You Belong Outside Spotlight: Bear Canyon Sandstone Sport Climbing

Brit T climbing after work at Bear Canyon.

Bear Canyon is a great place to introduce someone to outdoor climbing.  It's close to town, has a short approach, shorter routes, and ranges from 5.8 to 5.13.  The routes are well documented in both guidebooks for the Bozeman area and this description is meant to be an introduction to the area. Due to the short approach Bear Canyon is popular with the after work crowd.  The moderate climbs on the north side of the crag get enough sunlight to climb till sunset so its a good idea to bring a headlamp for the walk out.

Getting There: From Bozeman there are two ways to get there depending on which part of town you live in.  From the south of town head East on Kagy Blvd. Bear Canyon Road is about 4 miles from the intersection with Highland Blvd.
From the North of town it may be easier to take I-90 to the Bear Canyon exit.  Take a right exiting the off-ramp and Bear Canyon road is less than 200 yards east of the exit. 
Turn onto Bear Canyon Road and continue to the Bear Canyon trailhead which is at the very end of the road.  There is very limited parking near the Bear Canyon trailhead so park at the New World Gulch trailhead and walk up the road to the Bear Canyon Trail. 

Bear Canyon Sandstone

The Approach:  It is one of the quickest approaches near Bozeman, head a short ways up the Bear Canyon trailhead, there is a collection of small boulders on the right side with a Cairn marking the climbers trail.  From here you should see an obvious trail with a large log crossing the stream.  If you don't see the log you probably have not gone far enough but if you reach the bridge you have gone too far.  From the bridge it is about 100 yards back up the trail to get to the climbers trail.

Once you are at the Crag there are three ways that you can head, to the left are some terrific moderate routes, straight ahead are two more excellent moderates, and around to the right are where the harder routes are set up.  

Batman and Robin from the trail.

Batman and Robin Slab: Batman and Robin are two classic routes in Bear Canyon located right next to each other on the large rock straight up the trail.  Both of these are slab climbs with lots of nice pockets. Start on Batman (the left one) and once you are warmed up give Robin a try.

Both of these routes can be top roped if you walk around to the right but the best practice would be to have someone climb it on lead and set up the top rope since there is risk of rockfall and some tricky exposure to get to the top of these routes from around the back.

Jeff Lee climbing Skin Diver.

Under the Sea Wall: The other moderate section is down the hill slightly and to the north.  There are 5 climbs and from right to left go 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.9, 5.10.  These climbs have more cracks and flakes than Batman and Robin, are slightly longer and offer a little different climbing feel. They are an option if another party is climbing on the Batman and Robin slab.

Skin Diver is the first climb on the right and a good place to start.  At 5.8 it is the easiest of the 5 climbs but it is a fun one, the flakes give up some great side pulls and under cling moves and the bolts are close together for those who are new to leading.

South Sea is just to the left and another neat climb with a tricky transition in the middle.  Good foot holds make this a fun but very approachable 5.9. 

Further up are the last 3 moderates, from right to left Under the Sea 10b, Sea Bucket 5.9, and Coral Crimper 10a.  Each of these have something a little different and are fun routes.  Under the Sea has a small roof that is a little tricky but well protected, Sea Bucket is difficult for the first 3-4 bolts, and Coral Crimper has a tricky slab traverse mid way through the route.

The right side of the prow.

The Prow:  If you are looking for something a little more challenging there are some 11s and 12s on the other side of the Batman and Robin slab.  Kick the Bucket and Ignition are two of the best. Check out Southwest Montana Rock Climbs for more information on these routes.

In addition to the Sandstone there are some Limestone crags higher up the canyon that don't see as much use.  For more information on those climbs check out Bozeman Rock Climbs by Bill Dockins.  Climbing is a dangerous activity and having the right equipment and a partner are necessary for a safe outing.  Spire Climbing Center is a great place to start and there are also guided climbs available through Montana Alpine Guides.Your comments and critiques are welcome as we show off areas of Southwest Montana we know and love. Email Kevin with any thoughts, corrections, or suggestions.

Last Post: Gallatin River Kayaking

You Belong Outside Spotlight: Gallatin River Kayaking

Mike Perry on the Gallatin

The Gallatin River is  home to some of the best whitewater in Southwest Montana.  Between Big Sky and Squaw Creek there are some great rapids ranging from class I to class IV.  The river is exciting during spring runoff but can be more technical at lower levels.  Check the river conditions before you go.

Brit Theison leaving Moose Creek

Getting there: From Bozeman the easiest way to get there is head west on Main Street (Huffine) and turn South on HWY 191 at Four Corners.  Great places to put in are Deer Creek, Moose Creek, 35 MPH Bridge but any pulloff will do.  Most people will take a couple cars and leave one at the takeout as a shuttle.  The river can be busy during the peak season with rafting parties and other kayakers, so keep that in mind when choosing places to put in and take out.

Overview:From Moose Creek to the Storm Castle takeout is about 10 miles and can be split into two different floats.  The Gallatin is a great road side river that you can scout almost all of the rapids before you get there.  The first half of the float between Moose Creek and Cascade Creek (commonly known as the 35 MPH Bridge) is typically in the class I-class III range and offers some great moderate water before the more challenging  section after the 35 MPH bridge.  It is recommended that any novice paddlers take out at the 35 MPH bridge because the lower section is more difficult and can be a long swim if you wet exit from your boat. Also keep in mind that the river will run very differently depending on the river flows, beware of wood in the river and at low water the river can be very rocky.  On the other side of the spectrum high water washes out some rapids and makes others much bigger know the river conditions and be adequately prepared.

Brit Theison in the Mad Mile

The Paddle: The upper section has some great smaller rapids starting with the Swan Creek rapid, from there you get a break before the rapids start picking up Barbie's Revenge, Picture Rock, and New Rock rapids quickly dump you into the Screaming Left Turn Rapid.  This is one of the best rapids of this section.  After that you have three more rapids before the 35 MPH bridge.  The best of these is the middle one named the Hilarity Hole.
From the 35 MPH bridge you go through a two mile section of river that is tighter, the water is faster, and the rapids are bigger making this it a test piece for Southwest Montana.  Starting with the Entrance Exam and the Snaggletooth rapid you head toward House Rock a class IV rapid that is a gathering point for photographers and tourists watching boaters paddle by.  Directly down river is dubbed the "Mad Mile," a narrow class III-class IV boulder field that is non-stop and packs a punch, many local paddlers have swam this section and often it turns into a long swim because there are not the options to eddy out.  Once you are through the Mad Mile enjoy the views and relax a little bit till you get to the takeout located on the west bank (paddlers left).  From there its time to pack up your shuttle car or hitchhike and repeat!

Mike Perry Paddling Past House Rock

Mike Perry running the Gallatin during high water 2011 
Once you're done:  Head down to Stacey's Bar in Gallatin Gateway for a drink and some food, also a great place to check out some country music like 10ft Tall and 80 Proof or The Dirty Shame.

There are several other sections worth paddling on the Gallatin; putting in at Deer Creek gives you another section of river to enjoy, and a good class I-class II section exists from Storm Castle north to the Storm Castle bridge or Spanish Creek Bridge.  For more information check out one of the river maps available at the barn.
Paddling is a dangerous activity and having the right equipment and a good crew are necessary for a safe outing.  Another option to get out on the Gallatin is to take a guided raft trip.  Montana Whitewater has a location right on the river, check out their website for more information.  For more info on local outdoor areas check out the Our Backyard section of our website.  Your comments and critiques are welcome as we spotlight areas of Southwest Montana we know and love.
Last Post:  Madison River Bouldering