nelson's guide to tanner and stultz trail

Oak Creek Climbers Guide

Nelson Lunsford, Bill Schmausser, John Musso, Bob Robertson, Mike Johnson

Oak Creek Climbers Guide 2

Intro

Getting There

Oak Creek Canyon is located about 9 miles south of Canon City. From downtown Canon City, turn south on 4th street and cross over the Arkansas river. Continue about one mile until the road turns east(left). Turn right here on to county road 143, also known as the Oak Creek Grade Road. Follow this road for about 7.75 miles until you arrive at the Stultz trailhead at the end of a long 1500 ft elevation game. This is position 1 on the map on page 4. Tanner Dome is a further 10 minutes, 2.8 miles down the road.

Seasons

Year round climbing is the rule. Spring and fall are best. Summers can get quite hot in July and August, though you’ll be fine if you climb in the shade and take lots of water.

Amenities

There are no local amenities or city water. Supplies can be found in Canon City or Florence.

Camping

The Oak Creek campground, just past the Tanner parking lot, offers sufficient camping on almost any weekend except the 4th of July. Undeveloped camping is available a mile further down the road. Oak Creek is not much of a creek after June so bring lots of water, particularly in the summer.

Climbing

Quality Granite. 80% sport 20% trad. Only the finest stainless bolts and hangers. Chain or ring belays. 10+ multi pitch routes. 12 draws and a 60 meter rope will suffice for most climbing. A standard rack will cover all but a few trad climbs and the odd offwidth.

Disclaimer

Climbing is dangerous. As a fully degreed rocket scientist, you, the reader of this guide, should intuitively recognize the self evident nature of this aforementioned fact. Furthermore, most of the routes here are new. While the routes are cleaned when put up, loose rock, rockfall and early ascents will undoubtedly continue to further clean the lines. This is not the rock gym; it is easier to get hurt outside. Oak Creek Climbers Guide 2

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Overview Map USGS quads Rock Vale and Curley Peak offer coverage of the area.

1. Stultz Trailhead Crags. 9 miles from Canon City. All distances are marked from here.

2. Bend Crags 3. Pillar of Joy 4. Hueco Wall 5. Entry Crags

6. Native America 7. Sub C wall 8. Tanner Dome complex 9. Back Porch 10. Tanner Parking


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Stultz Trailhead Crags (1) No pics yet. Were workin’ on it.

The Stultz trailhead, location 1, on the overview map, is about 8.6 miles up Oak Creek Grade Road from 3rd street and Hw 50 in Canon City. Between Canon and the Stultz trail head you gain 1600 feet of altitude, making for great views of the south side of Pikes Peak. Park here in the small lot off the road or take a left at Stultz trail head and drive down the side road for 150 meters to the east and park. Walk the motor bike trail south east (take a right at the first Y) and follow the faint trail south east. Walk just below the ridge line to the top of the west facing rock. This is Enterprise. Bob R and his crew did all of the work here.

Enterprise 1. (Faces West) This rock is on the left

side -Hike to the East/going to the creek.

2. Halla Deck This Segment is on top of the Enterprise’s west face.

4. 10-Forward 5.9 * This route has 4 clips and anchor. 20 feet right of Genna, and 40 feet long.

3. Ginna 5.10b ½ F.A.4-21-03 The route has 7 clips and anchors, and follows

an arête for 50 feet. The very top route on the Enterprise.

Enterprise - The Lower Deck This is the part of the rock 2/3 of the way to the creek.

1. Hollow Deck 33 5.10b **½ 10 clips 90 feet long. This climb is the far left route of the three lower routes on the wall. It goes over two small roofs.

2. Hotel Royal 5.10a ** 12 clips to anchor; One hundred feet left of

Picard-90 ft. tall, and 25 feet right of Hollow Deck.

3. Captain Picard 5.10c *** This two pitch climb goes up the arête on the right side of Enterprise. First Pitch-5.9 with 8 to anchor. Second Pitch-5.10c with 10 bolts to anchor.


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Deep Space Nine The tallest North facing slab , Directly South of Enterprise .

1. Terminal Valocity5.10c ** This route goes up the clean slab in the middle of Bata-8. First pitch 5.9, six bolts to anchor. Second pitch 5.10c, ten bolts to anchor. The upper part of this climb has some liken. It looks like the first pitch had a little connection to a

trad line. It had two fixed hex’s for a rap station, and a piton half way up the first pitch.

