Indian Creek Evolves

Three years ago I made my first road trip to Indian Creek. For years I read about the beautiful and sustained cracks, the great weather, and commradery of the climbing community, and the lack of fees to climb-- an unusual aspect of such a popular place. Growing up in North Idaho I learned climbing on Granite and Diorite of moderate quality. Face climbing and sport being the median genre. I was nervous and excited at the prospect just climbing cracks and broadening my climbing skill set.

Marcus and I drove from Portland the beginning of March glad to leave behind the constant gray rain for some warm desert sun. We arrived in Moab picked up supplies and craged around town wanting to hit as much of all the climbing around Moab as possible. We knew that Indian Creek would take us to task and climbing day after day would be impossible so we planned in trips to the Fisher's and Arches. There is a good natured and relaxed feeling about climbing there that felt right and a little uphoric. Our first day or two we climbed easier routes like twin cracks, Triple Jepordy, and Generic crack. This was a necessary step we felt in order to generate a sense of progression and foster success. We took a rest day then tackled Phantom Sprint on Ecko tour to change things up. We figured that doing a tour on the weekend and then coming back to the Creek would allow the crowds to subside. Unfortunately, the crowds of climbers came in waves despite the passing of the weekend. It was the season there and we weren't the only ones who planned our spring vacation around sun and climbing. The crowds became stifling. I remember waiting in line to get on Super Crack. It felt like a theme park. We just left the popular areas and moved on avoiding the classics. Non-the-less my first trip to Indian Creek is one of my fondest trips. But, I came away with a real understanding of the concerns I skimmed over in climbing magazines; you can read about issues but they have a greater impact once one has experienced it first hand.

I returned in the winter of this year. A stop off on the way back from a month long ice climbing trip in Colorado. A sublime sense of solitude lay over the land. I showed up mid week wondering if I would find anyone to climb with in mid-February. Luckily I met a gentleman from Estas Park hold up in the desert like a hermit. I introduced myself and told him of my plans to tick off some of the classics I was unable to get on a few years ago. I could tell he was living out here hold up at the Bridger Jack camping area just waiting for people like myself to wander through. He was eager to climb with me despite having climbed these routes many times. I reveled in roaming from one buttress to the next unimpeded by anyone else sending routes like Super Crack, 3 am crack, and Battle of the Bulge. Of course, the down side of climbing in the winter is the frigid temps at night and the occational snow storm. I love the solitude and privacy that comes with climbing this time of year. I grew up climbing lonely crags -- plus my hands were well aclimated. I thought about my impact out here, it was close to nill. I felt no more intrucive than a cyote. My impact on this awsume environment was curbed just by timing and a willingness to rough it a little. Hell it was a cake walk after spending 30 + days shaking off the screaming barffies after long pitches and cold belays.

This land dilemma is making its way to all the great recreation places of the west. I have watched many of the places I fish, hunt and climb gated, closed to recreation, or just disappear because of private use/overuse. I have learned the value of developing repore with land owners. It is the right thing to do in our era of land use.

I am saddened at the loss of some of the primitive and wild feel of recreating (Are that are becoming a commodity to be marketed rather than revered) but all things change and land users are as much a contributor as the land owner and buyers, developers and so on. We all play a part in the evolution of land use. Lets face it. These places we covet are as much a commodity with a limit to its use. We are fortunate to have a land owner(s) at Indian creek who will come to the table and debate with us.

The evolution public and private land useage is slow, frustrating, and we most likely will not live to see the full outcome of our actions and contributions. Because, we are redefining the nature of land ownership and public use through these community actions, litigations, and debates.

So, as an individual how do I contribute to the sustainability of our most popular climbing areas? My personal contributions will be as follows: 1) I will climb at Indian Creek during off peak seasons in order to minimize my physical impact. Indian creek is a commodity we all have a stake in in one form or another. So, learning to share it and not recreate, or graze it to death is a community effort. 2) I will comply with all regulations while I am there. So, I will carry out my waste just like I would if I were bigwall climbing -- easy enough. 3) Stay open to all perspectives and be understanding. Because we climb does not make us special in as much as it makes the place special only to us in that way. Therefore, our perspective is only one of many on what makes a place special or unique. I can remember times watching young children playing with a new kitten or puppy. If you don't watch them closely they have the power to love them to death. So, whats your contribution going to be?

