Fremont Canyon CLIMBING

Category: Wyoming Elev: ~5,500 ftRock Type: Granite
Dates: 2014(x1 day), 2020(x3 days), 2021(x10 days), 2023(x3 days)Partners: Eric Schweitzer (2014), Will Starks (2020), Nate Arganbright (2021, 2023)
Trip Report #s: 172b, 419(these trip report numbers correspond to the first two times I climbed at Fremont Canyon and established this page on my website)

List of Climbs I've Done & Some Photos

Fremont Canyon is a climbing area in the middle of Wyoming. The canyon is 150-250 feet deep and composed of high-quality granite, carved out by the North Platte River. To access many of the routes, you fix a rope, rappel from the canyon rim down to the base of the route just above the rushing neon green waters, and climb back up to  the rim (either leading, toproping, or toprope soloing). The canyon has several hundred routes, mostly trad and some sport, and ranging from 5.7-5.13. Most routes are single pitch, but there are some routes up to three pitches. The area has a wild and remote feel and you can often feel as if you have the entire amazing place to yourself. 

The first time I climbed in Fremont Canyon was in July 2014, on a quick stop on the drive to Devil's Tower in Wyoming. I only got a flavor for the climbing on this quick trip, but I knew someday I would come back. In 2019 I moved to Boulder, putting Fremont Canyon a mere 4.5 hour drive from home (rather than a couple of days as it was when I lived in Washington). I have returned to Fremont Canyon a few times since then, and I plan to return again and again.

On this page, I keep a list of the climbs I've done in Fremont Canyon. Below the list, I have random photos from cragging in Fremont Canyon.

list of climbs i've done at Fremont canyon

Fremont Canyon

Photos

Some random photos from climbing at Fremont Canyon, arranged by trip.

Color coded by area:
Bridge Area     Love Shack     The Narrows       Pathfinder Dam area      Power Tower Wall     Sun Buttress     West Canyon      Wild West

First trip to Fremont Canyon (July 2014)

Date: July 28, 2014 (Mon)      Partner: Eric Schweitzer       Climbed at: Bridge Area

I originally posted the following photos on my 2014 Devil's Tower trip report, but added them here when I created this Fremont Canyon page in 2020. These photos were taken during a half-day in Fremont Canyon, when we stopped to climb a few routes at the Bridge Area on the drive to Devil's Tower.

1. The steep granite walls of Fremont Canyon.
2. To climb in Fremont Canyon, you set an anchor and rappel and then climb up. Pretty unique! (This climb is Easy Day for a Lady (5.9-) at the Bridge Area.)
3. Eric toprope-soloing in Fremont Canyon. This is a route just left of Bushwhacker, at the Bridge Area.

Second trip to Fremont Canyon (June 2020)

Date: June 9-11, 2020 (Tue-Thu)     Partner: Will Starks       Climbed at: Bridge Area, The Narrows, West Canyon

Finally, I returned to Fremont Canyon! It's only 4.5 hours from my home now.

