Eph Hanks Tower

View in "Orig" for better detail.

This photo is not the sharpest because it has been heavily cropped, but it illustrates the misnomer "Eph Hanks Tower." The "Tower," which does appear so from some perspectives, is the left end of the ridge seen here. The highpoint of the ridge is the second of the two prominent outcrops on the right and is about 400' higher than Eph Hanks Tower's summit.

I was able to find a way up and through the cliffs on the right side, encountering a lot of Class 3, some Class 4, and even a touch of low Class 5. Easier routes may exist, but the one I took seemed to be one of only two feasible ones (for non-technical climbs) that I could see from below as I scouted out the peak.

My approach actually began out of sight of this view, around the other side of the right buttress seen here.

Capitol Reef National Park, UT-- October 2009