You Belong Outside Spotlight: Madison River Bouldering

Neat Rock

The Madison River is a recreation hot spot in Southwest Montana.  Fly fishing, floating, white water boating, hiking, camping, and climbing are all common activities along the lower Madison.  The climbing here is great during the spring because it is often warmer and dryer than the climbing areas around Bozeman.   It is also closer than the more well known Whiskey Gulch Bouldering area.  While the opportunities are not as endless as they are in Whiskey Gulch it is still a worthy area to check out with some great problems.

Getting there: Head west from 4 corners on State Hwy 84.  You will reach the Madison River in about twenty miles, drive past the Red Mountain campground and turn right at the fishing access on the other side of the Hwy 84 bridge.  Take the road on the west side of the Madison back toward Neat Rock.  About 2.5 miles down the road it forks, take the left fork and park near the cliff.

Neat Rock Area

 Located just south of Neat Rock (a popular climbing crag) are several boulder problems, here is a map for reference.  (courtesy of Loren's Madison River Bouldering Guide).

Below are descriptions of a few worthy problems with pictures.

Loren Rausch on Tick Season

Tick Boulder- Tick Season V0

A great warm up problem, the crack is located on the west side of the boulder.  A relatively self explanatory problem, follow the finger crack to the top.   Another V0 warm-up is about 30 feet east of this boulder called the Serendipity Slab.  Check the map for reference.

Loren Rausch on Follow the Wind

 The Wind Boulder-Follow the Wind V5

The Wind Boulder is a prominent feature further west of the Tick Boulder.  There are several problems on it ranging from V0 to V7. Follow the Wind is the best of the group, a V5 problem with slopers and a difficult mantle to top out this problem is a good challenge after you have warmed up.  Wind Weaver V3 is another fun problem with a dyno move and another mantle top out.

Loren Rausch on Bridge Over Troubled Waters

 The Cow Skull Boulder-  Bridge Over Troubled Waters V0-

The Cow Skull Boulder is the next boulder to the west and holds some hard problems.  In addition there is one V0 worth a go, Bridge Over Troubled Waters works a sloping shelf with good foot holds on the East side of the boulder.  Others to try are Bovine intervention V4 and Yesteryear V6.

Loren Rausch on The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Boulder-The Butterfly Effect V6

Arguably the best problem in the area The Butterfly Effect is a difficult V6 problem with slopers, challenging crimpers  and a heel hook thrown in for good measure.  With a juggy top out this is a great problem worth the slightly longer hike.


Once you're done:  Head down to Norris Hot Springs for a soak and a beer (if you are 21).  Great place to enjoy some music and soak your sore muscles. 

There are several other boulders with established problems in the area for a better guide check out this Madison River Bouldering Guide created by Loren Rausch and hosted by boulderingmontana.com.  Be aware of ticks, poison ivy, and rattle snakes, these can be much more of a problem mid summer but be aware none the less.  Climbing is a dangerous activity and having the right equipment and a spotter are necessary for a safe outing.  Your comments and critiques are welcome as we show off areas of Southwest Montana we know and love.

Last Post: Middle Basin Spring Tour

NBC Montana Talks to Mike Garcia

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Sporting goods stores say spring weather is bringing in customers.
"As soon as we get some nice days and some good weather, which obviously we've had a lot of that coming into this spring, but its the spring thing we call it and people are looking to do anything and everything: rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, spring skiing, hiking, mountain biking," said owner of Northern Lights Trading Company, Mike Garcia.And while the retailers say this winter's weather brought weak sales, they're predicting warmer weather will set up a busy summer.
"No, you can't make up for a bad season, it just doesn't work because we only have x number of people here and that's why we live here. We don't have two million people down the road to sell to. But we all get the great reward of recreating here in this wonderful valley and this incredible area that we live in," said Garcia.
 
Read the Full Text Here

You Belong Outside Spotlight: Middle Basin Spring Skiing

Middle Basin, located between Beehive and Bear Basin in the Spanish Peaks is a great place to go for a spring tour.  It offers a wide variety of terrain from rocky steeps to wide open mellow slopes.  A popular line known as the Buttcrack chute is one of the best options.  Located on the far end of the basin if you skin in from Beehive it is a worthy objective for a good moderate day tour.  The top of the basin is a great place to check out the views of the Spanish Peaks, Lone Peak, and the Southern Madison Range.  In addition keep an eye out for Mountain Goats.

The Line:  Buttcrack Chute, Middle Basin

The Approach: Start at the Upper Beehive Basin Trail head and follow the trail into Beehive Basin, after about a mile of moderate skinning the trail will split with tracks continuing to head north into Beehive Basin and other tracks going east to the top of the ridge between Beehive and Bear Basin.  Take the skin track going east and climb to the top of the ridge.  Once at the top you will have a great view of both Bear Basin and Beehive, looking North you will see where Bear Basin and Middle Basin split (Middle Basin being the western of the two.  From here you want to follow the ridge line North until you find a good spot to ski down into Middle.

Head North in Middle Basin to the obvious highpoint.  The easiest approach is lookers right of the large rocks.  From this highpoint you can see countless lines to ski with the more conservative lines heading back into Middle Basin and several steeper lines heading into upper Bear Basin.  Be aware of snow and avalanche conditions before you head out and make an assessment once you are there.  A great line is the "Butt Crack" Chute shown in red on the picture below...

From the bottom of the line you have the option to swing back to your skin track for another lap or head back to Beehive and ski to the car.  See below for the video and some more pictures of the area.

The Video

The View of Beehive Peak in the distance and some intriguing lines into Bear Basin.

Gallatin Peak and Upper Bear Basin.

Lone Peak with the Southern Madison Range.

The You Belong Outside Spotlight is a new blog update brought to you by Northern Lights Trading Company.  It will spotlight different areas and activities in an effort to show why Bozeman is such a great place to recreate!  Also check out the Our Backyard section of our website.  The information given here is just a start. Make sure you are well prepared and let someone know where you are going before you head out into the backcountry.  Weather and snow conditions can change very quickly. Be aware of your surroundings and be prepared with the correct safety gear and the knowledge of how to use it.  Your comments and critiques are welcome as we try to show off some areas of Southwest Montana that we know and love.

CHILDREN AND PETS THE FOCUS OF COMMUNITY FUND GRANTS IN APRIL

Courtesy:  Heart of the Valley

The Northern Lights Community Fund is proud to announce the awarding of its April grants to Big Sky Youth Empowerment, Thrive and Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter. $1,000 will be split among the three organizations to help fund their missions.

“We understand that healthy communities start with healthy kids,” Mike Garcia, owner of Northern Lights, said recently. “Whether it's after-school programs, healthy activities on the weekend or supporting parents with the sometimes difficult task of parenting, Northern Lights is committed to fostering an environment where children thrive.” 

The Community Fund grants will go toward specific projects within each organization. Heart of the Valley Executive Director, Phil Rogers stated “the shelter is in desperate need of support for supplies for our campers at Pets Pal Summer Camp to use during their week-long day camps. Our summer day camp is popular with children aged six to twelve, but it’s costly for us to run. When Northern Lights stepped up to fill that need we were thrilled!”

Northern Lights Trading Company established their Community Fund with the goal of clearly demonstrating the direct and positive effects of a consumer's local spending on the Bozeman community. They have committed to donating $1,000 per month to a selection of conservation and human interest organizations that help make Montana a great place to live and recreate.

Learn more about this month's Northern Lights Community Fund recipients here.