Overview
Large 4000 foot pencil couloir above East Rosebud Lake. Ice and rock at the top. Ropes, ice screws, and rock gear recommended. Good, long, moderate climb. Single day, but leave early.Getting There/ The Route
Take I-90 to Columbus. From Columbus, take highway 78 through the mall town of Absarokee, and all the way to Roscoe.Take the first right into Roscoe. East Rosebud road is the only road through Roscoe. Follow East Rosebud Creek Road all the way to the trailhead. From the Trail head, look across the lake at Shepherd's Peak and the perfect pencil is very obvious. Follow the trail until you get to the end of the lake, then drop down to the creek, and cross it. Bush-whack your way up to the base of the couloir.When I climbed it, there was no ice at the top, but I have heard ofa thin WI3 pitch that sometimes forms. Once you have exited the coulior, a bit of difficult route-finding is in your future. We scrambled to the base of a left-facing corner crack(5.5). You will emerge onto a large ledge. Take this ledge up and (climber's) right to the summit.
Red Tape
Bad avalanche danger. Terrain Trapps Galore! It is also in the Wilderness, so nothing mechanical!Descent
Depending on the weather, the coulior could be the easiest way down. Beware of rockfall if it is too warm. You can also wander north across the plateau, and down the north ridge. You can take this ridge all the way down to Phantom Creek. There is a nice trail on the north side of the creek. Follow the trail for about .5 mile down to the Phantom Creek Trailhead. (Phantom Creek T.H. is about a mile from the East Rosebud T.H. Just follow the road back to the car)Images
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