1920 photo of the Alta Tunnel and the west facing ...
Description
Limestone sport routes. Cool in the summer, morning shade. From right to left the routes are; unfinished, 5.9, 5.10a, 5.11b, 5.11a and 5.10a. These routes have only seen one ascent and the bottom(easy) slab is dirty from lack of traffic. This cliff comes into the sun about the same time as the east facing cliff comes into the shade.
Getting There
Take the Silver Fork Canyon Trail. The trail head is accessed either from the Church Road at the west end of Solitude's lower parking lot or from the Silver Fork community. Please note that the gate at the Solitude lot is locked after 7pm, so use the other trailhead if you plan to stay late or you will be locked in. The approach is about 1/2 hour at a moderate pace on a very good road and trail. Where the road forks take the right branch on the single track. Following the road to the Alta Tunnel mine will get you to the climbs but you have to figure out how to negotiate the gully between the mine and the other trail. There is an obvious spot where the single track trail is even with the Alta Tunnel mine and the end of the mine road, the trail takes a steeper pitch past here and crosses the main gully. About 200' past the gully there is a short limestone cliff immediately to the left of the trail, this is where you go either left to the west facing wall or right to the east facing wall. There is a faint old road traveling up and left above an old mine opening and through the trees. Continue through the trees for about 100' until you see the cliff. The easiest way to get to the routes is from the observer's left of the cliff traveling right along the cliff base to the bulge in the center.
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