked very inviting! So, I had her dismantle the belay, and climb up to my first piece. With this extra rope, I was able to climb up to the next spot and secure the next belay.

Belay 3: I used a 0.75 BD Cam, a #12 Nut, and a Red Metolius TCU for the anchor. This belay was ~30 feet from the summit ridge.

Pitch 4: ~30 feet of climbing. Simul-climbing would be a great way to get around Belay 3, if the party is experienced.

Belay 4: I used a #3 and #2(or #1 ?) cam for the Summit ridge Belay. Excellent pro for the anchor!

Pitch 5: Angle up and over multiple pinnacles, placing pro as you go. Remember to place pro on the way down to protect your second! I climbed until I ran out of rope, and belayed Jenny to me.

Belay 5: I don’t remember what I used. I believe I used a couple cams.

Pitch 6: The summit pitch, how awesome! I went over one pinnacle, down to a very large sandy shelf, and then up a cruxy 2 move boulder problem to the final summit! I used a #4 for the crux crack, and a few other pieces directly below. The rope drag was heinous, so next time I might opt to bring my partner to the bench before finishing the climb…

Belay 6: The summit pinnacle! There were 2 parties hanging out at the rappel rings, so I built a mini-anchor for Jenny. A sling around a large boulder and a 0.75 BD Cam. Soon, Jenny was on the summit with me! Success!!!

Rappel: 100 feet down off of two large eye bolts. A 60 meter rope will make it with a little room to spare. It is a free hanging belay, so be prepared!

I wish I would have arranged a day of climbing in the great outdoors (instead of the 4 hour gym session soon to follow). Oh-well, I never dreamed it would turn out to be so nice! I ended up running in a tank and had to roll up my pants…a sure sign of spring!

The group jogged over to the trail head, and then we started climbing. I could feel my legs fatigued from hiking around the West Ridge the prior day. But, I thought, “I have to do this to train for the Grand Canyon!. It’s now only two months off, so this run is very important.”

As we climbed to the top of South Table Mountain, I could see a storm front coming in from the west. The temperature dropped as we ran. Will we make it back to Golden before the snow sets in?

As we ran around the top of South Table Mountain, Brian pointed out the various trails. Conversation was mostly about the dangerous wild animals runners have been confronted with; snakes, mountain lions, and coyotes.

When we started heading back down, we ran across half a deer leg, which kinda spooked me out. I was happy to be running with 3 other dudes. Thank goodness.

Back in town, we could see our breath. Temps dropped about 10 degrees, and the storm was really looming over us. Anne was still out there running, so I was a little worried in the back of my mind. But, Brian seemed to be okay…so I was sure she was okay.

Kemp & I ordered burritos at the cafe…Y-U-M! Then, Anne made it back. Whew! We had a nice conversation and then we all went our separate ways.

As I pulled into our neighborhood, flurries of white powder dusted the driveway! Perfect timing.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early and joined Jenny in a birthday run. We ran around her place, near downtown Denver. It was a Ghetto style run, but also featured a long stretch adjacent to the Platte River. (What a treat that was!). We ran for about 45 minutes, a great way to start the day.

Later that day, we met Jenny & a gaggle of her friends at Hot Cakes (a Denver Breakfast hotspot). It was yummy. I ordered Huevos, with black beans & vegetarian green chile sauce. Dennis got the sweet potato pancake, and he thought it was yummy too.

At Jenny’s brunch, there was talk of climbing, and before I knew it, plans were drawn to head up to Golden for the afternoon. Yippie! First outdoor climbing of the year! And to go with a small group of females, how awesome!

So, I met Jen & Jenny at around 1pm and we headed up to Golden. Even though North Table Mountain is not my favorite crag, I was totally psyched to be outside climbing.

I only hoped it would stay warm out…a cold front was building and who knows what would happen.

Here’s Jen & Clare (Jenny Obscured by Clare’s Big Huge Head)

Here’s Jenny on a Mission to Climb

We got to the parking lot around 1:45pm and things did not look great. But, who knows, maybe by the time we put on our gear and got to the crag…

About 500 feet above the Parking Lot, at the Crag:

Lucky for us, the weather held out and we were able to climb 3 routes before the wind picked up and sun died down!

In addition to the climbing, Jen discovered a buried #2 BD Cam at the start of Killian’s Dead. She mentioned it to us, and when it was Jenny’s time to climb, Jenny spent a good 30 minutes working on the piece. She got it loose enough so that it was freely moving around, now how to get it out of the flared crack?

It was my turn to give it a whirl, so I stuck my little digits in the crack and experimented with different angles. Finally, I decided to angle the lobes downward and, using my nut tool, I squeezed the trigger at the same time as pulling the cam out. It was tricky, but I finally dislodged the cam.

I gave it to Jen, as she had done most of the work on the piece. I was happy to have been there for Jenny’s first booty experience! It’s an exciting opportunity for Jenny…and that it was successful is even better.

My first attempt at scoring free booty almost turned into disaster…

I was in Red Rocks in the Icebox Canyon and spotted a #3 wedged in a crack about 30 feet off the deck. There was a bolt about 10 feet below it. I was a big sport climber at the time, and with about 2 years of climbing experience. I decided to go for the cam, but I didn’t have any other gear. I climbed up into the crack and tried to retrieve it. Only one lobe was moving and my arms were pumping out. I almost had it, when my foot slipped and I took a pretty big fall, nearly landing on my belayer, as the bolt creaked. Darn it! After that, I did not feel the urge to continue with the confiscation and went home in defeat.

But, I digress…back to the climb at hand! Jen was fired up to lead Killian’s Dead, a wonderful short 5.6 crack with good pro and a fixed anchor.

