Trip Report
Northern Aspens (Montana Bouldering TR)
Monday April 13, 2009 6:46pm
Easter Sunday in the Boulder Batholith...fun in the sun.

Ron, Max and I met up with Kevin out in the Northern Aspens...which consequently really doesn't have many aspens...but it is north of the Aspens zone...It was yet another scoped but not yet climbed area. Kevin and the family spent the morning out there, so when we arrived Mojede gave us a tour of what he'd done so far and showed us the stuff that looked good to him. I was happily surprised at the amount of options, Kevin left us to do our thing and he went to go do the Easter thing...


Max on the FUPA Crack
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After a bit of walking around, we figured we should mess around on this stuff...
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Max on the FA of Off to the Races
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Ron on another new line (not sure what he named this one)
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The roof crack turned out to be a bit contrived...still fun to mess around on though
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The bottom has more kitty litter than we'd like, but it's still unique and still a project...
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Ron on Nomadic Chronicles
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I then took the fellas to this thing..but it was still wet...so we did a bit of prepping and called it a day...
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Hope y'all are getting out too!

Cheers!
Tom

  Trip Report Views: 1,973
TKingsbury
About the Author
TKingsbury is a trad climber from MT.

Comments
Mighty Hiker

climber
Outside the Asylum
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:04pm PT
Hey look! A climbing TR! You can count on those Kingsbury boys. They might not be climbing El Cap every weekend, but they're out there, and happy to give us reports.
dogtown

Trad climber
Cheyenne, Wyoming and Marshall Islands atoll.
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:07pm PT
Man;

Way cool Tom,I just gotta get my ass up there and see you guy's!



bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:12pm PT
this thing looks amazingly, profoundly, monumentally good:

tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:20pm PT
Dang, that looks good, and a road right in the background to boot.
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:20pm PT
No way this should get fewer bumps than t*r's religious thread. I don't do either, but if I had to choose between them, Bouldering would beat going to church any day. So thanks for posting and helping to keep this place real

If the bloody rain ever stops up here, I'll go climbing and post a TR, too.
yo

climber
Mudcat Spire
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:33pm PT
I heard philo quit.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:34pm PT
Last night Russ comented that you guys have too much rock, and too much fun on it.
He's right.
Keep up the good work!
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:39pm PT
Duuuuuude. Sweeeeeet. Duuuuuude. Sweeeeeet.
mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:40pm PT
Easter Sunday was uber blue-bird and Spring like warm, making it a no brainer for a "church with the family" outing in the Batholith. It was nice having Tom, Ron, and Max come out and explore the day's area.

Going for the weird, balancy "mantle" move.

3 separate problems done on this formation.
(photo by Lyddie)

Molly, after being taped-up and persuaded to try a hand-crack. She succeeded after she thought about it and rested a bit.

A short, quick bulge problem going down.

A shirt was in order for this one--just getting to to the easier section, here.



edit: TKings, glad to see that you got to explore a touch, as well--there is mucho cool stuff along that North running ridge, great stone with easy walking.
goatboy smellz

climber
Gulf Breeze
  Apr 13, 2009 - 07:58pm PT
Whatta know Montana has it's own banana belt.
Did you guys even have a winter up there this year?
scuffy b

climber
heading slowly NNW
  Apr 13, 2009 - 08:45pm PT
Well, I like the last photo quite a lot.
salad

Big Wall climber
  Apr 13, 2009 - 08:53pm PT
coolio, thanks!
Porkchop_express

Trad climber
Springdale, UT
  Apr 13, 2009 - 09:01pm PT
it always rains when im fixin to climb...but i'll keep trying!

looks like some more superb lines you guys are working, as per the usual M.O.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Apr 13, 2009 - 09:06pm PT
Nice job!!

Good pictures. Nice that you're getting out in the great north!
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Apr 13, 2009 - 09:13pm PT
Y'all are so kind! Thanks for all the comments...ekat is totally cracking me up over here!

