Visiting Madison WI June 11-15 - Area recommendations?

Don't let anyone tell you Devils Lake isn't worth your time. A couple things to keep in mind given the current state of things, although they might change by mid-June.

• All Wisconsin State Parks are currently closed on Wednesdays. 
• Right now, the park closes at 7:00pm. as opposed to the usual 11:00pm time. 

Any idea how to overruling of the safer at home order might affect park operations?

Andy Eiter wrote: Any idea how to overruling of the safer at home order might affect park operations?

I'm wondering the same thing. 

(Also, mezcal old fashioneds are pretty bomb and definitely worth a try; but you didn't hear it from me.)

And you can now buy your admission sticker online:
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/admission.html

Andy Eiter wrote: (Also, mezcal old fashioneds are pretty bomb and definitely worth a try; but you didn't hear it from me.)

Absolutely! So are reposado or anejo tequila old fashioneds. The formula works well with any barrel-aged spirit. It's the original cocktail. Spirit + sweet + bitters = a delicious cocktail that can be tinkered with, ad infinitum. It's fun to play around with the base spirit, the source of the sweetness, and the bitters used, as well as the spirit-to-sweet ratios.

Some that have worked well:
bourbon + maple syrup + angostura
aged rum + demerera sugar + angostura
rye whiskey + pear liqueur + peychaud's
anejo tequila + cointreau + angostura and lime bitters (reminiscent of a margarita, but more complex)

My current house special: overproof  wheated bourbon with Domaine De Canton Ginger liqueur (for the sweet), and a combination of barrel aged aromatic bitters, orange bitters, and cherry bitters. It's much closer to the original old fashioned recipe, but the cherry and orange bitters hearken back to the Wisconsin flavor profile that got me started on the genre.

Dammit, now my mouth is watering. I guess it's a good thing I'm working from home, and don't have to drive anywhere...

Crag Hag wrote:

Yeah... after browsing all of Devil's Lake, I quickly realized haha. 

Definitely like donuts! Thanks for the rec ;)

Any breweries worth visiting after climbing?

Most of the breweries are "closed" right now. Which is to say they have growler,crowler fills and will do carry out food. If you want something close to the lake Tumbled Rock is a new brewery. Their beer is okay (new brewery, they're still getting their legs under them) but their food is excellent. I also feel you can't go wrong with beer/food from Vintage, Ale Asylum, or Lone Girl. Any of those can be on your way between the lake and Madison depending on your route. 

Devil's Lake is absolutely worth a visit. Bring a length of static line to set TR's with using trees and blocks back from the edge.  

East Ramparts has the highest concentration of good climbs at DL (IMO), and parking in the CCC lot will give your legs enough of a workout to constitute a warmup.  More than enough climbs in 1/4 mile of each other.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105730101/brintons-buttress
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105730116/bills-buttress
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105730089/pedestal-buttress

Similar to Old Fashions, Manhattan's can be made with either brandy or whisky.  I prefer Rye or Canadian Whisky over brandy or bourbon.  And of course the bitters are personal preference...I prefer walnut bitters and Dolin sweet vermouth.

Buck Rio wrote: Devil's Lake is absolutely worth a visit. Bring a length of static line to set TR's with using trees and blocks back from the edge.  

East Ramparts has the highest concentration of good climbs at DL (IMO), and parking in the CCC lot will give your legs enough of a workout to constitute a warmup.  More than enough climbs in 1/4 mile of each other.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105730101/brintons-buttress
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105730116/bills-buttress
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105730089/pedestal-buttress

Similar to Old Fashions, Manhattan's can be made with either brandy or whisky.  I prefer Rye or Canadian Whisky over brandy or bourbon.  And of course the bitters are personal preference...I prefer walnut bitters and Dolin sweet vermouth.

I have yet to try Dolin (It's on my to-do list). my current favorite is Carpano Antica. It's expensive, but that shit is good enough to drink straight.

