Pipestone Bouldering

I was lucky enough to win tickets to a Trampled By Turtles and The Devil Makes 3 at the Big Sky Brewery in Missoula so Manfred and I found ourselves pulling the gypsy wagon down the road to Zoo town. After an awesome show and a not-so-awesome hangover, I arrived in Pipestone to break up the drive home. I got a great afternoon bouldering session in on some boulders McAlpine and friends cleaned several years ago. I hesitate (as always) to claim any first ascents on these boulders. We did, however, remove some shrubbery and rocks exposing previously unclimbable (to most folks) lines. The gem, which we named the Chinese Mr.Potato Head Boulder (now commonly referred to as the Potato Head Boulder) was hard then and remains that way now. I awoke the next day in a slight panic because not only was it extremely smoky but I could smell fire. It turns out that the crazy lightning storm I drove through the afternoon prior started some fires right there on Homestake pass. I thought I was going to be hopping in the truck and driving for my life to outrun the fire! But it never showed up and I got another great morning of bouldering accomplished.

Genesis Boulder, Unmasked Boulder, Potato Head Boulder

Potato Head Boulder is about 15ft tall. The face is a textbook 'problem'. I sent it in 2011 but couldnt get it this trip.

And they call this place the desert....

This photo is kinda cool just because of the sky; its on fire to the left and blue sky to the right with ominous clouds. 

My morning warm-up boulder. All of these have names but I dont remember them. We had nothing to do with developing these (Mastodon area).

A fun, blankish, hard open book.

If this isnt called the Morel Boulder it should be!

The book calls the hidden offwidth a 5.9 that stops a ways short of the top. I used the offwidth to gain the tips crack and proceeded to scare the s*** out of me topping out. I estimate its atleast 22ft tall. Bad landing, no fall zone.

The super classic Mastodon crack.  This one gets up there a ways too but the climbing gets easier the higher you get. 

Revenue Village: City Limits Buttress; Climb day

Sam, Jeff, Manfred and I all went out to the Village to climb 3 routes I just cleaned and bolted the weekend prior. I lead Black Angus Orchestra without any issues besides the shit-eating grin on my face! The crux is the bottom quarter of the route with some intimidating looking ceilings but there are cracks and holds that take away the difficulties, I give it 5.9 40m two bolts and gear. Cattle Scratch Boogie shares the ceiling start with B.A.Orchestra then takes the the low angled, uber-featured face to the top with bolts and one or two cams, 5.9 only because of the start then 5.7 to the top. After that I lead Trooper Down with a couple of cams to bolts back to gear and one last bolt before the top, 5.9 40m. They are all 5-star routes in my book! I knew they were going to be fun but they surpassed my expectations. I cant wait to develop the rest of this rock because its got a bunch more routes that look just as good! This was Jeff's first rock outing in a season or two and his first trip to the Village; I think he was rather impressed!

Me sending the ceilings; left of the first and right of the second. 

My hands are in a textbook hands crack with bomber gear right where it gets a lil airy. This is lap two on TR.

If you are going to climb with half-ropes you might as well climb in tandem if you have a group of 3. 

Looks like we are a ways up there!

Me on the FA of Trooper Down. 

Its gear until you get to this face that Im on where you'll find a few bolts.

Revenue Village: City Limits Buttress - Development

Armed with only 20 bolts, I moved the cache and started work on a new chunk of rock that Im calling City Limits because the uphill side borders private property. From one anchor I was able to clean and bolt three 40m routes. Climber's left to right we have Cattle Scratch Boogie 8 bolts and gear, Black Angus Orchestra 2 bolts and gear and Trooper Down 7 bolts and gear. They will all go at 5.8 or so. These account for about 1/3 to 1/4 of the possible number of routes on this chunk of rock. These should be pretty darn fun.

My new gadget. Digging through the fanny pack for the blower or the brush or bolts or a new bit has always been a pain but this thing puts 'em at my finger tips. I dont have to put my beer in my chalk bag! 

The best of the bad photos I took of the right side of City Limits. A couple of bolt dust patches can be seen.

The only place (I know of) where you can climb while looking at the Madison Valley and Gallatin Valleys simultaneously. 

Revenue Village: Morning Glove climb day; Raven Memorial...

