Creekside is on the north face, down by the creek. The rushing water of the creek makes this a cool and pleasant place to climb in warmer weather. This is one of the most magical and beautiful places to climb in all of Boulder Canyon. Enjoy the unique ambience of this special place.
All the routes in this area are mixed, and require gear in addition to the bolts.
Two routes start just above the creek: Curtain Call, which climbs a slab and merges with Showtime on the second pitch; and Local Hero, a great two-pitch route which ascends the right side of the Showtime pinnacle.
Four routes start right by the creek, and are only accessible when the water level is low (late summer to mid-spring): Creekside Cruise, Liquid Therapy, Spirit on the Water, and Los Pinos (The Pines). Los Pinos can be done as a two-pitch route, or as a four-pitch route which goes all the way to the summit.
From the start of Curtain Call and Local Hero, a steep dirt path heads up left to The Garden.
Routes from left to right:
29. Curtain Call, 8+, 2p, gear and bolts. Slab and arete. 30. Local Hero, 10a, 2p, bolts and gear. Slab, roof, and exposed arete. 31. Creekside Cruise, 7, 1p, gear and 1 bolt. Cracks, corner, roof, flake. 32. Liquid Therapy, 10, 1p, gear and 2 bolts. Bulge, corner, and cracks left of Spirit on the Water. 33. Spirit on the Water, 9+, 2p, bolts and gear. Stemming corner, face, and slab. 34. Los Pinos (The Pines), 9, 5p, gear and bolts. Face and cracks. Can be climbed all the way to the summit.
Getting There
Cross the creek via the tyrolean, or wade or hop rocks if the water level is low enough.
Once across the creek, hike upstream from the tyrolean along the creek for about 100', to a clearing just before the rock wall comes all the way down to the water. Local Hero starts here. Creekside Cruise starts on a boulder by the creek about 30' right of Local Hero. Liquid Therapy starts 10' farther right at a slick bulge. Spirit on the Water and Los Pinos start another 10' upstream at an alcove carved out of the rock by the rushing creek waters.
According to maps provided by the Boulder County Assessor's office, some or all of this area of Tonnere Tower is on land owned by Boulder City OSMP, parcel number 145936000024. If the maps are correct, the routes in this area are illegal - bolting and removal of vegetation without a permit is against OSMP regulations. If OSMP were to discover the routes and confirm that they fall on their property, expect all of the fixed hardware to be removed.
By Ron Olsen Administrator From: Boulder, CO Sep 26, 2007
I visited the Open Space & Mountain Parks headquarters today, and spoke with Dean Paschall, Environmental & Visitors Services Division Manager.
He said OSMP does not manage any property south of Boulder Creek in the Boulder Falls area, and therefore they require no permits for fixed hardware at Tonnere Tower.
OSMP does manage the area around Boulder Falls, but all of that property is on the north side of the creek.
Concerns about OSMP and Tonnere Tower can be put to rest.
Ron, for your sake I hope you are correct, but I do not think it is as cut and dry as you think. I will not waste my energy quarreling with you. I do suggest questioning the information Mr. Paschall gave you. You are the one waging the gamble. Good luck.
Consider that this would not be an issue if you established the routes without bolts.
Let us also consider for a moment that you are correct and the land is not OSMP. As your research indicates, the adjacent property is the Black Diamond Mill claim, which would encompass Creekside if the OSMP land does not. Did you receive permission from the landowner to enter their property, destroy their vegetation, and install bolts on their rock?
If it is on private land with no permission granted, the warnings I posted under the Treasure Wall and The Garden apply to this area as well.
Bob D'Antonio brings up another interesting point. Lower Dream Canyon has great climbing but it too is a mix of Forest Service and private land. Indeed, the map shows that some of the crags he developed are privately owned, including the middle section of Plotinus Wall and the Universal Crusher crag. Bob, did you receive permission from the landowner to install these routes?
Boulderpd... it is also Upper Dream Canyon, Wall of Winter Warmth and number of other well traveled crags in the canyon.
Thanks for your time. Do what ever you see fit.
Bob
By Ron Olsen Administrator From: Boulder, CO Sep 26, 2007
Boulderpd wrote:
Let us also consider for a moment that you are correct and the land is not OSMP. As your research indicates, the adjacent property is the Black Diamond Mill claim, which would encompass Creekside if the OSMP land does not.
Take another look at the aerial photo of the property boundaries of the Black Diamond Mill Site, parcel 145936000023. It clearly does NOT include the Creekside area of Tonnere Tower.
By Ron Olsen Administrator From: Boulder, CO Sep 26, 2007
Boulderpd wrote:
Ron, for your sake I hope you are correct, but I do not think it is as cut and dry as you think. I will not waste my energy quarreling with you. I do suggest questioning the information Mr. Paschall gave you. You are the one waging the gamble. Good luck.
Dean Paschall is one of the head managers at OSMP, not some low-level employee sitting at the front desk greeting visitors. He has a huge map of OSMP holdings on the wall of his executive office. He knows the OSMP holdings as well as anyone. This map clearly shows no OSMP holdings south of Boulder Creek by Tonnere Tower. You can also view this map at the OSMP headquarters on Cherryvale Road, on the wall of their conference room.
He personally told me there are no OSMP restrictions on fixed hardware at Tonnere Tower, since it's not their land. Anyone going to OSMP to ask about their holdings by Tonnere Tower will be told exactly what I was told.
Forgive me for bringing up this obviously thorny issue once again - though difficult to recognize based on impersonal internet postings, I truly mean no malice by it; I simply wish to ease my confusion in the matter, and confirm that climbers have safe, legal access to the property.
Ron, your communications with Mr. Paschall of OSMP is confusing to one attempting to ascertain the ownership of Creekside. On one hand, you reiterate Mr. Paschall's claim that "it's not their land". Yet you also agree that the land is not part of the Black Diamond Mill Site - in your words, "It clearly does NOT include the Creekside area of Tonnere Tower." According to the Assessor maps, which you indicate you have reviewed, the Black Diamond Mill Site property is bordered to the north by OSMP property at Tonnere Tower. Unless there is an unmapped parcel between the two that the Boulder County Assessor missed, Creekside must be owned by either OSMP or the Black Diamond Mill Site owners, yet your claims contradict both ownership assertions.
If it is not OSMP land, do you know who owns and manages it? Did Mr. Paschall indicate to you that OSMP owns Creekside, but due to some bureaucratic error or loophole, bolting is allowed on it?
Creekside
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