Here are pictures of Jen’s lead of Killian’s Dead (5.6).

Here’s the Birthday Girl, Jenny, Ascending Killian’s Dead (5.6)

Then, we set up top ropes on Deck Chairs On the Titanic (5.9) and Pee on Dee (5.8)-no pictures the light was dying.

It was nice to get out climbing. For a half day effort, one can’t beat the sunny crags of North Table Mountain! However, I can’t wait to get over to Eldo, Clear Creek, or Boulder Canyon. Any one of these would be preferable, for a full days time 8^)

We left the house around 8am and got up to Nederland around 10am. We stopped for coffee & baked goods (a macaroon, apple turnover, and orange scone).

We arrived at the parking lot on County Road 116 and started skiing around 11:15am. Here we are at the start:

About 10 minutes down Road 116, and you reach this sign, where the road to the campsite breaks off to the left…

About 30 minutes into the ski, we stopped for a short break:

After about 1.5 hours of skiing, we reached this bridge. Here’s Kat looking totally fresh! From this point, it was about 50 minutes more to get to the campgrounds.

WE MADE IT TO THE Rainbow Lakes Campground!!!

It took about 1.5 hours to make it back to the car. It’s 4.5 miles to/from the Rainbow Lakes Campground with about 800 feet of elevation gain, so the ski back is super fun! We made wonderful time getting back to the car, with Emma & I swapping lead. Here’s Kat celebrating upon return to the parking lot!

What a wonderful day of skiing, we all had a blast!

We went Cross Country Skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch, CO. This was going to be Emma’s 2nd time on skis and Dennis’ 3rd. I was more than excited to get out for the day.

We carpooled with a co-worker of mine, Mike. We met at the Mammoth Park & Ride, in Morrison at o’dark thirty. He drove and we dozed on and off. Then, we stopped in Winter Park at the Rise & Shine for some breakfast.

We were out for about 3 hours, before Emma started getting tired. Time to go home!

Back to the lodge for lunch, where I ran into one of my other co-workers, Dan and his wife Sherry. They had been out skiing since sunrise, and they were psyched about the beautiful day (as were we all!).

After lunch, we headed back to Denver. What a great day of skiing!!!

The weather Sunday was just dreamy. I thought that I was still asleep when I stepped out of my car at Chautauqua!

A very slight chill, but warm ambient air. I was super psyched. I knew the rock would be warm, and looking around, we might even be first to the crag!

Kris showed up very nearly at 7am, and we immediately started hiking. About 40 minutes later, David (a nice dude I met in the parking lot) and his partner, passed us…oh well, starting in 2nd place isn’t bad either! There’s way more than enough rock to go around.

It took us about 1.5 hours from the parking lot to rope time.

By 8:45am, I exclaimed, “Climbing!” and Kris said calmly, “Climb On”. I was so excited I could hear my heartbeat. Good thing I carry walkie talkies, it helps to hear my partner above my own body rhythms (not to mention the voices in my head-doh!).

I digress.

I stopped at the first bolt, as a line had formed at the base, and I wanted to allow other parties the chance to start climbing.

I belayed Kris up to me and then handed over a few nuts & slings. He headed straight for the second ring bolt. I was thrilled he was into swinging lead. Even though he admitted to not having much experience with trad stuff, it goes so much easier when both people swap lead.

Also, I was confident in his abilities to climb and what a great place to learn! Kris put in a few pieces and before I knew it he was at the next set of ring bolts. My turn!

I cleaned his three pieces, and had a little trouble with one of the cams (it was quite wedged!). His placements were all solid, and I even tested them out a bit before I cleaned them. Excited for his accomplishment, I headed to the anchors.

I grabbed a few pieces of gear, and took some pictures at the second ring bolt, and then I took off for the third pitch. What fun!

I ran the rope out almost all the way, and set up the 3rd pitch anchor about 15 feet to the right of the 3rd ring bolt. There is a crack which fits (most perfectly) a #1 BD cam and either 0.75 or 0.5 BD cam.

Kris starting climbing up to me, soon after I finished chatting with the soloer (see below). I could now see mobs of people climbing everywhere. It was like the flatiron was infested.

I took a picture of this dude soloing.

It was around 10am, and the sun felt great. I was climbing in a tank top, in October, after our first snow! What could be more fun???

Here’s a picture of Kris & I hanging out on the super comfy 3rd Belay ledge:

Kris disappeared around the corner, leading pitch 4, in search of the ellusive 4th ring bolt.

He found it and hunkered down.

The fifth pitch was interesting. I had not climbed this way before (due to the thunderstorm, we had last time continued straight up from the traditional anchor and finished after the 5th pitch.

I dropped into a gully, and then continued up a face (You can see the 5th pitch in the picture behind and to the right of Kris, above). I thought the 5th pitch was a bit more challenging than the others on the climb, but it was still really superb. I placed 3 tri-cams on this pitch, my first time placing tri’s. I think I fell in love. Those little tri’s are just perfect for the rock of the flatirons, the curved back and the little point really work well. How satisfying!

At this point, I built a little anchor on a ledge as I was nearly out of rope.

Kris climbed up to me, freeing a monumentally wedged tri-cam, and then continued on to the last pitch and the summit.

He topped out 15 minutes before 11am. Excellent time!

We took a few pictures and enjoyed the scenery. Set up the rappel, and then headed down.

It took about an hour to complete the three rappels, so we were off the climb at 12pm. Back to the parking lot around 2pm.

Wonderful day of climbing, and a great sense of accomplishment. It’s not every day I get to ascend 1200 feet of vertical climbing after half a day’s effort!