4. Getting ready to rap down our first route of the trip, Cashew Corner (5.9) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
5. Rappelling down Cashew Corner (5.9) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
6. A view over at Wine and Roses (5.11a) at the West Canyon: Main Wall. Gotta climb that!
7. Looking down Cashew Corner (5.9) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
8. Some of the upper rap stations are conveniently labeled with the route name.
9. Thantos (5.10b) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
10. Steph climbing Thantos (5.10b) at the West Canyon: Main Wall. (Photo by Will.)
11. Thantos (5.10b) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
12. Bolts at top of Wine and Roses (5.11a) at the West Canyon: Main Wall. We toproped this stellar 5.11a.
13. Wine and Roses (5.11a) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
14. Will starting up Wine and Roses (5.11a) at the West Canyon: Main Wall.
15. Bolts at top of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
16. View down canyon from The Narrows area. (Photo by Will.)
17. Saddlebagging rope to prevent it from getting wet.
18. Will starting up Pitch 1 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
19. Pitch 1 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
20. Pitch 1 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
21. Top of Pitch 1 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area. (Photo by Will.)
22. Pitch 2 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
23. Steph starting up Pitch 2 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area. (Photo by Will.)
24. Fun corner on Pitch 2 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
25. Fun corner on Pitch 2 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
26. Will cruising up the fun corner on Pitch 2 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
27. Will leading Pitch 3 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area.
28. Steph nearing the top of Pitch 3 of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows area. (Photo by Will.)
29. Cactus flower.
30. The Bridge at the Bridge Area.
31. Cliffs of the Bridge Area.
32. Afternoon at the picnic area at the Bridge Area.
33. Studying numerical analysis in the evening....gotta pass those prelims in August!
34. Where we camped. This place has awesome camping.
35. B-25 (5.9) at the Bridge Area.
36. B-25 (5.9) at the Bridge Area.
37. The Bridge Area. (Photo by Will.)
38. B-25 (5.9) at the Bridge Area.
39. Stone King (5.9+) at the Bridge Area.
40. Hermateria Left (5.8) at the Bridge Area.
41. Rapping off the railing at the overlook
42. #4-#5-sized offwidth of Easy Day for a Lady (5.9-) at the Bridge Area.
43. Belaying above the North Platte River.
44. Easy Day for a Lady (5.9-) at the Bridge Area.
45. Easy Day for a Lady (5.9-) at the Bridge Area.
46. Topping out at the overlook.
47. Looking over at Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area.
48. The wide splitter is Easy Day for a Lady (5.9-) at the Bridge Area.
49. Rapping off the bridge to get to the base of Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area. It's not every day you get to use a bridge for an anchor.
50. The alcove belay at the base of Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area.
51. Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area.
52. Will exiting the alcove belay on Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area.
53. Steph climbing Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area. (Photo by Will.)
54. Toproping Superman (5.11d) at the Bridge Area. Difficult crux!
55. Looking over at Dillingham Blues (5.10c) at the Bridge Area. (Photo by Will.)
56. More studying...
57. Anchor at top of The Chief (5.9) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
58. Fun crack in corner on The Chief (5.9) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
59. Fun crack in corner on The Chief (5.9) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
60. Looking up What, No Rope? (5.10a) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
61. Toprope solo setup. Here I am using a micro traxion + Lift. Now I use a micro traxion + Roll-n-Lock as my preferred setup.
62. What, No Rope? (5.10a) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
63. What, No Rope? (5.10a) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
64. View up canyon. (Photo by Will.)
65. Looking up Pale Face (5.10d) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
66. Toprope solo setup. Here I am using a micro traxion + Lift. Now I use a micro traxion + Roll-n-Lock as my preferred setup.
67. View up canyon. (Photo by Will.)
68. Keeping the rope from getting wet. (Photo by Will.)
69. Will enjoying a toprope solo lap on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
70. Will enjoying a toprope solo lap on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
71. Looking up Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
72. Will enjoying a toprope solo lap on Pale Face (5.10d) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
73. Steph enjoying a toprope solo lap on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head. (Photo by Will.)
74. Steph enjoying a toprope solo lap on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head. (Photo by Will.)
75. Steph enjoying a toprope solo lap on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head. (Photo by Will.)
76. The North Platte River 200 feet below. (Photo by Will.)
77. Will pulling the juggy roof on Pale Face (5.10d) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
78. Cactus flower.
79. Will taking a refreshing dip before the drive home.
80. My choice of refreshment. (Generally I am low carb and sometimes even keto for awhile. But ice cream Snickers are pretty darn hard to pass up on a hot day after climbing!).

Third trip to Fremont Canyon (May 2021)

Date: May 29-31, 2021 (Sat-Mon)     Partner: Nate Arganbright       Climbed at: Bridge Area, Love Shack, The Narrows, Pathfinder Dam area, Power Tower Wall

It was pretty rainy and cold in the Estes Park / RMNP area, so on Friday afternoon on the spur of the moment Nate and I decided to spend Memorial Day weekend at Fremont Canyon. We packed the car in record time (34 minutes) and were out the door. We spent 2.5 days at Fremont Canyon, enjoying the mostly sunny weather and superb rock climbing. Despite the fact that it was Memorial Day weekend, the area was not very crowded, with the majority of the people in the area being there for boating on the reservoir or fishing in the canyon. We even nabbed a campsite and enjoyed evenings by the fire. What a great trip. We'll be back for sure.

