Sunshine Rock Climbing

More routes to add to your guide book. I do not know all the names and some off the grades are ball park. We will be starting on left side of the sunshine right of the Euphamiah Beresford Wall and left of Attitude Wall (Mean Streak). Unknown name 11a/b, 200' right is Dancing with Myself 12a, it is just left of Mean Streak. Land of the Shorties- Mechanical Animals is done 12d, in between Mechanical animals and Proudest Monkey is a mid 5.11 forgot the name it pulls roof at bottom and top. AMC wall left of Rambler, Funk in the Trunk upper end 5.11 pulls roof. Big Black Face just left of Lost Ninja is a 5.10a. Just right of Cougar's Pupil is Eye of the Tiger 5.10c.The Prow, Just right of The Rally is Bald/Shaved 5.10+ same start as Rally just move right then stem the crack. Right of Sammy Sosa is Arlen the Choad 12a then you can climb past the anchors of Sundance to Arlen the Choad's anchors it MAY? make Sundance a letter grade harder. First Wall Area Twin Pipe Papa is 12a and there is a route right of this on next buttress red rock to good rock I think it is hard 10 or low end 11. Next Wall right of Lucky Strike mid 5.12 left of Witchnose Arete 12a. When I get the names figured out I will post them. Nov 17, 2006

Hey Mike. What about the route to the left of Hopeful Monsters? Isn't there a 12+/13- in there? Nov 17, 2006

Greg
Yeah there is one that goes left. I think it shares the first bolt or two of Hopeful. Leave it to you to remember that. Nov 17, 2006

has anyone done Hopeful Monsters yet? Dec 23, 2006

Miah
Nobody has done Hopeful yet. It has seen some tries but no success. Speaking about grades getting soft, maybe it is you that is getting soft HAHA.
Merry Christmas
Mike Dec 25, 2006

Is that smack I'm picking up? Your probably right, I've been stuffing my hands in to many cracks lately. It sounds like your the man for Hopeful. I just got back into the gym yesterday after not climbing for almost a month. I find that being an old man requires more than gin and good beer to get my sorry ass up the wall. On the other hand I find gear gives one the opportunity to hang whenever you like, there's something to be said for that. Have you been getting out much or is the weather holding everydody inside? Speaking of old men how are Muira and Heather? Jan 2, 2007

Is there a new route somewhere on the right side of the big black face?
According to the book, there are only two routes between Candy Apple Grey and the Crack route. It seems there are three and I am having trouble determining which is Land Speed Record or Husker Don't.

Anybody?

Also, does anyone know the grade of the route left of Astro Pop on first wall that shares its start? Apr 26, 2008

Reggie
I think I have the answers to your ? The farthest left most route on the big black face was put in since the guide book. So now the left most route is about mid 5.10 if you follow the bolt line, if you go out left into the choss it is about 5.9+. The 2nd route from left is Lost Ninja 5.9. That should put you on track. That would make it 7 routes on that main wall. The next route you come to after the black face is Cougar Pupil and left of that is a newer route Eye of the Tiger 5.10c. The route that starts of off Astro Pop is Feel My Heat at about 5.11a or b. Hope this helps. Apr 27, 2008

One small nitpick, Eye of the Tiger is to the right of Cougar's Pupil May 8, 2008

Anyone know the route just to the right of Lost Ninja, an 11 bolt route more on the Arete/Face of the wall with a tiny roof just before the shuts? Aug 31, 2009

My guess is that route is lost ninja as there was a new route added to its left after the guidebook was written. Sep 30, 2009

The parking area is closer to 2 miles from Cheyenne crossing, there is a small bridge at the back of the parking lot. Spearfish canyon has amazing rock quality, but the grades at the low end are sandbagged compared to smith rock, lander, American fork, or almost any other sport crag I have been too. The bolts are typically close enough that a fall will be short and painless, but add a grade to all the 8, 9, & 10s and you'll have a more realistic rating for your chosen route. And if you want to climb the softest grades in the country check out tensleep. Sep 8, 2010

The route grades are fluffy compared to the old school ratings in the needles. Sep 8, 2010

Apr 21, 2014

The BHCC and American Alpine Club are hosting a Trail and Crag Cleanup Day at the Sunshine Wall in Spearfish Canyon on Saturday April 26th from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please wear the proper attire (leather gloves) and bring any trail tools (shovel, pick axes) or tree pruning tools that you may have. The blizzard and tree damage this fall wiped out sections of the trails, and it would be great to get those taken care of and the trash in parking area picked up. We have a bunch of swag to give out as well so it should be a fun event. If you enjoy climbing in Spearfish Canyon, this would be a great way to pitch in and help out. Hope to see you next weekend! Apr 21, 2014

So the "getting there" for Sunshine and the bunny slope both suck. Drive into the canyon 26 miles? From where?! Three miles from the crossing? Down what road and what direction. I just spent an hour lost in the dark. So thanks for sending me to what I'm guessing was the danks. I'm guessing the parking is 1.1-1.2 miles from the Cheyenne crossing down 85 east/south. I wouldn't know because I never got to Sunshine. Aug 30, 2014

Yo Pontoon, check this guidebook out, excellent directions, and GPS to plug in as well for the individual parking spots for each crag.

blackhillsclimbingguide.com/ Aug 30, 2014

The parking for sunshine is 1.2 miles east of cheyenne crossing on google maps. The description of driving 26 miles into the caynon is if you are coming from I-90 and Spearfish. I prefer (if coming from rapid City) to take the exit at sturgis and go through deadwood/lead which will take you to cheyenne crossing. from here it is 1.1/1.2 miles. if you zoom on google maps you'll see the lot with a two track driveway on the SE side leading over a bridge. look even more closely on the north side of the road and slightly NW of the parking lot and you'll see the trail leading up to the crag. this trail will put you right in front of Astro Pop. Go left for the big black face and many more down that way (including the bunny slope, although you can park farther east/south down 85 as the walk from the big black face takes you past many walls and is roughly 10-15minutes) or go right for light bulb buttress and others. Aug 30, 2014

I left a black RuffWear leash with a locking biner on it somewhere between In Between Routes and Bunny Slope. Will pay shipment and a nice tip to get it back to Boulder if anyone comes across it Jun 26, 2017

Awesome crag, got to spend a few cool August days climbing here. Visitors should be warned about the heinous poison ivy however. There is PI throughout the canyon, but it was pretty gnarly at this crag. Bring some Tecnu. Sep 14, 2018