Edit to add some beta relevant to the OP: East Rampart has hundreds of climbs, but it's also the busiest. If it's too crowded for your liking, check out railroad apmhitheatre or birthday rocks. They're easy enough to find, and have some decent climbs. Turk's Head Ridge is the closest you'll find to multipitch in WI, and doesn't get a lot of traffic, but it's also pretty tricky to find the first pitch.

Andrew Krajnik wrote:

I have yet to try Dolin (It's on my to-do list). my current favorite is Carpano Antica. It's expensive, but that shit is good enough to drink straight.

Edit to add some beta relevant to the OP: East Rampart has hundreds of climbs, but it's also the busiest. If it's too crowded for your liking, check out railroad apmhitheatre or birthday rocks. They're easy enough to find, and have some decent climbs. Turk's Head Ridge is the closest you'll find to multipitch in WI, and doesn't get a lot of traffic, but it's also pretty tricky to find the first pitch.

Dolin is French and not nearly as intense as Antica Torino Vermouth.  That's why I like it, it doesn't overpower the whiskey.

Turks Head Ridge at DL has been mentioned a couple of times. No matter what you do, do NOT come to Devils Lake from out of town and choose to climb Turks Head Ridge. Lots of the pitches are like 9 feet tall  It’s more of a “multi-boulder” than anything. We just have little else to practice multi on. Climb the classic single pitch stuff if visiting!

Olbrich botanical gardens are very special and you cannot miss a turtle sundae at Michael’s frozen custard!! Life changing! 

Sean Peter wrote: Turks Head Ridge at DL has been mentioned a couple of times. No matter what you do, do NOT come to Devils Lake from out of town and choose to climb Turks Head Ridge. Lots of the pitches are like 9 feet tall  It’s more of a “multi-boulder” than anything. We just have little else to practice multi on. Climb the classic single pitch stuff if visiting!

Thanks!

So it looks like a lot of the climbs are TR'd... is it worth it to bring a standard rack? (thinking about weight when flying because I'm frugal as hell haha)

In the early 1990s there was a group of strong women climbers here who called themselves the Crag Hags.  Any relation?

Crag Hag wrote:

Thanks!

So it looks like a lot of the climbs are TR'd... is it worth it to bring a standard rack? (thinking about weight when flying because I'm frugal as hell haha)

Yeah I’d bring a standard rack. Lots of great leads. Typical advise is to start WAY below your onsite level to get a sense of the place.

Leading is not for the faint of heart at the Lake. Pro can be tricky.

If you are just wanting a couple easy leads, bring a SR, if you want to sample some of the best climbs the Lake has, TR the stuff @ East Ramparts. 

Thanks! We've been forewarned about the rock type and grades. We're planning to start out on 5-funs to get a feel and go from there. Really looking forward to getting out there and having a good time.

Y'all have been super helpful and kind. Thank you!

Hi again -

The original flight that we booked got canceled...but we were able to secure a different flight, so the trip is still on!  We are still planning to go to DL and climb for the day (probably Friday or Monday to avoid crowds). We proactively got a day pass/permit.

We are checking a bag with our gear: (please chime in if we should make adjustments)
- Standard rack
- 1 set of nuts
- 1 set of hexes (#6-10 - might ditch these to save weight)
- 60m rope
- 40ft piece of cord

Another thing I'd like to get more info about is the approach/approach trail to East Ramp...is it difficult or simple to navigate? The "Getting There" instructions on MP say to look for the Monster. Since we've never been, we don't know what exactly to look for feature-wise. We do have a guidebook, but it is an older guide and the directions are a bit confusing. Hopefully, we won't spend too much time trying to figure that out haha.

It’s one of the standard hiking trails and well marked.  Built by the CCC during the Great Depression.

Description could be more clear.

The first buttress you pass on the CCC, halfway up, is “No Sweat”.  The next cliff line, where the trail traverses left, is “The Little Flatiron” ( and “The Monster”).  The final cliff line is reached below “The Pedestal”. The CCC trail continues to the right, and curls back around the top of the cliff.  The climber’s trail along the base is up around the boulder and to the left.

It will be obvious, don’t worry.  And there will be other folks around, so you can ask for directions to specific climbs.