81. Pitch 1 (5.8) of Blazing Saddles (5.11b, 4p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
82. Pitch 2 (5.10b) of Blazing Saddles (5.11b, 4p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
83. Pitch 3 (5.11b) of Blazing Saddles (5.11b, 4p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
84. Looking up the splitter of Caffeine Crack (5.9-) at Pathfinder Dam area. This was our Pitch 4 of Blazing Saddles (5.11b, 4p).
85. Nate cruising up the splitter hand crack called Caffeine Crack (5.9-) at Pathfinder Dam area. This was our Pitch 4 of Blazing Saddles (5.11b, 4p).
86. Pitch 1 (5.9) of Honemaster (5.11c, 3p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
87. Pitch 2 (5.10c) of Honemaster (5.11c, 3p). at Pathfinder Dam area.
88. Pitch 2 (5.10c) of Honemaster (5.11c, 3p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
89. Nate starting up Pitch 3 (5.11c) of Honemaster (5.11c, 3p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
90. Pitch 3 (5.11c) of Honemaster (5.11c, 3p) at Pathfinder Dam area.
91. Pathfinder Dam.
92. View the other direction from Pathfinder Dam area.
93. Steph toprope soloing Honemaster (11c, 3p) at Pathfinder Dam area as one long amazing pitch.
94. Toprope solo setup. After having led up the route the day before, we toprope soloed Honemaster (5.11c, 3p) at Pathfinder Dam area as one long amazing pitch.
95. As is often a good way to go about a route at Fremont Canyon, we fixed a 70m rope at the top of The Slab Route (10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows. We rapped down the fixed rope to the base of the route and then climbed up on a different rope.
96. Rapping to base of Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows. This can be done by fixing a 70 (60 would be a bit short) at the top of the route and rapping all the way to the base Pitch 1. Climb up with another rope. Back up the single bolt at upper anchor with a medium nut or cam.
97. Pitch 1 (5.9) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
98. Pitch 1 (5.9) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
99. Nate on the undercling section at the top of Pitch 1 (5.9) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
100. Nate leading up the burly start of Pitch 2 (5.10a) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
101. Pitch 2 (5.10a) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
102. Looking up Pitch 3 (5.10c Blood and Guts finish) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
103. Looking down Pitch 3 (5.10c Blood and Guts finish) of The Slab Route (5.10a/c, 3p) at The Narrows.
104. View upcanyon from The Narrows.
105. Nate leading Chunky Monkey (5.9, sport) at Love Shack.
106. Looking up Haagen Daz Dihedral (5.8) at Love Shack.
107. Looking up Worth The Squeeze (5.11c, sport) at Love Shack. Neither one of us could figure out the final move to the anchors.
108. A nice base at Love Shack. A nice base at the crag is essential for enjoyable cragging.
109. Looking up Slippery Avocado (5.10a, sport) at Love Shack. The route probably gets its name from the slightly-slippery rock and the avocado shaped slopers en route.
110. Nate starting up Red Dog (10a, 1p, sport) at Love Shack.
111. The route Hondo (5.11b, 3p) at Power Tower Wall climbs the steep face shown in the photo. On a trip later in the summer we climbed this awesome route.
112. Powerlines on approach to Power Tower Wall.
113. Rap anchor at top of Hondo (11b, 3p) at Power Tower Wall, view up.
114. Rap anchor at top of Hondo (11b, 3p) at Power Tower Wall, view down.
115. Nate toproping the third pitch of Hondo (11b, 3p) on Power Tower Wall. We had planned to climb this route but arrived early enough that it was in the shade and decided to toprope the top pitch and come back another day when its was either warmer in the shade or the route was in the sun. This last pitch was excellent so we will certainly return to climb the route.
116. Pitch 3 of Hondo (5.11b, 3p) at Power Tower Wall.
117. Looking up Star Plunge (5.10b) at The Bridge Area.
118. Nate climbing Injin Scout (5.10a X) at the Bridge Area. This route is quite runout (only one bolt for the entire latter half of the route) so we toproped it. If it had more bolts it would be an amazing sport route.
119. View from the Bridge Area.
120. Our campsite near the Pathfinder Reservoir. $10 per night is definitely worth it!
121. Enjoying an evening by the fire.
122. I studied for prelims while Nate read a book. I cannot wait to enjoy a good book again.
123. California gull at Pathfinder Reservoir.
124. Common merganser at Pathfinder Reservoir.
125. White pelican at Pathfinder Reservoir.
126. Pretty bitterroot flowers.
127. Indian paintbrush is the Wyoming state flower.
128. More Indian paintbrush, yellow variety.
129. This is what happens when you use cactus as a handhold. For a couple of days I was still picking out cactus spears. After I got out all I could with tweezers, I used a mix of rubber cement, duct tape, and hair removal wax strips to get out the rest, but my hand was a bit tender for a couple of days.

