City of Rocks

September 2-7, 2008

Sue behind the wheel, somewhere west of Burns
Sue behind the wheel, somewhere west of Burns

Scot
Scot

Doug
Doug

Me
Me

View up front
View up front

Last peek at the Sisters
Last peek at the Sisters

Roadside rocks
Roadside rocks

Dawn, Sept 3
Dawn, Sept 3

East side of Elephant Rock and beyond
East side of Elephant Rock and beyond

Another dawn shot
Another dawn shot

Rock across road from camp
Rock across road from camp

Doug on rock, camp below
Doug on rock, camp below

North side of Elephant Rock
North side of Elephant Rock

Doug and Sue on rock
Doug and Sue on rock

Doug climbing at Practice Rock
Doug climbing at Practice Rock

Sue on Practice Rock
Sue on Practice Rock

View on the way down to Flaming Rock
View on the way down to Flaming Rock

Doug on hike to Flaming Rock
Doug on hike to Flaming Rock

Sue belays Doug on Rain Dance 5.7***; two pitches; Flaming Rock
Sue belays Doug on Rain Dance 5.7***; two pitches; Flaming Rock

Doug on first pitch of Rain Dance
Doug on first pitch of Rain Dance

Doug at top of first pitch
Doug at top of first pitch

Sue starts up Rain Dance
Sue starts up Rain Dance

Sue on first pitch of Rain Dance
Sue on first pitch of Rain Dance

Sue on Rain Dance
Sue on Rain Dance

View from bottom of east side of Flaming Rock
View from bottom of east side of Flaming Rock

Rock garden
Rock garden

Looking down from top of second pitch of Rain Dance
Looking down from top of second pitch of Rain Dance

View towards Almo
View towards Almo

More views from top of Rain Dance
More views from top of Rain Dance

Still more from top of Flaming Rock
Still more from top of Flaming Rock

Sue nears top of Rain Dance
Sue nears top of Rain Dance

Sue’s almost there
Sue’s almost there

Rocks east of Flaming Rock
Rocks east of Flaming Rock

More rocks below Flaming Rock
More rocks below Flaming Rock

Northeast of Flaming Rock
Northeast of Flaming Rock

Doug nears top of Rain Dance
Doug nears top of Rain Dance

Macho pose on Rain Dance
Macho pose on Rain Dance

Still more below Flaming Rock
Still more below Flaming Rock

and more yet
and more yet

run out of words
run out of words

Clam Shell
Clam Shell

More of the City
More of the City

More still...
More still...

Northeast
Northeast

East
East

Group coming back from Cruel Shoes (5.7; three pitches; Stripe Rock)
Group coming back from Cruel Shoes (5.7; three pitches; Stripe Rock)

More of the Cruel Shoes group
More of the Cruel Shoes group

Transformer Corridor
Transformer Corridor

Sue raps off of Rain Dance
Sue raps off of Rain Dance

Sue and view to east
Sue and view to east

John and Deb waiting their turn at Rain Dance
John and Deb waiting their turn at Rain Dance

Cherries
Cherries

Trees below Bumblie Rock
Trees below Bumblie Rock

John and Lisa Manotti on Rain Dance
John and Lisa Manotti on Rain Dance

View from top of Too Much Fun (5.8***; Bumblie Rock)
View from top of Too Much Fun (5.8***; Bumblie Rock)

More from Too Much Fun
More from Too Much Fun

Still more from TMF
Still more from TMF

John P., Deb and Lisa at top of Rain Dance, John M. Rapping
John P., Deb and Lisa at top of Rain Dance, John M. Rapping

John M. back at top of first pitch, Rain Dance
John M. back at top of first pitch, Rain Dance

Top of Bumblie Rock
Top of Bumblie Rock

More views from Bumblie
More views from Bumblie

Lisa raps second pitch of Rain Dance
Lisa raps second pitch of Rain Dance

Doug belays Sue up Too Much Fun
Doug belays Sue up Too Much Fun

Still more from top of Bumblie
Still more from top of Bumblie

Lisa & John M. at top of first pitch, Rain Dance
Lisa & John M. at top of first pitch, Rain Dance

Sue is having way Too Much Fun
Sue is having way Too Much Fun

Sue nears top of Too Much Fun
Sue nears top of Too Much Fun

Chicken in the sky
Chicken in the sky

Doug raps Too Much Fun
Doug raps Too Much Fun

Photo op on Too Much Fun
Photo op on Too Much Fun

Bone tree
Bone tree

Sue waiting to rap
Sue waiting to rap

Group grows at 1st belay station on Rain Dance
Group grows at 1st belay station on Rain Dance

