Merry Xmas Missoulian Pebble Wranglers.

Here is what I got you for Christmas...


...The Muskox.


...and she's featured.


Sarah in awe.


Another look, and another potential line.


The steep side, good looking holds all the way up. The frozen creek adds a certain x factor..


Zoomed out.


...And if your into this kind of thing.

Located up Bass Creek, which makes its even closer to Missoula than Kooter (though the hike is comparable to Sweathouse). Take a left when the trail forks. Sure I this was the only worthwhile pebble I saw, but, I am very confident it'll be worth your time. I'd guess between 5-6 problems. The steep side might only be climbable when the creek is frozen ...or some landscaping may be required.

Crow peak fail fest.

With the prospect of two weeks locked in the library ahead of me (god damn finals), I decided I was going to spend saturday in the mountains by hell or high water. I've had my eye on doing a snowshoe up Crow Peak, the high point of the Elkhorns for some time, and figured an early december solo mission would be a good send off before a descent into academic hell. 10 degrees and 30 mph swirling winds, however, ensured that this respite would make 5 hour chem study sessions sound cozy. Sure I'd read the weather report.... but sometimes its worth just trying to get out.

While the majority of the blame goes to myself... I'd like to extend a little of it to Cedron James, author of the new book, "Peakbagging Montana: A guide to Montana's major peaks." This book is worthwhile for preliminary ideas for a trip, but should not, I repeat not, be counted on for route info on the ascent. See the above photo of my jaunt through ankle-break-alley, the recommended route for marginal snow conditions for a reference.

I plan on doing some ski touring in the area later in the season. Or perhaps just relocating to the badass ghost town of Elkhorn. Wish I'd snapped a picture, but my hands were too cold to operate the camera.

high plains thuggery.

Haystacks in the Little Blackfoot valley.



Horses and a highline monsoon. Near Virgil MT.


Badland.


The Missouri, near Ft. Benton. Highlands in the background.


Mo, South of Cascade.


2-by-3.

hunter's orange

...no climbing nor much else. to busy learning that hunting is time consuming, and involves waking up at ungodly hours.


nature's orange


first light, opening day. whitefish mts.

P.S. I went mt. biking at lewis and clark caverns state park and was impressed by the amount of limestone along the Jefferson. Does anybody know why this area has not been bolted for climbing? Perhaps some of that maddy limestone is chossy (as per usual), but the wall were the cave is looks excellent. Beta please!

Mean like a Butte girl.

M.L.B.G. Mean like a Butte Girl.


Chickenhead on MLBG.


Wild apples. I ate aprox 12.


Make War not Love.

rain soaked circuits, gems, and photogs.

Looking to overcome my soft-serve girl strength, I decided some training was in order. Lacking any indoor climbing facilities (that I know of) I decided that a climb-till-you-puke-circuit was a good idea. Rain in the forecast had me gambling that Whiskey would be dry. It wasn't, but I still managed to climb a little anyhow. ...Turns out, projecting old warm ups is not so fun, but not pulling hard also allowed me to "rediscover" some rad, often overlooked, moderates.

On the way back the Butte, I stopped to oogle a boulder I'd stumbled upon earlier. Due to some old school advertisement i've dubbed it eh Corporate Graffiti boulder. Looks like it should give up some excellent lines.


Intersection of Rader Creek and "Ranger Ridge."


The Corporate Graffiti boulder. ...gunna be a great one.


Another angle. big slopey rails.


Hold out from the railroad days.


Last light on the East ridge. There's rock in them there hills.


October snow in the Highlands.

Chalk on rock.

As per request, I got off my ass and jammed my feet back into my climbing shoes... forgot how much that part sucks. I only actually got pics of one line, but its a pretty stellar one.


The approach.


The Frank Little boulder.


Standing at the start of the line.


Crux-punt.


Purdy sunset.


Not so purdy stripmine.


On our walk out we stumbled upon these two. I'm pretty sure they were getting ready to bone down, but the beeping of my camera kept ruining their mood.

More soon.