Fourth trip to Fremont Canyon (June 2021)

Date: June 26-29, 2021 (Sat-Tue)     Partner: Nate Arganbright       Climbed at: Bridge Area, The Narrows, Pathfinder Dam area, West Canyon

This was an enjoyable 3.5 day trip to Fremont Canyon. The first couple of days (Saturday and Sunday) were thwarted by rain, and we almost headed home but decided to bank of the good forecast for Monday and Tuesday and stay an extra couple of days. Despite the incessant pattern of short rain squalls on Saturday and Sunday, we did manage to climb at least a few pitches both days, resorting to toprope soloing to maximize climbing and reduce the risk of being caught in the rain on lead. When it was too wet to climb, we kept ourselves occupied by exploring Pathfinder Dam, reading a Brandon Sanderson novel (Nate), studying math for an upcoming preliminary exam (me), relocating camp, driving up the hill to get cell service, and doing some birding (I had brought my telephoto lens). We also enjoyed evenings by the campfire. Finally, the warm and dry weather we had been waiting for arrived for Monday and Tuesday. We decided to maintain the theme of toprope soloing, and headed to West Canyon to put ropes on some awesome 160’ lines on some of the best rock in Fremont Canyon. We also relocated to the deserted free camping area right on the rim of the canyon. The entire trip we encountered only a couple of other climbers (unfortunately, one such encounter was for Hondo, one of the best multi pitch routes in Fremont, so we were forced to delay this desirable climb for a future trip). We will be back!