Sue raps Too Much Fun
Sue raps Too Much Fun

Serious self shot on Too Much Fun
Serious self shot on Too Much Fun

John M. raps 1st pitch of Rain Dance
John M. raps 1st pitch of Rain Dance

Another self shot while waiting to rap
Another self shot while waiting to rap

More views from top of Bumblie Rock
More views from top of Bumblie Rock

Rock patterns
Rock patterns

Flowers
Flowers

Rocks by trail back to camp
Rocks by trail back to camp

Group back at trailhead
Group back at trailhead

Cooking dinner and hanging out
Cooking dinner and hanging out

Moon over camp
Moon over camp

Camp from west side of Elephant Rock, Sept 4
Camp from west side of Elephant Rock, Sept 4

Sunrise from rock across road from Camp
Sunrise from rock across road from Camp

Doug at sunrise
Doug at sunrise

Bath Rock
Bath Rock

John and Deb rise
John and Deb rise

Box Top and Odyssey
Box Top and Odyssey

Rock above trail to Box Top
Rock above trail to Box Top

More rock
More rock

Box Top and Odyssey again
Box Top and Odyssey again

Sue and Doug cross South Creek
Sue and Doug cross South Creek

Single leaf pinon pine
Single leaf pinon pine

Fallen cones of pinon pine
Fallen cones of pinon pine

The Box Top
The Box Top

The Dolphin
The Dolphin

Lost Arrow
Lost Arrow

Sue and Doug on trail to Stripe Rock
Sue and Doug on trail to Stripe Rock

Looking back at the Box Top
Looking back at the Box Top

Chicken
Chicken

Stripe Rock
Stripe Rock

Doug leads Cruel Shoes (5.7***; three pitches; Stripe Rock)
Doug leads Cruel Shoes (5.7***; three pitches; Stripe Rock)

Doug moves up first pitch of Cruel Shoes
Doug moves up first pitch of Cruel Shoes

Moves on Cruel Shoes
Moves on Cruel Shoes

Doug approaches top of first pitch; party ahead of us moves up second pitch
Doug approaches top of first pitch; party ahead of us moves up second pitch

Doug at top of first pitch, Cruel Shoes
Doug at top of first pitch, Cruel Shoes

Sue on first pitch of Cruel Shoes
Sue on first pitch of Cruel Shoes

Doug belays Sue up Cruel Shoes
Doug belays Sue up Cruel Shoes

Hanging out at top of first pitch
Hanging out at top of first pitch

Sue on second pitch
Sue on second pitch

View from top of second pitch, Cruel Shoes
View from top of second pitch, Cruel Shoes

Hanging out on top of second pitch
Hanging out on top of second pitch

Doug nears top of Cruel Shoes
Doug nears top of Cruel Shoes

More from top of second pitch
More from top of second pitch

Still more from second belay station
Still more from second belay station

and more
and more

and yet more
and yet more

and still more
and still more

On top of Cruel Shoes, Stripe Rock
On top of Cruel Shoes, Stripe Rock

The Clamshell from Stripe Rock
The Clamshell from Stripe Rock

More of the City from Stripe Rock
More of the City from Stripe Rock

Looking down the south side of Strip Rock towards Twin Sisters
Looking down the south side of Strip Rock towards Twin Sisters

East from Stripe Rock
East from Stripe Rock

Lichen on top of Stripe Rock
Lichen on top of Stripe Rock

Looking down the valley
Looking down the valley

View east from our last rappel tree
View east from our last rappel tree

Sunrise, Sept 5
Sunrise, Sept 5

First light on Graham Peak
First light on Graham Peak

Bath Rock
Bath Rock

Rock across road from camp
Rock across road from camp

On the road to Castle Rocks
On the road to Castle Rocks

Castle Rock
Castle Rock

Castle Rock up close
Castle Rock up close

Zinger (5.8***; three pitches; Castle Rock west)
Zinger (5.8***; three pitches; Castle Rock west)

John nears top of Fruit Pie
John nears top of Fruit Pie

North from top of second pitch of Zinger
North from top of second pitch of Zinger

Beef Butte and Johnny Cash
Beef Butte and Johnny Cash

Top of Castle West Buttress
Top of Castle West Buttress

Looking down on group on Fruit Pie
Looking down on group on Fruit Pie

Scot and me on top of Zinger
Scot and me on top of Zinger

View from base of Fruit Pie (5.7***; two pitches; Castle Rock)
View from base of Fruit Pie (5.7***; two pitches; Castle Rock)

Deb leads Poking Holes in the Firmament (5.6**; Castle West Buttress)
Deb leads Poking Holes in the Firmament (5.6**; Castle West Buttress)

John watches Deb lead PHitF
John watches Deb lead PHitF

Sue leads Poking Holes in the Firmament
Sue leads Poking Holes in the Firmament

Old road to the south
Old road to the south

Beef Butte and Johnny Cash
Beef Butte and Johnny Cash

Rocks below
Rocks below

Doug tries out a line beside PHitF
Doug tries out a line beside PHitF

Fruit Pie
Fruit Pie

Looking back through Hostess Gully
Looking back through Hostess Gully

Over the top—more of Castle Rocks State Park
Over the top—more of Castle Rocks State Park

Still more of Castle Rocks
Still more of Castle Rocks

more
more

and more
and more

and still more
and still more

Route on Wedding Wall?
Route on Wedding Wall?