Good Judgment Keeps You Alive

This last weekend a friend and I hike into Chimney Rock a local alpine crag in the Selkirks range of North Idaho. I have climbed many of the routes over the years. Some are classics and my regular training routes for bigger objectives in Canada and Yosemite. This weekend I decided to climb Dirty Harry's revenge, a route I may have been on once in my teens. I remembered it being a great climb, but that was the extent of my recollection of the climb. As we made our approach I looked for the routes I knew well; Free Friends, East Face Direct... and used those as land marks to locate our objective. We hiked to the East shoulder of Chimney. From there the perspective that the climb is pictured in the guide book came into view. Our scenic perch revealed the long clean flakes and cracks leading to a long ramp on the West shoulder of Chimney Rock and access to the West face routes.

It was hard to tell from the ground the size of the crack. The guide book described it as a 2 inch crack at its widest. As a rule I always take pro just larger than what the book describes in case there is a discrepancy between the guide book and what actually is.

We made our way up the exposed third class ramps to the base of the first belay of the route; a really bad knife blade tied off ( by the first ascentionists!) and a good blue Metolius TCU. Ah I love climbing in the mountains. Genie settled into the belay after an unnerving scramble. I cast off into onto the fun and strenuous 5.9 lay backing up the long flake of granite. All was going well placed a #1 BD then a green Metolius 4 cam then a my #2 BD. Another ten feet brought me to an obvious good placement for my #3 BD. Glad I brought one more size. I thought to myself. Then, I looked up from my rest stance and saw another 30 feet of 3 to 3.5 inch wide crack looming above. I suddenly realized that this mellow climb just got serious. A fall from that high up would put me past Genie and skipping off the 3rd class slabs below her. I thought about lowering off and just contouring the mountain and rappelling in to retrieve my gear. I also saw the amazing opportunity. I am good on cracks. I thought to myself. Its the best climbing I do. I know that their will be mountains out there I just can't back off of. So, I cast off focused on the moment and all that it will teach me and what I have to give this moment in turn...

Rope drag happens. It's easy when you are under stress to make assumptions that it is your belayer day dreaming. The rope began to pull on my harness 20 feet out from my precious #3 BD. "I need some fucking slack!" I boomed. My voice echoed across the valley. I paused at a good stance, refocused and waited for the rope to loosen, then climbed another 10 feet to a small ledge. There I was able to get in a good #3 Wild Country chalk behind a suspect block-- better than nothing I said to myself. Another 15 feet put me on a big save ledge. I felt a touch queasy like I could have puked if that had gone on much longer. I brought Genie up and immediately apologized for my exclamation. She never heard my cursing just the need for slack. I didn't take the time to re-flake the rope at the belay. thinking I butterfly coiled the rope for the scramble and thought that would be sufficient. The rope became tangled at the moment I needed it the most.


I learned a few very important lessons that day: #1. Although my instincts were right to bring the extra larger size, I still needed more. Guide books are usually just estimations based on first ascent experience and or the authors experience or information gathered by the author. Rarely do climbers bring along their tape measure. This goes for repels, pitch lengths, or that key hold. Things change over time along with perspective and ones ability to recollect. If I had brought a spotting scope I could have seen better the width of the crack and its duration. I would have opted to bring more sizes in the 3 to 3.5 inch range. Instead I experienced and exhilarating lead! Which of course lead me into other important lessons. #2. Maintain focus and composure. Blaming and assuming are forms of power leaks; mental energy better spent on problem solving and physical endurance. I thought I had learned that lesson a long time ago, but I was caught off guard. If the climb had been more at my limit say 10c I might have fallen by not being completely in the moment and making no assumptions or judgments. When you give yourself completely to the experience there is no room for judgments, wishing, or hoping. There, is only pure joy, creativity, and the desire to problem solve. We finished our day off with climbing the Rappel Chimney to the summit where Genie and I enjoyed our first successful trip together up Chimney Rock.

Additions to my pack list for the mountains: a light weight spotting scope and a more open mind to the climb.

Interested in developing better judgement and experience for climbing, or want to climb Chimney Rock? Check out these resources:
Become a member of the AAC and receive Accidents in North America,because some experiences are better read then --well--experienced.
The Rock Warrior's Way by Ivo Inglor- a good book for developing a stronger mind for climbing.
Idaho Rock; a climber's guide to Sandpoint and the Selkirk Range of Idaho