Fields of Dreams Growing Wild 

I've read the story of the FA in Climb, but it would be cool to hear about it from Pete Gallagher.

OK Allen,
You have successfully goaded me into posting something here. I thought I might post my original topo of the route, but I'm having some difficulty finding it. In the meantime, I've posted a few photos (black and white, of course) of the FAA in June 1979, one week after we did the FA.

Edit (4/24/07): After some thought, I think this climb probably deserves an R rating by today's standards. Although we didn't rate it R at the time, I noticed today that folks are rating Childhood's End -12 R, and this route has similar, if not slightly more scary run-outs. To quote Ken Trout, "[Childhood's End] requires less gear and fear than Fields..." (Rock & Ice #25, p.38, May 1988)

Pete Gallagher
Manitou Springs, CO

Pete, thanks for putting these up. I really like the "It'll go" hand up photo on the crux.

I made my opinion on the crack pitch by rating your photo.

Black and white indeed. The joys of the old Colorado College darkroom.

See you at the wedding I hope and hopefully before hand

Pete, there was a reference saying that the first few pitches had been destroyed by rock fall and you were in the process of re-establishing them. Any beta on the new route?

Joshua,
The route you are thinking of is "Rotten Teeth", on the buttress to the left of Fields of Dreams. Rotten Teeth, despite its name, is actually a really nice route, and is the longest route in the Platte at 15 pitches. On the FA, only two bolts were required, and we were able to do the route first try in only one day, which was pretty unusual for the big rock. The route was named for its second pitch, which was totally out of character with the rest of the climb. This pitch no longer exists, as the huge 100'x 75'x10' slab that formed the right side exfoliated off about twelve years ago. I have not gone back to see if a new 2nd pitch could be climbed. From what I remember, there were some pretty scary blocks left over that would need to be cleaned from above.

Pitch 2 & 3 of Fields did get retro-bolted by some knuckle-head in the 1990s. On the FA, we didn't place any bolts until the hanging belay at the top of the 5.10+ crack on Pitch 4. On the retro-bolted pitches, we would get protection in the back of a grovelly flake/corner on the left, and climb on stellar crystals and knobs on the 5.9 face 10 feet to the right of the flake/corner. Apparently, someone must have thought that we climbed the rotten corner, and decided to bolt their own "new route" up the line we climbed.

Awesome photos Pete! Thanks for posting them. I would love to climb this route someday.

Pete, you are modest as ever. I do not remember any pitch on Fields that had more than 6 bolts. Compare this to Childhood's 11-bolt crux pitch, and add in some decomposing granite and an R rating could be in order.

BTW I replaced your homemade aluminum angle hangers and 1/4" star drives with ASCA stainless gear a few years ago. Several hangers and one bolt broke with the first tug on the funkness. I left the lower bolts alone (except for one anchor) as they were pretty bomber 1/2" self-drives. I assumed that they were a variation to your line as the climbing felt more like 5.10.

Proud effort and a proud line. Fields makes Childhood's seem like a clip up.

Thanks for adding this to the site. It's a great piece of history. Love the photos.

Great to see those old photos once again, Pete. FYI, my journal records the FA as June 30 and the FFA as July 5 (not June), in 1979. I remember that week in between as being interminable--all I could think about was going back and finishing the job.

I just added a photo of Paul Jakus leading the fourth pitch--I thought folks would appreciate a different perspective.

Kevin, did you replace all the bolts above this pitch, or just the ones with aluminum hangers? (Boy, were they ever a bad idea! Even worse than the nail drives.) If so, you've got my eternal gratitude. If the route still has original bolts on it, my vote would be to give it an X rating rather than an R.

Pete...I replaced all of the bolts. The 1/4" star drives with aluminum angle stock hangers were classic! Too bad they broke so easily. I think I have one or two whole ones if you want me to send you one just email me your address.

Thank you for the topo, and for the route...it's one of the classic S. Platte test pieces and even with the modern hardware it is still bold and wild.

Kevin, Thanks for your comments on the route. I also appreciate the offer of the old bolt hanger, but I guess I'm not that nostalgic. I remember them well enough!

I recognize the labor and cost that went into upgrading the bolts. Thank you once again. I'll be making a donation to ASCA . . .

Through it been over 25 years I thought this route was just what I expected from the two Pete's and also remember gladly clipping the old bolts. Funny how your perspective changes with the time and age. The old quarter inch bolts use to look good to me.

As to Golden Book...I asked Muff/Steve for a look at it back in the early 90's when I was working on a guide to area...it was like getting a bone out of a pit bull mouth.

Pete and Pete...thanks for the information, photos and the great routes you did in the area.

Did Fields of Dreams yesterday. Great route and definitely glad to see the new ASCA bolts (Thanks Kevin Stricker). Coming off of the offwidth pitch onto the face seemed like the crux. Crappy flaking rock. Amazing place. Not a soul around (climbing that is).

This route is quite the adventure...the climbing and scenery have an extremely remote feeling. Fantastic! Kevin, Thanks for rebolting...I'll also be donating to the ASCA. I can't imagine being at some of those belays with 1/4" bolts. The Petes definitely have nuts of steel. Sweet route.