D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0
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5. YANKEE JIM
Yankee Jim is a bouldering area next to a highway near Gardiner.
Jeff Ho and Jeff Webber wrote a great guide that you can check out
online. Before its namesake built and maintained a toll road there
for folks heading to Yellowstone National Park, Native Americans
used the canyon on their journey upriver to look for obsidian. The
rock here is high-grade Archean Gneiss, and is unique to the country
because this kind of rock is often underground. This rock was ex-
posed by natural forces, undergoing recrystallization that makes for
gorgeous folds and bands.
Head along the Yellowstone River on Old Yellowstone Road to
find Gigarete Boulder, where you can warm up before challenging
yourself on the crimpy Gigarete (V7, three stars). The crux is at
the top, where you rock up on bad feet and reach left for the sloper.
There's also the brief Baby Joe (V7, one star), where you'll use two
bad holds to reach the difficult move to the lip. Head to the Way Out
Boulder for Way Out (V8, three stars), where you'll start low with a
couple of side pulls. The Anderson Cave is another good boulder,
with Hang Like a Monkey (V7, two stars), where you'll begin with two
slopey side pulls and make your way toward the lip.
If you're heading south, the Iron Horse Bar and Grill is quick and
easy, and you can sit outside. As you make your way north, the Emi-
grant Outpost is a fun spot to play pool and grab a bite.
WHISKEY GULCH
So nice it's listed twice. If you're looking for tough boulders, head
to Decapitated (V11, three stars), where you'll have to lay finger on
heinous crimps (hence the name). This route was first climbed by
a Swedish chef named David Sjöquist. Super Loose Tuna is anoth-
er V10 (two stars) on the CCC Boulder and combines two nearby
routes. Stay clear of the arete. For other tough routes, ask around—
many of these are undocumented and range into the double digits.
THE
BOULDERS
AT YANKEE JIM
IS HIGH-GRADE ARCHEAN GNEISS,
AND IS UNIQUE TO THE COUNTRY
BECAUSE THIS KIND OF ROCK
IS OFTEN UNDERGROUND.
SPICY
Kyle Redberg in action
Check out
DistinctlyMontanaGifts.com
to get the ultimate Montana
bouldering shirt
Bouldering is always more fun with friends
MARIA
ANDERSON
(2)
Rock
your
look