Sam, Manfred and I got to climb the last unclimbed (but developed) climbs on the Morning Glove. We warmed up on R, like Rain a 5.7 mixed line with a 5.8 move for the crux and walked off. Then I lead The Raven Memorial a 60m 5.8 with 17 bolts and two cam placements. Using strategically placed alpine draws I was able to keep the rope drag to a minimum but I will be the first to say I put one or two bolts too many on that face. I didnt bolt anything that could be naturally protected but I took the fear out of it. The 'sharp end' is pretty dull but fun nonetheless. Again we walked off. Then Sam lead Climber Quotes, topping out in a downpour. I didnt climb it cause it was soaking wet. Time to start the camping part of the weekend! The cows were still out there but I didnt let them fool me twice.

R, Like Rain goes up the crack to ceiling to dihedral and finishes pretty much at the skyline notch.

This is the first time I have even seen Manfred voluntarily sleep on a rock.

Looking 60m down The Raven.

Theres Sam about half way up.

Backcountry brass monkeys. Vitamin R. Vitamin C.

Wildflower #40

When was the last time you turned your phone off for 4 days? I admit that its been awhile for me. Wildflower is a MT festival founded by some old hippies and is invite only. They release the location a week or two in advance to try and keep it not necessarily small, but not full of tourists. No cell service is one of the criteria for location. Everybody seemed to know everybody up there. It encompasses live music and camping and I would say it is primarily a disc golf tournament. I played more folf last weekend then I did last summer! They have some really cool custom made wildflowers that were used for baskets/targets. My buddy Neil has been attending for several years now and was the person that gave me the invite. This year it was in Bernice MT, a chunk of the state I have not spent any time in. I feel fine saying Bernice cause that is just the exit from the interstate; you still have over 10 miles of dirt roads before you camped and I dont think you would ever find it without the map. Manfred and I made a few new friends and will hopefully be attending again next year.

The festive Gypsy Wagon

Revenue Village: 3 more routes on the Morning Glove have been climbed

Kyler, Manfred and I spent a day climbing routes that I cleaned and bolted but hadnt climbed beyond top-rope soloing. I parked my Trooper and camper where I always do and hopped in with Kyler to drive up to the approach. It was fun showing somebody with 1000 times more experience than me my new area that I have put soooo much time and effort in to and get nothing but positive and excited feedback. I knew I wasnt just floating my own boat! We warmed up on Bear Aware a 30m 10 bolts to chains 5.8 sport route. Then, off the same anchors, top roped The Better Half a 30m 5.7 crack that shares one bolt with Bear Aware. Next I got to lead a climb that has been keeping me awake at night, Tradventurous 60m 5.9 all gear to chains. It was everything I hoped it would be. I used 14 pieces of gear, mostly small stuff. We walked off (mandatory unless you have a half or twin rope set up) and cracked a beer just as the rain started coming down. A few beers later (cant hike full beers out right!) the rain stopped and we walked over to Friction Impossible a 7 bolts to chains sport route project that has still not been sent. On our way we encountered a tiny little shack nooked way up in some 4th class talus. It has one little window looking West but is not situated over any kind of field or pasture or anything advantageous for agriculture. We hypothesize that its an old bootleggers hideaway or maybe an old horse thief's hideaway. I have been walking by it for years and just this trip noticed it. I love the Village. I have found ancient Native American artifacts, morel mushrooms, matching moose shed horns, epic first ascent rock climbing and zero homo sapiens. Kyler gave Friction Impossible his all but it remains an open project. Upon returning to my campsite, I noticed that the cattle taking advantage of the forest service grazing used my Trooper and camper as scratching posts! The ENTIRE driverside of my car and camper was dented to the max. They rubbed on it so hard that they shattered my driver side front window! If I wasnt so happy about the climbs we got done that day I would have been pissed but I just had to chuckle. Should have known. Its not like you can get mad at a cow! Luckily Broadwater Ford in Townsend was having a cash-for-clunkers sale and I was able to find myself a nice new pick em up truck.

Bear Aware is more or less the left rope line and The Better Half is the obvious crack to the right with a super fun start.

KP following on Tradventurous. He is already over half way up at this point.

A well deserved break.

Hmm...

The bench is maybe 5 ft long. 

The thing is freaking tiny. Weird.

I had never seen traces of humans out there before but this day we found a cabin and an fresh fire scar/pit. 

Whomever it was brought a hand-planer up with them. I cant imagine why. 

I got beef with a cow somewhere.

That'll do.