Middle Forest
routes by G.Cornell, winter-summer 2006
River Crossings: likely the best two options to cross are near the beginning. The First Crossing option is at a spot between the Beaver Flat campground and Old Tracheodon where the river is broken with a sandbar at some rocks. For the Second Crossing, hike down the trail from Old Tracheodon about 150m and find a low erratic just off the trail. There is a cairn built directly on the Father side.
Depending on the river crossing you choose, hike up the bank and walk south along the rim. From the First Crossing it’ll be about 200m and from the Second Crossing only a few feet until a narrow forest cutline( flags) appears. For boulders along the river simply continue hiking parallel to the river, but for routes in the upper forest take this cutline.
Follow it straight for 50m and at the hillside, go into the trees 25m to the Enchanted Forest Boulder. From here, gain the hill above staying on the ridge proper until you pop over the upper rim and into woods and soon the Lego Piece. From here it is possible to take a multitude of ways to catch onto boulders but following flagging may be the best choice.
It is very easy to get lost on the Father side of things, but to get back to the river it is recommended to either return this way or descend the ridge directly from Southern Depression. It is also a very pleasant walk to follow just above the rim overlooking the valley. To just hike from the Lego Piece up into the Asteriod Belt to Pluto, past the Tree of Knowledge and down Southern Depression, and along the rim back to the Lego Piece, takes about 40 minutes. Beautiful and bizarre Alberta bouldering!
63)Mohawk, VB Hike up from Lego Piece, pass two twin towers and up short hill right of shelf. SS over bulge to a hold.
64)Soapstone, VB Walk due south from Mohawk over a rise. SS up crack to top plate pinch. Half move wonder!
65)Trekkie Traverse, V1* Traverse left to right.
66)Baba ‘O Riley, VB-2** Walk south to area of rubble. Big sunk boulder below GW’s Wall. a)traverse the slab. b)layback flake from crouch c) harder SS to the left and over flakes.
67) GW’s Wall, V0-3*** a)hop onto the rail on far left and follow it over steep bulge. b)up white flakes following vertical crack. c) SS up wet ledge and follow crack. d)start on face, move around arete and hug to top-project to finish up the face. Notice where the pad sits in the pic due to overhanging nature.
68)Inukshuk,VB SS up from white rodent cave to top.
69) Gill’s on my Email, V3** Sits in a bowl and is a great lunch spot; is found by hiking up from GW’s Wall to this easy slab face which is a door to more trail markers onward. For Gill’s on my Email, SS off right, sweet two hand jug, leg up for a saddle ride of the traverse then roll over the top near the other end! From here, hike up above the boulders and at slopes choose where you will go for the rest of the day via cairns.
70)Lipservice, V1* Go up just right of the jutting lip to a awkward scarey slab. Nose/slab is unclimbed. Needs some cleaning.
71)White Waco, V1* Just above the duncecap. SS use crack, good footsies over bulge to a slab jug.
72)No Noise, V0 Hidden on right edge of open slope when hiking diagonally right from White Waco enroute to Lipservice. SS up to hole.
73)Giza Pyramid, V1* A triangle face with hard start up blankness but comes to an easy end.
74)The Font, V2** a)left: start to hard mantle and crack. b)right: pull off super finger circle lock and go up slab.
75)Sam-Bando Tree, V0 Boulder next to big dead tree trunk. SS far north slab to handslot or SS up loose right crack. Named after 60’s coming-of-age outdoors movie called My Side of the Mountain, where a boy runs away and spends a year inside a hollowed out tree.
76)Let’s Rob this Train Jesse, V2* Snug up pad.SS over steep face to big heuco hole.
77)Sexytime, V2* SS from dirty hole and traverse along the wall.
78)Bagdad Cemetary, V2 Crouch start. Once was a orange flake on the right but it pulled narrowly sawing a limb. Hug up the front nose. Hard project to start from tree side and come out. Named after recent (2006)visit to the cemetery where the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was filmed!
