Class ratings - Rabbit Ears and "Dragon's Back"

[TeresaGergen]

I might go tomorrow or Thurs to try to sight level from the west to the east, while the weather is good. Is anyone else available to come along to have two opinions on the sight leveling? I have a good sight level and have led the west ear.

[Scott Patterson]

I'd be interested, but couldn't do it until Friday or Saturday. I wouldn't mind meeting you and joining if you could do it then.

If you do go tomorrow or Thursday, good luck, and a lot of us will be eagerly awaiting your results.

I sincerely believe the east ear to be higher, but I'm actually secretly hoping that I am wrong.

[TeresaGergen]

I have family in town Fri-Mon, so I can't go this weekend. I would have enjoyed meeting you, too!

[Tom Pierce]

Teresa,
As I mentioned to you, I'm out of action for a week. So good luck, be safe, and let us know what you find. Unlike Scott, I make no secret of my desire that the west ear be higher! :-)

-Tom

[TeresaGergen]

I reclimbed the west summit today. I laid down at the highest rock on the west summit and sight leveled from the surface level of the rock. The east summit is definitely higher. I removed my ascent.

Thank you Scott; I'm glad this was determined before I finished.

[John Kirk]

Probably makes sense to split the peak into two separate entries - East and West. Does 3' higher sound right or more like 16'? The east could either be 10,670 (interpolated assuming next higher contour) or 10,657 if we interpolated the west summit between it and the next higher contour. I'm guessing closer to 3' higher.

[Tom Pierce]

I removed my ascent as well, dammit.

Teresa: Did you get any pics of the west tower? Just wondering what gear might be best.

-Tom

[John Kirk]

Before anyone else removes ascents, It will save you the work of re-adding the ascent of the west summit, which I will retain as unranked. I'm going to make a new entry for the east summit with no ascents by anyone, just need to know an estimate of how much higher it is.

[TeresaGergen]

I'm not a whiz with the sight level or the math, but 16' is three times my height, and that definitely doesn't seem right. Three feet would make a lot more sense.

John, thanks for splitting the peak into 2 pages. And, if you're doing that - without a belay today, and without a rope to manage drag for, I went up the easier finish that I thought I'd spotted last time. I think this can be kept CO Class 4. Go up the same start to a good stance (where I am in the photo, taken by Kirk), then where the line continues up with the easy Class 5 move, go down a step to the left, around a bulge, and up in the next crack over to the left (not as far left as the remnants of the ladder). This was a lot easier. The step down and left between the crack systems is obscured by the large boulder in the left foreground in the photo.

[Scott Patterson]

Did you get any pics of the west tower? Just wondering what gear might be best.

Do you mean the east tower (higher one)? I actually have plenty of photos of both. I took some close looks at the east tower, but I don't think it's within my ability (at least not now days). Definitely not as a lead.

Here is a photograph of my son and the east tower, which shows the typical rock (I just pulled it off facebook):



I don't know if this helps much though. I can go through my photos at home since I probably have some that are more useful.

[Tom Pierce]

Thanks, Scott. Yes, I meant the east tower. I found a pretty good photo over on summit post.org, but only of one section. If you have the time to share your photos that would be great, I may try to swing over there next week. Thanks again.
-Tom

[John Kirk]

Ok here's what we have:

[Scott Patterson]

Here are some photos of what looks like it might offer the most reasonable route:

[TeresaGergen]

Thanks, John, that looks good to me. I put my ascents back on the west summit.

If anyone gets up the east summit before me, please bring a good level and sight back to the west summit, and maybe repeat my sighting from the west to the east, to confirm this...

[John Kirk]

Second photo looks like it's not very difficult. 5.6 maybe? Lots of places for small cams to go in from the looks of it also. The first photo looks like it is taken looking up from the bulge under the right side of what is seen in the second photo and to me doesn't appear to be part of the easier looking terrain to the left.