The BLM office in Monticello has asked the Friends of Indian Creek to remind climbers that there is a 14-day limit on camping on BLM Land. The F.O.I.C. understands that there is a bit of a history of staying in the Creek for far longer, but heavy climber-traffic in the area has made the BLM take notice of this tradition. Be aware that overstaying the 14-day limit makes climbers look as if we feel the rules don't apply to us and thus has an effect on long-term access. Moving your campsite throughout the season, or perhaps finding a site outside the main Indian Creek area, will not only help smooth relations with the BLM, but will also keep you from possibly getting hit with a fine.
In addition to all the buttresses, Indian Creek has two solitary towers sitting on talus cones. South Sixshooter is the smaller of the two(the one on the left when viewed from the Bridger Jack area), and has the easiest good route in Indian Creek, and maybe the easiest tower summit route in the desert.
Getting There
Continue past Bridger Jack mesa, and drive past the two Sixshooter towers. Turn left on the road in to Davis Canyon, which is signed and leads to Canyonlands. The trailhead is several miles up the 4WD road - high clearance or a complete disregard for your car are required to make it all the way. Park in the dry creekbed at the easiest looking point of the low mesa - you will drive all the way around the mesa and park as the road starts to head away from it. A cairned trail exists on the mesa that is worth finding to make the approach easier and to protect the cryptobiotic soil. Plan on an hour or so uphill walk to get to the base of the tower.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for South Sixshooter:
Some additional approach beta: whether driving or hiking (like us), follow Davis Canyon road until the signed turn-off for Lavender Canyon on the left (a mile or so up the big wash). From there, take nice cow paths that head off right, until below the south part of the lower talus cone. There are some cairns on large white rocks here that mark a good spot to head up and left to some more cairns, that lead to a break in the "white rim" cliffs--from there, a nice walk up a small drainage leads to a fairly obvious cairned trail up the final talus slope.
There are many beautiful cracks on the south face, only a couple of which seem to be in any guidebooks. Consider doing the prominent 5.9 corner up the center of the face--it appears to offer reasonable and much better climbing than the standard South Face route.
If you have a sixty meter rope, do not bring two ropes!! From the big block with slings below the left (west) summit, you can reach the ground with a few feet to spare, with a sixty.
The view is not quite as good as from the North Sixshooter, but this is a very worthwile and spectacular summit IMHO.
FYI: wanted to let anyone heading out to climb this tower that I pulled one bolt out of the top anchors as I was heading off to rappel. It was quite loose to begin with in hollow sounding rock - if you can imagine that fun sound in sandstone. This was on Mon 11/17/2008. Sorry - please be prepared for this.
One of the two Half inchers with chain? Something messed with it if so. There were two other bolts up there that I did not incorporate into the anchor. Was it one of them? I hope it was one of them that changed its mind.
Unfortunately, yes. There were only two bolts up there, and the one closest to the edge just popped right out. I was trying not to pull up too much, but it still came out. It was not unscrewed, just loose & the rock sounded pretty hollow around where it was. I definitely think it was a rock issue.The other bolt was really solid though.
OK Gang, Angie was there so we know how it is. All I can figure is the the thunderstorms this summer let a huge amount of water into the hole and that maybe the anchor took a lightning strike... I can only tell you all was solid last spring (as numerous ascents since have proven). This is to be expected sometimes in bolts placed vertically in sandstone. I am currently laid up and thus cannot get up there to fix it for at least a few weeks. If someone is going up there I will provide the equipment for replacement. Just get in touch with me One other option is that there have been a couple people complaining about the upgraded anchors... maybe they tried to remove them.
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