Courtyarding

After a world travelling hiatus I have been trying to get back in the groove.  March is usually when things really start to get nice in the batholith.  The Coartyard in particular can be stellar this time of year not to hot and not too cold.  I have been able to get out to the Coartyard on two consecutive weekends this month and both days have been stellar.  There is lots of unfinished business in the Coartyard notably the many potential highballs on the 25'-35' wall that is in the area.

This past weekend as sizable crew came out I gave a little tour of the area for some people who had not been there before.  Everyone seemed pretty psyched. I was able to pluck two of the longstanding highball problems (sorry no pics) and made some progress on a third.  I am happy to get those out of the way.  One of them I might do again the other I am not so sure.

Rose sending Cherry Blossom

Charlie on a problem that I think Whitmore put up

Project that might actually be possible- tall and scary

My favorite bouldering partner

Batholith is prime right now!

Hope to see everyone out there.

L8er,

podenbeck

Unraveling the Labyrinth

For the past couple of years I have been wondering- sometimes aimlessly- through the Batholith. I first visited the area in 2005 and was blown away- it reminded me of Red Feather Lakes back in CO, except 10 times bigger. I could not believe that there was so much rock and I had heard nothing about these endless fields of boulders- except what was over in Whiskey Gulch. I clearly remember the first day I went up the pass drove toward Delmoe Lake spied some blocks of the side of the road and put up 10 or more quality problems. Was I dreaming? No I was not... and I guess it can be summed up in this phrase- "Patrick you are not in Colorado anymore..."

I have since learned that simultaneously Tom and others were putting up problems sometimes feet away from some of the same areas I was working on and others had been bouldering in area years ago but neglected to record much- needless to say it is a big place with even bigger potential. First ascents are pretty much guaranteed every time you go and/or bring a problem of old into the limelight.

Here are a couple visual excerpts of some of the things my friends and I have found over the years some you might recognize.

Yours truly on Fade Away

Kevin Brumbach digging some Solace

Aaron Burford Scooping It Out

Velvet

Even though the snow is slaying Bridger, recently my psych for the Batholith has increased exponentially. Tom and are going to start working together to actually get some more of these places recorded- and attempt to bring some more of the Batholith bouldering out of obscurity. I thought I'd throw a couple shots in from a session in the Trailers 2 weeks ago as well.

Pat Wolfe on Tearjerker

Tom on an Airstream Project

Stay tuned for more...