130. Campsite on Pathfinder Reservoir.
131. Campsite on Pathfinder Reservoir.
132. The first night’s dinner. Me: soup. Nate: meat and hashbrowns.
133. We woke up to a rainy morning...guess I will study some math.
134. Looking over at Drew's Corner (5.8) (the obvious 40' spliiter) at Bridge Area. We toproped this as a quick pitch between rainstorms.
135. Setting up the top anchor for Drew's Corner (5.8) at Bridge Area.
136. A short but fun lap on Drew's Corner (5.8) at Bridge Area.
137. It’s nice to have a long piece of rope for some of the top anchor setups at Fremont Canyon.
138. Looking up Cashew Corner (5.8) at Bridge Area.
139. Fun climbing on Cashew Corner (5.8) at Bridge Area.
140. A quick lap on Flip Top (5.7) at Bridge Area.
141. When the rock became too wet to climb after a rain squall, we explored Pathfinder Dam. Pathfinder Dam is composed of granite blocks, quarried from the same stone that forms the river's canyon. It was originally constructed between 1905 and 1909 as part of the North Platte Project and has been modified several times since then. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places. The engineer in me was rather captivated by this dam.
142. A cool dike near Pathfinder Dam. Must be nearly 100 feet across!
143. Pathfinder Dam.
144. Wind-blown Osprey.
145. Osprey.
146. There are babies!
147. Mother osprey delivering fish to her young.
148. Townsend's Solitaire.
149. White Pelicans. There are a fair number of these living on the reservoirs at Fremont Canyon.
150. White Pelicans.
151. White Pelican.
152. We relocated to another campsite when it was vacated. Looks nice and sunny in the photo, but it was just a teaser intermission between rain storms.
153. Studying in the back of the truck while it rains....got the whiskey out now…gotta stay sane somehow…
154.  Another one of Nate’s gourmet dinners. I probably had soup again.
155. Rainbow over camp at Pathfinder Reservoir. A hope for better weather ahead?
156. The weather was still iffy the next day, so we decided to do some toprope-soling at Bridge Area. In this photo I am standing at the base of Greystoke (5.10c). Route starts just off the North Platte River!
157. Looking up Greystoke (5.10c) at Bridge Area Another nice toprope solo from a bolted anchor at the top.
158. Toprope soling Stoneking (5.9+) at Bridge Area. Nate and I both use a micro traxion and backup knots. Sometimes I use a Roll-n-Lock + micro traxion and no backup knots.
159. Toprope soling Stoneking (5.9+) at Bridge Area.
160. Toprope solo top anchor set up.
161. Looking up Bushwhacker (5.9) at Bridge Area.
162. Nice crack on Bushwhacker (5.9) at Bridge Area.
163. Nate toprope soloing Bushwhacker (5.9) at Bridge Area.
164. Looking up the steep flared fingers of Winner Take Nothing (5.12a) at Pathfinder Dam area. I toprope soloed this but found it quite difficult and finished the vertical ascent feeling pretty humbled.
165. I love a good campfire.
166. Looking up B-25 (5.9) at Bridge Area. I had led this fun pitch the previous year and was happy to lead up it again.
167. Nate following B-25 (5.9) at Bridge Area.
168. Looking up First Blood (5.10b) at Bridge Area. Back to toprope soling for mileage.
169. The end of the rope tends to get wet in Fremont Canyon. When leading a route it’s a good idea to fix a rope to rap down on and climb up on another rope.
170. Climbing above the green waters of the North Platte on Iron Bone Steel (5.10b) at Bridge Area. Anther toprope solo.
171. Fun crack and corner on Iron Bone Steel (5.10b) at Bridge Area. Despite the good rock and good climbing, the numerous cobwebs and lack of chalk suggested this route is not climbed often.
