The Outback

The approach description above as well as the descriptions in both EFR's book and the Backcountry Guide are a bit lacking, so here is a little more detail. The key to the whole approach is turning off the main trail onto a side trail, which is not mentioned above or in BKy's book. EFR mentions taking the right trail fork ten minutes from the trailhead. It only took me 7 minutes to get there, so start looking early. However, there is no "fork", as such. The correct route to The Outback is on a side path ("trail" is too strong a word) which is not obvious. There are rock cairns all along the main trail, so there isn't any distinct marking for the turnoff. There is a good sized pyramid cairn at the turnoff, but there is also a big cairn about 50 feet up the main trail, making it very easy to miss the turn. There was no cairn visible on the side trail from the main trail when I was there. So I took it upon myself to make one. It's not obvious but easy to spot if you are looking for it. If this offends your sensibilities, by all means kick it over when you're there. But I think it's easy to overshoot the turnoff and this will help first-time visitors. The main trail is obvious and well-marked. The trail to the Outback is rough and fairly overgrown but is well-marked with cairns most of the time. If after ten minutes you are still on a good trail, you're going the wrong way.

(By the way, if you're curious--and I was--the main trail turns out to be the Green Mountain Summit Trail. It goes across the ridge behind Wheeler Wall and drops down quite steeply to to San Pedro Vista. Unsigned and unmaintained, according to the little orange Catalina Mountain trail bible. It's a nice hike with some good camping spots, although the trail gets hard to find and is without cairns for a little ways in the middle.)

• **There is at least one bolt missing a hanger on the Kill Wall. It was left of "Killer on the Loose". I think it was on a 5.12. It still has the nut and washer, but no hanger! It is easy to spot as it is the first bolt, iirc.

• Note on approach: You basically hike up the gulley on the right side. We never found the correct turn off, but if you follow the main trail up to the top of the hill on the right(south) side of the gulley you should be able to find a path/trail going along the other side of that ridge. This trail basically skirts around the side of green mountain passing by two more ridges and their corresponding valleys. You should arrive at a really wooded area with a nice fire ring. This is where you hike up the ridge behind the actual crag. You will arrive at a big cairn with a rock pointing upwards, which is the direction you need to go to get to the top of the crag. IMPORTANT: If you are not following cairns you are going the wrong way! If you feel lost, stop and go back the last cairn and figure out where the path is. Don't wear shorts! I did, bad idea, lots of low thorny bushes!