2. T.B.N 5.11a *½ A two pitch climb. That climbs up a arête on the second pitch. Thirty feet right of Terminal Velocity.


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The bend crags (2) Situated before the beginning of the hairpin, 1.25 miles from r the Stultz trailhead, several crags appear on your right . Routes here run the gamut from easy to hard, though mostly on the harder 5.10 and up side. Several bolted climbs and 4 mixed trad lines here…how scandalous!


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West Bend Crag

1. Pay Back 5.9 mixed 2. Morning Sun 5.10 mixed 3. Hidden Surprise 5.10b mixed 4. Electric Ladyland 5.11b mixed

5. Drug Test 5.10 trad 6. Violation 5.9+ trad 7. April’s Fool 5.10b/c mixed 8. Lenyo Breath 5.11c mixed

First Bend Crag

Just before the west bend crag and on the same sdide of the road, is a crag with a HUGE roof on its left side.

Glen Schuler, Mark Milligan, and Wayne of the unknown-last-name contributed most of the routes here.

1. Face route one 11+ 2. Face route two. Rating Unknown


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The Heuco Wall (4)

Several fun moderate routes here and a 5 minute approach. Those cranky trads have been active here, chopping some anchors. They will be replaced. Be sure to bring along a copy of a Bill O’Reilly book, it will shoo them off like garlic to Vampires.

1. Alhambra Pool 5.8 bolts (Nelson and Joe Rumler)

2. Warren Banks 1 bolt/trad 3. Warren Banks 5.10 2 bolts/trad.

4. The Bohemian 5.11b/c bolts (Nelson and Joe Rumler)

5. 5.5 crack. Easy. Walk off


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Tanner Dome Complex (8)

Tanner Overview Get there: From Canon city, take Follow the Oak Creek grade road until you reach the largest parking lot on the east side of the road. Hike the the East Bear Gulch trail on the west side of the road for about 5 minutes or after 1/4 the trail dips briefly, climbs and turns left. At his left take the side trail on the right. This trail will take you to the Base of the Civil Wall shown as ‘D’ in the above photograph.

The Tanner complex consists of eight major formations as shown in the figure above

A. Tanner Dome B. Upper East Face C. Tanner Tower D. Civil Wall

E. Cartoon Wall F. Confluence G. Great Big Wall H. “C” Wall


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Tanner and Native America Trails Map

The Figure above shows the trails to Tanner , (2) and Native America (1). The right hand loop of the Tanner trail accesses the sub C wall from the road, or alternately permits access to the C wall. One can also use this trail to access Tanner dome, though most parties will use the East Bear Gulch trail.


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Tanner Dome (A) This is unquestionably the most popular Crag in the wet mountains. Tanner offers moderate multi-pitch mostly sport climbs ranging from 5.7 to 5.11. The picture below shows Tanner Dome proper and above it the Upper East Face.

1. Bob Robertson 5.10c. 2-3 pitches. Bolts

2. Clippers and Saws 5.10+ Trad. 5” to fingers. Bolt Belay.

3. Leftist 5.11 Work up over the roof, 5.9. The crux is high.

4. Rightist 5.10 Start on the Big boulder. Make one dicey move to start.

5. Landscape Architect 5.8+

6. Zing 5.7. 2-3 pitches depending on how you do it. Upper variations are , from left to right .11, .8, .8

7. Amp left 5.10 8. Amp right 5.10 9. Tanner Classic 5.8


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Tanner Dome Upper East Face (B) 1. The Grateful Dead 5.10a, bolts 2. Red Rose 5.10a, bolts 3. Passenger 5.10c, bolts 4. Friend of the Devil 5.11-, bolts 5. Fire on the Mountain 5.11+, bolts 6. Killer Chuiguahua 5.11a **½ It's the left

route of the two pitch routes in the middle. First pitch 5.8+ 7 bolts and the anchor. Second pitch 5.11a 11 bolts and the anchor.

7. Funi Bunni 5,11a **½ First pitch 5.11a 9 bolts. Second pitch 5.10c 7 bolts and anchor. It's the first route right of Killer Chuihuahua.

8. Afghanistan’s Virgin Marry 5.10b** 12 bolts and the anchor. F.A.10-12-02

9. Mines Delouses 5,10d ** 7 bolts and anchor. The far right route on The Upper East Face of Tanner.

Tanner Tower (c) One route at this time. Room for a couple more.