172. Looking up Gleaming the Cube (12a) at Bridge Area An awesome and rather popular hard route in the area. Nate figured out the two crux sections but I did not. Another toprope solo.
173. Top anchor setup for toprope soling. We used a piece of an old sleeping pad to protect the rope. We decided would be worth getting an actual rope protector sleeve for our next trip to Fremont Canyon.
174. Looking down Catch 22 (5.11d R) at West Canyon: Main Wall. I had toprope soloed this awesome route the previous year and was happy to climb it again.
175. Looking up Catch 22 (5.11d R) at West Canyon: Main Wall. An awesome steep 160’ toprope solo journey.
176. Nate toprope soloing Catch 22 (5.11d R) above the green waters of the North Platte at West Canyon Main Wall.
177. Looking up Heros and Zeros (5.11d) at West Canyon: Main Wall. Yet another great 160’ toprope solo journey. This route had a lot of moderate climbing with a distinctive difficult 11d crux section (Nate figured it out, but I eventually had to pull on the rope to get past).
178. Cool water-sculpted features.
179. A mid-day cold Pepsi + math break.
180. A few of the routes at West Canyon are marked with a plaque here, which is nice for identification purposes.
181. Looking down while toprope soloing Pale Face (5.10d) at West Canyon: Indian Head. Nate is toprope soloing Cheyenne (5.11b). Both of these routes feature great rock and great climbing for 160’.
182. Nate at a cruxy corner section on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
183. Looking down from the cruxy corner section on Cheyenne (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head while I toprope soled the pitch.
184. Pretty purple flowers en route.
185. Enjoying an evening at our campsite at West Canyon. Not only was it free camping, but we had the place entirely to ourselves.
186. Nate cooked another gourmet dinner…
187. ….while I stuck to my odd combination of oatmeal and cooked green vegetables. But, hey, whatever hits the spot and makes one feel good.
188. Another nice campfire, constructed by Nate.
189. Enjoying the campfire. This was the warmest and calmest evening of the trip. 
190. Sun getting lower in the sky.
191. Morning sun. Most days this summer I have been waking up before sunrise squeeze in a couple of hours of studying for my upcoming preliminary exam. But couldn’t ask for a better office than this one!
192. A morning toprope solo lap on Pale Face (10d) at West Canyon: Indian Head. This route was only a couple of hundred feet from our camp.
193. Next, I toprope soled an obscure route called Greatest Hits (5.9) at West Canyon: Indian Head. This was a good route, but the density of cobwebs and lack of chalk suggest it is not climbed all that often.
194. Another view up Greatest Hits (5.9) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
195. Top anchor setup at Thantos (5.10b) at West Canyon: Main Wall. Another nice morning toprope solo. I had climbed this route the previous year but it is one of the area classics and couldn’t resist another lap.
196. Looking up Thantos (5.10b) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
197. Higher up on Thantos (5.10b) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
198. Looking up Hang on Loosely (5.10c, 2-3p) at The Narrows. This made for a nice 210’ toprope solo at the end of our trip. (We had actually planned to climb Hondo on Power Tower Wall, but there had been another party on it so we decided to climb this on our hike out.)
199. Splitter fingers and hands on Pitch 1 of Hang on Loosely (5.10c, 2-3p) at The Narrows.
200. Fun climbing on the upper section of Hang on Loosely (5.10c, 2-3p) at The Narrows.

