Green Canyon

 On Sunday after camping south of Checkerboard Montana and checking out a copy of the new Ron Brunkhorst guide, or brunch host according to my phone's auto correct, we set out to get some "Big Empty" routes.

The camp

Terra stayed behind to protect the base camp.

Here we are at the top of the approach, you hike down into the canyon and then hike up to the car on the way out, so it's a little backwards

Please take only photos.

Green Canyon!  It is a slot canyon like Hellgate Gulch, or Avalanche Gulch, or Rattlesnake Gulch or Mulkey Gulch or Indian Creek by Townsend!  We have a lot of limestone slot canyons around here

Me leading Bonanza 10a, belay and photo courtesy of Mark Mcalpine

Mark top roping Bonanza

Looking up at Come Full Circle, an 11a/b

Green Canyon is full of bullet limestone and beautiful chert features.  One route features a chert dike, I believe it's called High Chaparral.  Great job brunch host!

Come Full Circle and it's neighbor to the left High Chaparral, notice the vein of chert running up it.  Bonanza corner is just noticeable in the upper left corner of the picture.

Mark leading Cowography, 5.8 120' He is at the first of nine bolts and he has already placed three pieces of gear in the crack below.  Pigeon Spire is in the background.

This key hole feature has a multi-pitch route that follows the left sky line.  I believe it's called Anniversary Route.  Almost a mountaineering line, it didn't seem too difficult we just didn't have time, it's one we'll go back for.

That night the temperatures dropped down to below freezing for the first time that year. As the drainage that we were camped in faced north we eventually noticed the aura borealis putting on a green light show for us in the distance.

Read more about this adventure at: http://mcalpinism.blogspot.com/2015/08/pasture-gulch-and-green-canyon.html