1. The Loner 5.10+ , bolts


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Tanner Dome Complex - Cartoon wall (E) The cartoon wall is located above the Civil Wall. Hike the Tanner dome trail to the Civil Wall. Take the right branch around the Right base of the Civil Wall. Follow the trail back up and left, through the gully to the base of the right side of the cartoon wall. Climbing here is mostly single pitch Sport. Lots of fun routes between 5.6 and 5.10 with a couple harder lines thrown in for the hardmen in your group. Great views here. Rap from all routes, 60m rope.

1. Cartoon Barroom 5.10a (sits by itself, left of everything else, mixed route)

2. Mike Johnson 5. 10b, mixed, nuts to hand, 3 bolts.

3. Mike Johnson 5.13a, 8 bolts. 4. Chris Barlow 5.11a, mixed, cams to

#2 camalot. 5. Heinous Wide. Good luck. # 4 - 5

camalots.

6. Looney Tune 5.12a/b, bolts. Shares an anchor with orange Marmalade, bolts.

7. Orange Marmalade 5.11a, bolts 8. TeleTubby 5.6 bolts 9. Otto and Reggie 5.10a 2 pitches,

small/med cams optional on 1st pitch. Bolts


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10. Surf City 5.9, Same start as #9, move right into the big tube. Bolts

11. Tom (5.10c) 12. Jerry (5.10b) 13. Snaggle Puss 5.10c, bolts 14. Sylvester 5,10b, bolts 15. Daffy 5.10 16. Bullwinkle 5.9 17. Wiley Coyote 5.10, bolts

18. Road Runner 5.11a/b, bolts 19. Saturday Mornings 5.9+/10a, bolts 20. Serious Hurt 1st pitch 5.11 trad., 2nd

pitch 5.10b bolts 21. Hadji 1st pitch 10c, 2nd pitch 11b,

bolts 22. Tom & Jerry 5.7/5.8 Trad 23. Shorty Bob 5.11a/b bolts


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Tanner Dome Complex Civil wall (D) 1. Bull Run 5.11a bolts

2. Vicksburg 5.11d, bolts 3. Kennesaw Mountain 5.9+, bolts 4. March to the Sea 5.11a, bolts 5. Abolition 5.9+ Three short pitches. 6. The Monitor 5.9+ bolts, shares a start

with the Merrimac 7. The Merrimac 5.9+ bolts, shares a start

with the Monitor 8. Antietam 5.8 left of the Chickamunga

arête. 9. Chickamauga 5.11b bolts 10. Mike Johnson 5.12a, Mike thinks we

are old ladie’s for not rating it 5.11+.

11. 30,000 Casualties 5.10 mixed 12. Unionist 11c. Bolts 13. Harpers Ferry 11a/b. Some people find

a couple small nuts or a cam useful at the bottom.

14. .54 Chunk ‘o’ Lead 5.10 trad. 15. Nathan Forest 5.11b/c R, Serious trad. . 16. Mike Johnson.12b bolts 17. Mike Johnson.12c bolts


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Tanner Dome Complex

The Confluence (F) & Great Big Wall (G)

1. Penny Lane 1st pitch 5.7 bolts, 2nd pitch 5.10a/b bolts

2. Flee 5.6 bolts 3. Desert Sky 5.10 bolts, higher up on

the wall 4. Too Many Choices 5.11b bolts 5. Voices on a Cell Phone 5.8 bolts (you

get to this climb by first climbing both pitches of Penny Lane

6. Midlife Crisis 5.10 bolts and (1 ) .75 camalot

7. Unquenchable Thirst 5.11c bolts 8. Voices from Home 5.8 trad. 9. Walk Around the Block 5.9 bolts 10. I’m Still Afloat 5.8 trad.


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Tanner Dome Complex ‘C’ Wall (H) Located below and right of the civil wall, the C Wall offers numerous fun easy routes. Walk to the Civil Wall and follow the trail to the C Wall.