Fifth trip to Fremont Canyon (July 2021)

Date: July 3&4, 2021 (Sat&Sun)     Partner: Nate Arganbright       Climbed at: Power Tower Wall, West Canyon

Weather was not favorable for our alpine plans, so we headed back to Fremont for 4th of July weekend. It was pretty hot (highs in low 90's) but we stuck to the shade and did enough rope-soling and a stop at 1-day Vedauwoo on the way home made the short trip worth it.

Route overlay for two routes Nate and I have climbed on Power Tower Wall. This overlay includes High Cost of Climbng (5.10a, 3p) and Hondo (5.11b, 3p). Both are excellent routes. We climbed the former on a future trip, and toprope-soloed the latter on this trip.
201. Camping at Pathfinder Reservoir the first night. We later moved to Indian Head to get away from the 4th of July speedboats and ATVs at the reservoir.
202. Hondo (5.11b, 3p) climbs this plaque of solid rock on Power Tower Walll. We rope soloed this as one amazing 300 foot pitch on two fixed ropes.
203. Top anchor setup for our rope solo of Hondo (5.11b, 3p) on Power Tower Wall.
204. Great rock on Hondo (5.11b, 3p) on Power Tower Wall.
205. Great rock on Hondo (5.11b, 3p) on Power Tower Wall.
206. Pretty purple flowers en route.
207. Cryptobiotic soil on approach to Power Tower Wall.
208. The 6-8 foot wide slot canyon of West Canyon: The Gauntlet.
209. West Canyon: The Gauntlet.
210. Looking up Kiss of the Spider Woman (5.9) at West Canyon: The Gauntlet.
211. Climbing Kiss of the Spider Woman (5.9) at West Canyon: The Gauntlet.
212. Climbing an unknown route in West Canyon: The Gauntlet.
213. Looking up Plastic Prince (5.8) at West Canyon: The Gauntlet.
214. Tribal Passage (5.11b) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
215. Looking down the amazing crack of Wine and Roses (5.11a) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
216. Camping at Indian Head.
217. Escaping the heat.
218. Camping at Indian Head.
219. Nate’s gourmet dinner: steak, potato salad, and grilled vegetables.
220. My typical fare: cooked veggies and oatmeal.
221. Studying for an upcoming preliminary exam in applied analysis.
222. Not a bad spot for a morning study session.
223. Enjoying sunrise.
224. Still studying.
225. What No Rope? (5.10a, 160’) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
226. Roof on What No Rope? (5.10a, 160’) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
227. Rope soloing What No Rope? (5.10a, 160’) at West Canyon: Indian Head.
228. Starting just above the aqua waters of the North Platte.
229. Polished start at water’s edge.
230. Power Behind the Throne (5.11d, 160’) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
231. Storming Intrepid (5.12b, 160’) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
232. Storming Intrepid (5.12b, 160’) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
233. Waiting for my turn to rope-solo on the canyon rim.
234. Rope soloing Catch 22 (5.11d, 160’) at West Canyon: Main Wall.
235. Rope soloing Catch 22 (5.11d, 160’) at West Canyon: Main Wall.

