6/3/06 -- Sphinx Rock (aka Elephant Rock) in Pinegrove, Colorado, is located on private property. Trespassing for any reason is illegal. All of the surrounding property owners are extremely pissed off about this problem. Trespassing will now be enforced with the assistance of the local sheriff's office. This is a warning to all violators -- you will be held accountable for your towed vehicles, citations, and any legal actions.
From user feedback suggestion on this website.
Dale Goddard in 1983.
Description
Sphinx Rock sits (actually, looms) above the town of Pine. Personally, I don't really see the Sphinx, but the formation is certainly lumpy and weird looking, and perhaps a more imaginative eye than mine can make it out. In any case, Sphinx rock has, for all practical purposes, one good route and a lot of semi-chossy junk. That route, of course, is the famous Sphinx Crack, which is thin, insecure, overhanging, and surprisingly slippery when it's filled with bird/bat guano. Which it often is. Most of the stuff at Sphinx is traditional, with the occasional bolted slab thrown in. Rock is somewhat lower quality than at many other S. Platte areas, but can be very good in spots. You can walk off pretty much everything on the formation.
Getting There
From the Denver metro take US 285 out of town to Pine Junction, hang a left at the light and drive to Pine. Turn north at the library (it's obvious) and drive up the gravel road for maybe a quarter of a mile. You'll see Sphinx Rock on your right. Park in a pullout and hike over to the rocks. A very casual approach. Driving time from Golden/Littleton is about 45 minutes, making this one of the closest S. Platte crags.
Barring, I dunno, the Phoenix or Supercrack or something, this is probably the best-known crack climb in the U.S., one of the most famous in the world. That said, it consistently spits me off every couple of moves - on TR. The crack would be 5.10 if it was A) less steep, B) less slanted to the left, or C) less slippery. The jams are actually not bad, but feet are god-awful, and the angle of the crack makes every right hand jam awkward and tenuous...[more]
I spent several hours at the County Assesors today.
From what I saw, Keith Allen Rye owns the entire rock that Sphinx is located on. Now it is classified as "Vacant" and there is a pathway of "vacant" areas to walk through so as not to ever walk through a residential area or backyard.
Unquestionably though, Keith Allen Rye is listed as the owner for Sphinx, the "So Honed yet So Stoned" area as well as the slabs.
So where does this put us? Exactly where we were yesterday when I was doing nothing about it.
An alternate approach is to hang a left (from US 285) onto Shaffer's Crossing before Pine Junction. You can follow this past the Bucksnort Saloon, Bucksnort Slab, Squat Rock, and then Sphinx will be obvious on the left side of the road.
There are some shiny new No Trespassing signs on the approach to Sphinx.
Does anyone know the private/public land boundaries and of any landowner issues. The signs cover the normal approach path, but there is a reasonable approach further to the right that is not signed. An approach that avoids private property would be a real plus if the boundaries can be identified.
It'd be a real shame to have an access issue here!
I am disappointed that someone pulled the anchors on Lickety Split the 5.7 R on Sphinx Rock. However they were rusted out .25 inch bolts and are due for replacement. If they aren't replaced, I will do it.
I have to correct myself, as far as I know only the unneeded bolts on the second pitch were choped of lickity split. They shouldnt be replaced and whoever put them there was off track. The button heads on the first pitch should be replaced though.
No trespassing signs have now been posted along the road. I suspect that these are primarily aimed at the fishers, picknickers, partiers that frequent the creek-bottom. This may also be related to the ongoing attemp to sell the adjacent property. In any case, the crrek-bottom is more that likely all private land and it's beginning to look like access may get complicated.
If you don't see the Sphinx in "Sphinx " Rock, it's because the rock Sphinx Crack is on is actually called Elephant Rock. Just ask any local. If you want to see the Sphinx, look up across the valley from the various belays on the Bucksnort Slabs. For the best profile of the Sphinx, look down valley on the skyline from Sphinx Park (so named for the rock) where the Bucksnort Saloon is. It's hard to miss. As far as the saloon goes, in my opinion, you can get good beer, better food, and without the crowd, elsewhere.
