The Choss Files, Retro-Edition: Dead Horse

Guest blog by Mike Schneiter.

“Quartzite climbing in Glenwood Canyon?” The question is usually accompanied by a quizzical stare of disbelief. For the vast majority of climbers in the Roaring Fork Valley, climbing in Glenwood Canyon consists of clipping bolts on the limestone of the Puoux and trad climbing on granite at No Name. The towering limestone/quartzite walls of Glenwood Canyon are a beautiful site for those passing by on Interstate 70 but are mostly looked upon with horror by climbers as a towering jumble of ugliness.

I had always wondered that in all that vertical real estate and over 10 miles of canyon, surely there must be some redeeming rock. If you do your homework, you’ll find stories of climbing in Glenwood Canyon from the likes of Layton Kor and Michael Kennedy in the 70s and 80s. Their stories don’t draw you out to the canyon in search of lines. With route names like Death Wish and descriptions of rock so bad that it wouldn’t hold gear, pin, or bolt, it makes you think that their hard-earned lessons should save you the trouble.

A few years ago, I was out on a long trail run, exploring parts of the canyon I had yet to visit. The most popular trail in the White River National Forest is the Hanging Lake Trail, with over 100,000 visitors a year. Veering off that trail is the Dead Horse Trail, featuring tight undergrowth and loose rocks, but with a nice climb to the top of the canyon and on to the Flat Tops.

Minutes off the Hanging Lake Trail I was struck by a short, nice looking wall of quartzite. The quartzite appeared to be compact and solid, with horizontal bands running along it. One of the many walls met the trail and it was there that I laid hands on some nice stone and started wondering.

Now, flash forward to the spring of 2007. Our climbing plans are falling apart as light rain, cloud cover, and cool temperatures threaten. Talk turns to doing some exploration or trail work at new crags to make the best of a gloomy day. Although my memory is hazy, I suggest that we investigate the wall at Dead Horse Canyon that I glimpsed years previously and have never been able to get out of my mind. Until you actually take a rope and a rack to a wall, you never know if it’s good or not.

Of course, it’s not as tall as I remember, but the rock is better than I remember and the slight overhang of the wall has kept the rock dry. I reject a proposal to hike to the top and throw a toprope down on what appears to be an easier offering. “Let’s do it the way Kor and the boys would have done it.” Once on the rock, I realize that we’ve found a true gem. The rock is hard with perfect incut edges and the movement is delightful. And, with that, the climb Homage was born and a mini-revolution of Glenwood Canyon quartzite climbing was started with the Dead Horse Crag.

Now, about exploring the rest of that quartzite in Glenwood Canyon…

You can stay on top of all Mike’s explorations in choss land over at Chossmonkey.com