Sixth trip to Fremont Canyon (May 2023)

Date: May 27-29, 2023 (Sat-Mon)     Partner: Nate Arganbright       Climbed at: Sun Buttress, Wild West, Power Tower Wall, Bridge Area

Memorial Day weekend at Fremont Canyon.

236. On Friday evening, we arrived to blowing rain and quickly set up the tarp at camp. We like staying at the campground near Pathfinder Dam since it has nice pavillons and is pretty cheap ($12 a night as of May 2023).
237. I brought Nate a couple of Ale-8 from my trip to Kentucky (to climb with friends in the Red River Gorge) the previous weekend. This is a popular ginger soda there and I got sort of addicted to it during my visit. 
238. Nate's dinner night 1. Sausage and vegetable flabread.
239. Steph's dinner night 1. Carrots and packaged salmon.
240. Descending into the Sun Buttress area, the first area we climbed this trip.
241. There are some cables on the descent.
242. Our first route of the day was Monkey on my Back (5.9, 2p) on Sun Buttress.
243. Pitch 2 of Monkey on my Back (5.9, 2p) on Sun Buttress.
244. Our second route of the day was Red Rover (5.10d, 2p) on Sun Buttress. This route is stout for the grade but has some excellent climbing.
245. Nate starting up Pitch 1 of Red Rover (5.10d, 2p) on Sun Buttress. This start of this pitch is quite cruxy with just a small RP at your waist. Nice lead Nate.
246. Corner on Pitch 1 of Red Rover (5.10d, 2p) on Sun Buttress.
247. Nate starting up Pitch 2 of Red Rover (5.10d, 2p) on Sun Buttress. A fun pitch of climbing.
248. An old Pepsi can. Perhaps from the 1970's?
249. The rappel from Red Rover took us down to a beach on the other side of a rock buttress, so we had to wade back to the beach where our packs were. Refreshing!
250. The towering walls of the Narrows East Side. There are some nice looking lines over here, mostly harder routes.
251. Clambering back up the slope after a morning of climbing at Sun Buttress.
252. A midday rainstorm on Saturday. Time for a nap as we wait for the storm to pass and the rock to dry.
253. Some pretty yellow paintbrush.
254. We stopped at the small store at the Pathfinder Reservoir dock to get some firewood, a lighter, and a snack. On the floor they had a glued dollar and quarter.
255. Purple flowers.
256. After the storm we had a nice evening, so we decided to get in two more pitches. Our first pitch was Horn of Plenty (5.9) at Wild West: Low Voltage Wall.
257. Nate leading Horn of Plenty (5.9) at Wild West: Low Voltage Wall.
 258. Our second (and last pitch of the day) was Distant Thunder (5.11c) at Wild West: Low Voltage Wall.
259. A nice evening at camp. We like staying at the campground near Pathfinder Dam since it has nice pavillons and is pretty cheap ($12 a night as of May 2023).
260. Nate's dinner night 2. Ramen, cheese sauce, and peppers.
261. Steph's dinner night 2. Oatmeal. My usual.
262. Yum....chocolate chip cookies.
263. A tasty-lookng breakfsast flatbread.
264. Powerlines above Power Tower Wall.
265.. Sign above Power Tower Wall.
266. Descent gully to base of Power Tower Wall.
267. Poison ivy at the base of Power Tower Wall.
Route overlay for High Cost of Climbng (5.10a, 3p) on Power Tower Wall. This was our favorite route of this trip. This photo was taken from the base of the route so the pitches are foreshortened.
Route overlay for two routes Nate and I have climbed on Power Tower Wall. This overlay includes High Cost of Climbng (5.10a, 3p) and Hondo (5.11b, 3p). Both are excellent routes. We climbed the former on this trip, and had toprope-soloed the latter on a previous trip.
268. Pitch 1 of High Cost of Climbing (3p, 10a) on Power Tower Wall. The crux pitch of the route.
269. Pitch 2 of High Cost of Climbing (3p, 10a) on Power Tower Wall. Another fun pitch.
270. Pitch 3 of High Cost of Climbing (3p, 10a) on Power Tower Wall. Another fun pitch.
271. Pitch 3 of High Cost of Climbing (3p, 10a) on Power Tower Wall. Splitter!
272. Bolted anchors on High Cost of Climbing (3p, 10a) on Power Tower Wall.  Thanks!
273. The power tower.
274. At the top of Power Tower Wall.  
275. Cute yellow flower.
276. If you have a high-clearnance vehicle you can drive to the top of Power Tower Wall to avoid hiking up the hillside from below.
277. On Sunday afternoon we climbed a few pitches at the Wild West: area. This is Nate leading Kill Bill (5.11a, sport) at Wild West: Kosivo Area.
278. We snatched a toprope lap up Old Man Corner (5.9, TR, trad) at Wild West: Kosivo Area.
279. Short Circuit (5.9, sport) at Wild West: Low Voltage Wall.
280. A plaque at Wild West: Low Voltage Wall.
281. Enjoing a Grisham book at camp.
282. Enjoying a John Gwynne book at camp. Watch out for those....
283. ....Ants!
284. Resident cliff swallows at our pavillion.
285. Snake!
286. We ran one over. I was tempted to cook it over the fire that night. I hear snake tastes like chicken.
287. I enjoyed an evening walk around Pathfinder Dam. This is a pretty cool dam.
288. Pathfinder Dam.
289. Pathfinder Dam.
290. Pathfinder Dam.
291. Pathfinder Dam.
292. Honemaster Buttress across from Pathfinder Dam. There was a guy toprope-soloing on it. This wall has some great rock.
293. Cliff swallows at Pathfinder Dam.
294. Cliff swallows at Pathfinder Dam.
295. Cliff swallows at Pathfinder Dam.
Video of Cliff swallows at Pathfinder Dam. My cat Newt will love this video.
296. Campground we stayed at on Pathfinder Reservoir.
297. Nate's night 3 dinner. Flatbread "pizza".
298. We tried having a campfire. But then the winds shifted and we got smoked out. But it was nice for awhile.
299. Monday morning we toprope-soloed a couple of routes at the Bridge Area. Nate toprope-soling Hemateria Left (5.8).
300. Hemateria Left (5.8) at Bridge Area.
301. Stone King (5.9+) at Bridge Area.
302. Nate toprope-soling Stone King (5.9+) at Bridge Area.
303. Rope solo setup. My current preferred setup involves a microtraxion and minitraxion and elastic around my neck to help pull the upper device up the rope better.
304. This time Nate's end-of-climbing-weekend-fast-food-fix was Arby's. It looks like Arby's has a pretty solid burger and fries game going.

previous and next adventures

(July 2014: First trip to Fremont Canyon)
(June 2020: Second trip to Fremont Canyon)
(May 2021: Third trip to Fremont Canyon)
(June 2021: Fourth trip to Fremont Canyon)
(July 2021: Fifth trip to Fremont Canyon)
(May 2023: Sixth trip to Fremont Canyon)