No, access is not fine. I was climbing here 2 weeks ago and was approached by a man in fatigues with a rifle who informed me I was trespassing, climbing was not allowed, and I was to leave immediately. I know little about ownership of this area, only that is entirely on private property and that the landowners have tolerated climbers for the last 15 years. This area is held in high regard by many of the locals and would be a big loss for all climbers if it was closed. I am looking in to this matter and will post my findings.
FWIW, there are State Trust Lands in almost every county in Colorado, except maybe Denver County. I don't have my Delorme Map with me at work, but I'm pretty sure that's the case. There are 3 million acres of State Trust Lands in Colorado, but ONLY 480,000 of those acres are open for public use and NONE of them are in Jefferson, Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe, Adams, Denver, Boomfield or Boulder Counties. The brochure pdf listed above only lists the OPEN lands.
On a related note, climbing is NOT a recognized recreational activity on ANY of these lands. These lands are managed to provide opportunities for recreation relating to wildlife (hunting, fishing & wildlife viewing), so if you have some boulders or crags that you frequent on State Trust Lands, keep it on the down low and don't visit them during hunting season to avoid confrontations like the one mentioned above by Pat Peddy.
As a final note, please do some research before you put crappy beta/info on this site. It just confuses everyone.
Well landowners are getting pissed off!I. E. All the no tresspassing signs. Access is a big issue. Be respectful of landowner`s rights. When [facing] the rock from road the right [gully] is the [approach]. You should not be tresspassing.
I want to ask this so called land owner? just why are you so pissed off to begin with? I have climbed here for the past 10 years with no problems, then around Oct. 2005 me & my wife seen about 10 posted signs saying Private Property & No Trespassing for about 500 years in both directions of this beautiful rock. It seems to me that since you yourself have destroyed pullouts along the road with Trash (old iron boiler, dead trees & stumps, huge rocks..etc)...and this same homeowner did cut off most of the bolted anchors on this rock... before this clown came along, the locals enjoyed having us climbers go into their shops and bars...how must the locals feel now?, because NO one goes there now!...I think we all need to call & write to The Access Fund up in Boulder to contact this so called land owner. That rock is on State Trust Land..not the landowner on South Elk Creek Road !!
It's true that the residents of Pine are upset with this guy. In fact I'd say real angry. I spend a chunk of the every summer at our cabin just up the road from Sphinx Rock and have heard all kinds of rants about his attitude. Not so much about the effect on the local economy but about the loss of access to Elk Creek. For years local kids have had access to the swimming hole and I might add have cleaned it up (as did climbers) when the area was littered by non local partiers.
Anyhow it's a loss for everyone. The fact that he does not own the land on the east side of the creek yet seems to have it in his head he does blows my mind. As for the creek itself, he does not have the water rights, and he won't argue that as he has been coming to community meetings regarding the new development at Will o' the wisp and the attempt of the developer to gain all the water rights to Elk Creek. For more info on that visit www.mywoodside.com
There has been talk recently of access from the land behind Zokas. He'd have a hard time doing anything about that.
I think what makes this different than the previous owner is that the Sheriff has given him basically a green light to enforce egress (with force) on surrounding vacant property he doesn't own due to faxed agreements that attempt to form some sort of imprompt HOA between a few property owners of interest.
I'm surprised you & I haven't shared a beer over there after some good climbs; I seem to keep missing everyone.
If you ever see a big red Land Cruiser parked at the cabin a mile and a half south of 280 on S. Elk Creek road (it's the one on the east side with the big boulders surrounding it at Glen Elk), stop on in and say hi! We can discuss a course of action regarding this issue. Ultimately the climbing is shit at Sphinx Rock, but it does have a very large significance in North American free climbing history. And the swimming hole is great! Anyhow I'm sure something will be worked out. We always have lots of beer on hand at the house.
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