View to north from east side, Castle Rock
View to north from east side, Castle Rock

Dinner at eight
Dinner at eight

Moon over Elephant Rock
Moon over Elephant Rock

Sunset over camp
Sunset over camp

Light on Breadloaves, Sept 6
Light on Breadloaves, Sept 6

Rock by the road
Rock by the road

Fixer-upper
Fixer-upper

The City from Circle Creek Overlook
The City from Circle Creek Overlook

Lost Arrow
Lost Arrow

Twin Sisters
Twin Sisters

Bath Rock
Bath Rock

Our destination for the day: Jackson’s Thumb (left of Steinfells Dome)
Our destination for the day: Jackson’s Thumb (left of Steinfells Dome)

Ready to go
Ready to go

View from the trail, to the south
View from the trail, to the south

The City from the trail
The City from the trail

Twin Sisters and Elephant Rock
Twin Sisters and Elephant Rock

Below the trail
Below the trail

Steinfells Dome
Steinfells Dome

More of the City
More of the City

Nearing base of our climb
Nearing base of our climb

Bath Rock, etc.
Bath Rock, etc.

First pitch of Theatre of Shadows (5.7***, four pitches, Jackson’s Thumb)
First pitch of Theatre of Shadows (5.7***, four pitches, Jackson’s Thumb)

Getting ready to climb
Getting ready to climb

Brian on the first pitch
Brian on the first pitch

Brian nears top of the first pitch
Brian nears top of the first pitch

Plants and lichen on Jackson’s Thumb
Plants and lichen on Jackson’s Thumb

Team 2: John and Deb prepare to climb
Team 2: John and Deb prepare to climb

Self shot
Self shot

City from top of first pitch
City from top of first pitch

South from top of first pitch
South from top of first pitch

Twin Sisters
Twin Sisters

Sue relaxes at top of first pitch
Sue relaxes at top of first pitch

Second pitch of Theatre of Shadows
Second pitch of Theatre of Shadows

Chicken over Jackson’s Thumb
Chicken over Jackson’s Thumb

Sue on the second pitch
Sue on the second pitch

Base of climb from top of third pitch
Base of climb from top of third pitch

View west
View west

more on west
more on west

and still more
and still more

more of the City
more of the City

Stripe Rock
Stripe Rock

View southeast
View southeast

towards Twin Sisters
towards Twin Sisters

Sue at top of third pitch
Sue at top of third pitch

More to the west
More to the west

Self at top of third pitch
Self at top of third pitch

Sue on the forth pitch
Sue on the forth pitch

Gully between Steinfells Dome and Jackson’s Thumb
Gully between Steinfells Dome and Jackson’s Thumb

Base of Jackson’s Thumb from top of third pitch
Base of Jackson’s Thumb from top of third pitch

View across side of Steinfells Dome
View across side of Steinfells Dome

Slightly different view
Slightly different view

West side of Steinfells Dome
West side of Steinfells Dome

Flowers on forth pitch of Theatre of Shadows
Flowers on forth pitch of Theatre of Shadows

Doug belays me up forth pitch while Sue takes pics
Doug belays me up forth pitch while Sue takes pics

More gardens on forth pitch
More gardens on forth pitch

Crack near top of Jackson’s Thumb
Crack near top of Jackson’s Thumb

John and Scot look on from below
John and Scot look on from below

Gully between Dome & Thumb
Gully between Dome & Thumb

Sue starts her rappel
Sue starts her rappel

Sue mid-rappel
Sue mid-rappel

View from gully
View from gully

Doug starts rappel
Doug starts rappel

Doug mid-rappel
Doug mid-rappel

Broken rock
Broken rock

Top of Jackson’s Thumb; following party readies to rappel
Top of Jackson’s Thumb; following party readies to rappel

Lots of cars in lot
Lots of cars in lot

Stripe Rock from lot
Stripe Rock from lot

Deb and John on rock at camp
Deb and John on rock at camp

More fun with rocks
More fun with rocks

Sue tries out a new climbing technique
Sue tries out a new climbing technique

Around the campfire
Around the campfire

Last modified: September 9, 2008

Wayne Deeterwrd@deetour.net