Fun day for sure...nice and blue. Believe it or not, we had average snowpack(110%?) and I climbed almost every weekend this winter. Can't complain too much about the contrasts out here.

As for that last boulder, I too am pretty psyched...I'm sure you'll see updates in that thing in the coming weeks.

Again, thanks for being so kind. Not sure other people posting bouldering on here get this same response...

qoute of the day yesterday went to Max while exploring,

"I feel like a kid again!"
Crimpergirl

Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
  Apr 13, 2009 - 09:19pm PT
Very fun! Great weather and photos. Thanks for taking the time to post it-
Ezra

Social climber
WA, NC, Idaho Falls
  Apr 13, 2009 - 09:50pm PT
Do you guys ever work?
Kidding, well sort of...;)
MUR

climber
A little to the left of right
  Apr 13, 2009 - 10:32pm PT
I have familia in Cardwell...how close? Is this up on the CD, or more toward Boulder? I'd love to attemp to pull down (lol) when I'm not fishing.
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Apr 13, 2009 - 10:40pm PT
how close from Cardwell?! 20 minutes maybe??

If you make it this way, there is a ton to do, though it sounds like you may already know?

This stuff is near the CD...though on the eastern slope. The east side is climbable much of the year...

check out boulderbatholith.blogspot.com for more pics of recent stuff...



Ezra, I do actually rock a 'real' 40 hour a week gig...most of this stuff happens on the weekend...fortunate weather this season out there...:D
nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
  Apr 14, 2009 - 12:55am PT
Down coats & hats...tee shirts ..no shirt.

So, what exactly are the temps for... Montana spring like warm.
Lynne Leichtfuss

Trad climber
Will know soon
  Apr 14, 2009 - 01:07am PT
Love all the pictures. Great way to get a look at the rest of the country and it's rocks and great way to crank a weekend. Nice moves pulling it down. peace, lynne
mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Apr 14, 2009 - 02:20am PT
nita, on that particular fine holiday sunday, the pre-dawn temps were low 30's. By afternoon it passed the 60 degree mark (elevation and aspect dependent).

After a lionish snowy March, sunny and 60 is all that it takes for me to work on the "base layer".

I got out twice as many days in Dec, Jan, or Feb, than I did in March--the months that are the most weather dependent around here for dry climbing.


As noted on other threads, this state has some dramatic weather trends spread out across its vastness.
mcreel

climber
Barcelona
  Apr 14, 2009 - 04:59am PT
Off to the Races looks like lots 'o fun. How many miles is that from Whiskey Gulch, the only place around there I've been to?

Edit: 20 mins from Cardwell? So, closer to Bozeman than Whiskey Gulch, I guess.

Is that old mine/cave in Lewis and Clark SP close by to there still getting developed? [confused]I think I saw some photos once upon a time[/confused]
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Apr 14, 2009 - 09:24am PT
Whiskey takes more time to get to due to those back roads...this is a bit easier to get to. It's probably 4 or 5 miles from WG as the crow flies...

As for that cave...I heard one line was put up in it, but I haven't been out there for awhile...
J. Werlin

Social climber
Cedaredge, CO
  Apr 14, 2009 - 12:07pm PT
The legend climbs on

mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Apr 14, 2009 - 06:07pm PT
One more for t*r's bump...


Thrutch up the overhang/bulge with the right knee/leg until it "drops" into the wider part of the crack--cruiser wide after that.
Kartch

climber
belgrade, mt
  Apr 16, 2009 - 11:51am PT
Hey Tom and mojede - thanks for posting the stoke.

Tom - congratulations for getting your picture of the tower published in Outside Bozeman. Your bio at the end was nice to.

Hope to see you out there this Spring. Just don't crowd my V1's.
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Apr 16, 2009 - 12:02pm PT
Haha! Thanks Kartch!

Hope to see you out there too, though we may be shooting for the same problems!
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