1. 20,000 Leagues 5.10 bolts 2. Under the Sea 5.10c bolts 3. SeaFood 5.9, bolts Bill 4. Sea Monster 5.9- bolts

5. Sinking Feeling 5.9 bolts 6. The Water Front 5.9 bolts 7. Rising Tide 5.7 bolts, walk off


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Sub ‘C’ Wall (7)

The sub ‘C’ wall is a font of moderates. You can also climb here much of the winter. To find the trail start in the tanner parking lot. Walk back down the road toward the large crag which nearly terminates at the road. Just at the end of the large crag (on the north side of the road), a trail leads into the woods. Follow it to the sub c wall. 15 minute approach.

1. The Diced Roof 5.9+ trad. 2. Ride Many a’Mile 5.9 mixed 3. The Gallows Pole 5.8 bolts 4. Hangman 5.10 mixed 5. Get a Little Gold 5.9 mixed

6. Keep Me from It 5.10c bolts 7. Pop 5.10 8. Whiteboy 5.10 9. Married but not Forgotten 5.11a 10. I Only Find It Slips Away 5.11b/c bolts


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Native America and the Entry Crags

Looking down canyon, to Canon City about ½ mile from the Tanner parking Lot, the entry to the Native America trial is found at the bend right of the entry crags, marked by a drainage culvert and a silver and black hazard post. 125 Feet right of the post is a break in the scrub Oak. The hike to Native America is long by Oak Creek standards, about forty minutes to an hour for most parties.


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Entry Crags (5) Need Pic, which is lame because it’s 2 minutes from the road. Were on it….

For those of you who just hate to hike this is the place. 2 minutes up the trail to Native America, the entry crags hosts 4 good routes.

1. Brave Warrior 5.9+/5.10a trad. 2. Many Arrows 5.11b, bolts

3. Tatonka 5.12a mixed Buffalo Robe 5.10c mixed


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Native America (6) If you want solitude, this is the place. A comparatively long , 45 minute, hike will separate you from the crowds. The climbs here are predominately moderate with selections from 5.6 to 5.11. Pick up the trail at the silver and black drainage marker on the North side of the road, .5 miles before tanner dome parking lot. The trail will lead up to the complex of three rocks, one of which, the east rock,shown as B in the picture below, is hidden from view.

A. Holds the west (right) and south (left) faces.

B. The East Rock. It is hidden behind the lower pillar.

C. The Lower Pillar.


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Native America Upper wall - West Face (a)

A fine selection of moderates. Bolts

1. Tecumseh 5.10a 2. The Prophet 5.9

3. Reservation Casino 5.8 4. Cochise Arete 5.7

Native America Upper wall - South Face (a)

5. Bill’s .11 6. Geronimo 5.9- 7. Great White Buffalo 5.10+ 8. Crazy Horse 5.10 crack/trad. (1 #4, 3

#3, 2 #2, 2 #1, 1 #.75, 1 #.5, 1 #.4, 1 #.3, nuts)

9. Left Little Indian 5.9+

10. Right Little Indian 5.10a 11. John’s Dihedral 5.10 mixed. 12. Sitting Bull 1st pitch 5.9 mixed, 2nd

pitch 5.10 bolts . You need 1 medium nut on the first pitch.

13. Winter Camp 5.11d Bolts 14. Broken Arrow 5.10 bolts


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Native America - East Rock (b)

Need pic.

Once at the upper wall, traverse right to the notch formed by the top of the lower wall, a short five minute approach to the east wall. These routes are all bolted.

1. Lakota 5.8 2. Dakota 5.8 3. Cheyenne 5.11a 4. Cochise 5.9

5. Sioux 5.10 6. Blackfoot 5.9 7. Shawnee 5.8

Lower Wall (c)

1. Lone Indian 5.9, bolts


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Back Porch (9)A small crag with a short hike to a great view of the Sangre De Cristos. Something for everyone here. 5.8 to 5.11c. About a mile past the Tanner parking lot park by the National Forest entry sign on the South side of the road. Walk back down the road toward Tanner about 150 yards, locate the trail at a flat open spot between two large trees on the North side of the road. Follow to the base of the crag. One caveat, the Back Porch is not a good spot on a windy day.

1. Left Pillar 5.9 2. Right Pillar 5.11a/b 3. Look to the West 5.9, mixed 4. Elevator 11a

5. O Stephanie 5.9- 6. Terrorist Bitch 5.11+, bolts 7. Swedish Bombshell 5.11+, bolts


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nelson's guide to tanner and stultz trail

Documents

oak creek grade road

oak creek canyon

oak creek campground

county road

stultz trailhead crags

city water

downtown canon city

stultz trail head