New bolt above Variety Show, Roadside Crag, Deer Creek Canyon

A new bolt has been placed on the boulder above Variety Show. I'm just wondering what it's there for. There is a huge crack in the boulder that would swallow up some nice #4 and #5 cams, therefore it seems completely pointless. Isn't Roadside Crag on private land anyway?

That's no good. I actually remember when the very first bolt was drilled on that little rock. I was in junior high school and some older boys from the high school rode their bikes up Deer Creek daily and taught themselves to aid climb one Spring. The bolt was a rawl with a leeper hanger just above a number fixed # one sized stopper placement. The fixed stopper and the bolt where there for years. Anyhow years latter a couple of friends and I, home for Christmas from college, hung a top rope on that old aid route and tried to free it. One of the more infamous among us actually pulled off a very difficult free climb for the time... likely hard 5.12 in 1982.

My point being the thing has been top roped since neanderthal men/boys have roamed the front range and pointless bolts are uncool. And really uncool on private land. Wrap a long one inch runner around the boulder and your good to go with a very solid anchor.

Legs Magillicutty wrote: Isn't Roadside Crag on private land anyway?

No.
co.jefferson.co.us/jeffco/o…

Mike. . . The land where Roadside Crag sits is not part of any open space or any other preserved land according to the map that you attached. It has always been to my understanding that the land west of South Valley Park along the north side of Deer Creek Canyon Rd is all private.

I see what you mean. I thought it was much closer to the Lockheed turnoff. On my map, its actually right by the 2nd E of deer creEk. Sorry.

What Allen said. Superfluous bolts at any crag are getting to be a real problem. It seems to me some people are practicing their boltcraft in totally unacceptable ways. Practice at home, looking in the mirror, by placing bolts in your forehead.

Disclaimer: Just Kidding.

So I haven't climbed on that rock for at least 15, maybe 20 years. I don't remember anything above it worth even bouldering on; so what would the point of the bolt be? If not to protect a climbing move, then it has to be to assist with working below.

I wonder if it was added for people who want a belay to set up a toprope on the route? The ledge where the anchors rest is exposed but it's only a class 2 or 3 down climb/hike to get to them. Even if that is the explanation, the bolt does not belong. As I said, you can place #4 and #5 cams up there if it really needs protecting. OR, sling the big boulder itself.

Oh yeah, some schmuck named "Kyle" defaced Fire Black Boulder by carving his name into the rock too. Grrrrrrrrrr.

Edit. . .Lee is not kidding.

Mike, Variety Show is a decent 5.11 top rope with bolted anchors and chains, although the anchor is well out of sight from the road. I imagine someone installed the bolt to access the top rope anchor already there. It is a frivilous place to put a bolt since the anchors are easily accessible without risk. If some one was sketchy about getting to the TR anchor, there are a million things to sling as pointed out.

This just seems to be bolt placing for the sake of placing a bolt.

EDIT: Tracy beat me to this post by 5 minutes. And I like the picture of Mark; I was thinking of that earlier.

Yeah, I used to climb that thing like early 90's or so, I remember when it was just an SMC or Leeper on top (rusty).
I can see where a kid w/ no rack would think it was a good idea. Maybe it protects getting further out on the harder stuffs' anchors?
I really wonder what the deal is with that land. The rock has a couple dozen bolts and at one time sported perma-draws, yet still no signs of ownership anywhere near.

I have heard that climbers have talked to the owners and that they are OK with the climbing there.

Tracy and I removed a bunch of tatty perma-draws with permission, of course.