| Great climb. Not very sustained and mostly well protected (and with a 45-minute approach). We could not ask for better conditions: probably mid 60's, sunny, and windless. Also, no other climbers. In fact, only people we saw the whole day were 3 cars and 2 motorcycles that passed by on White Rim Road when we were on the climb. The area has a very remote feel. Though less than 20 miles from the visitors' center, that distance takes ~2 hours of driving (very exciting driving down the steep and very exposed switchbacks of the Shafer Trail)! I found the 10+ face on the last pitch very difficult and ended up yarding on the topmost bolt. The ridge traverse on pitch 4 is the highlight of the route as is the AWSOME rappel down the arch!! Amazing! This is probably one of our favorite desert towers to date. Shirley had a great time as she was able to pull all the cruxes (except the last pitch) with no hesitation (much better day for her than me that way :). The weather worsened the next day (windy, somewhat cold, and with intermittent snow dusting) and so we cragged at the Creek. Wanted to do a small tower on Sunday morning before heading home but instead woke up to find a flat tire on our truck. Not only is there no place that will fix a flat in Moab on a Sunday, but there is apparently no place that will do that in the entire state of Utah. Drove home (through some shitty wintry weather) on the (full-size luckily) spare praying that we'd not get another flat. We need to move to Utah - I84 & I15 are getting tiresome. |
Island in the Sky > Washer Woman > Climber's Log
