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South Dakota Needles

Original Post
M L · · Sonora, CA · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 165

Having never been there and not being able to flip through a guidebook I'd like some suggestions on a first trip. I was planning on climbing on Devils Tower a few days, then making the pilgrimage to the needles.

One basic question is where to go and what guidebook to get for ~3 days of climbing. It looks like there are several options: Spearfish Canyon, the Needles around Custer State Park, and the Needles around Mt Rushmore.

Does anyone have any experience with these two guidebooks? Are they the same area?

The Needles of the Black Hills from Sharp End
amazon.com/Needles-Climbers…

The Needles of Rushmore from Fixed Pin
amazon.com/Needles-Rushmore…

Any suggestions for areas to visit, books to get, places to camp, climbs to do, and places to go fishing (anything near Devils Tower too?) would be great!

Thanks,
Mike

Lucas P · · Asheville, NC · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 1,010

Use the Fixed Pin version written by Andrew Burr and Andy Busse! It is a much better guidebook!

M L · · Sonora, CA · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 165

Thanks!
Does it cover the same areas?

Andrew Gram · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 3,725

The Orenczak book is garbage. The Needles unfortunately don't have a very good guidebook. Mountainproject can get you to the classics there though.

The Busse guidebook for the Rushmore area is outstanding, as is Cronin's guidebook to Spearfish Canyon. 3 days is very little time for that area - i'd skip Spearfish Canyon since the climbing at Rushmore and the Needles is so unique.

For fishing, my favorite places are Spearfish Canyon and Rapid Creek. There is really good fishing all the way through town in Rapid City, though I prefer fishing right below Pactola. There is an excellent fly shop in downtown Rapid City that is a good resource for Black Hills fishing.

rgold · · Poughkeepsie, NY · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 526

Although Paul Piana's guide to the climbs in Custer State Park, Touch the Sky, is out of print (and selling for ridiculous amounts on ebay), the essential maps from that guide are available at billandcori.com/blackhills/…. Combined with the data on Mountain Project, this is a far better (not to mention cheaper) alternative than the crappy Orenczak book.

I posted lists of recommended climbs together with some more information on MP at mountainproject.com/v/black… and mountainproject.com/v/headi…. The second post has the Touch the Sky maps with the locations of the recommendations marked, links to the MP descriptions if they exist, and photos of some of the routes. The grades I gave are the old-school grades of the routes; comparison with the MP links will reveal the current consensus.

Steve123 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 90

In my opinion, Both "The Needles" and "Devils Tower Climbing" by Orenczak and Lynn are not good. They are better than nothing, but avoid them if you have other books available.

I have the Busse and Burr "The Needles of Rushmore" book. I have not taken it climbing yet, but it looks good and matches up very well with my experience out there. It covers the Rushmore areas. The area covered by the Orenczak and Lynn Needles book does not appear to overlap.

The Spearfish Canyon book by Cronin is very good. This area is still being actively developed, so there are new routes that are not in the book. Use the book to find the areas you are interested in, then check Mountain Project for any additions.

I have four different Devils Tower guidebooks. I am not thrilled about any of them.

Each of the areas has far more than three days worth of climbing, so you really can't go wrong, but Spearfish Canyon is a little low on easier routes less than 5.10

Sean Nelb · · Grand Junction, CO · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 470

For Devils Tower, I usually recommend Guilmette's book Devils Tower National Monument Climbing Handbook, currently with a blue cover. It definitely lacks information that is standard in more modern guidebooks (the line drawings on the photos don't indicate where belays/rappel stations are, for example), but it has good descriptions and only costs $11. Its available in the Visitor's Center at the Tower.

M L · · Sonora, CA · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 165

Thanks all!

Any good fishing near the Tower?

and if I was only going to check out one spot in SD should it be Rushmore or Custer area?

rgold · · Poughkeepsie, NY · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 526

Rushmore is much more sport-oriented, Custer is primarily but not entirely trad. Rushmore has an excellent new guidebook. The combination of the annotated maps, photos, and MP links I posted may be as good as any other information you are likely to get, unless you can somehow lay your hands on Touch the Sky, so the Custer area will have more "adventure" to it. (But I wouldn't take that idea too far, you aren't trying to find you way around Alaska. The maps and links will easily get you to the climbs mentioned on the Needles Highway, but there will be some more---I think delightful---uncertainty if you venture into the Outlets and Cathedral Spires.)

Andrew Gram · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 3,725

There really isn't any fishing near Devils Tower - that is high desert. Spearfish Canyon isn't that far - just over an hour i think, and the fishing there is great. Some people fish for big nasty but fun to catch carp near Belle Fourche I think.

M L · · Sonora, CA · Joined Apr 2007 · Points: 165

Thanks again!

I'm also planning on climbing/fishing at Freemont canyon. My wife fishes at the hanging belays while belaying me and climbs up like gollum with her catch

R Walters · · Sonora, CA · Joined Sep 2006 · Points: 310

Hey Mike,
If you decide to head to the Custer St Park Needles (Sylvan Lake, Ten Pins, Cathedral Spires), there is a new mini-guide for the area out. It covers roughly 180 (old school and brand new) routes and includes pretty good maps for the areas for route-finding. It can likely be found for ~$14 at Granite Sports in Hill City.

The Burr-Busse guide is definitely the best available for the Rushmore side. It includes all the sport routes and a whole plethora of adventure routes. It's glossy and costs a bit more coin.

Spearfish Canyon also has a great new guide available at the shops in the Hills (Rushmore Mtn Sports in Spearfish). Hate to say it, but Gram is right about Rushmore and especially Custer being so unique that Spearfish might be worth skipping. Though, in my biased opinion, the atmosphere up there is pretty damn cool.

rgold · · Poughkeepsie, NY · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 526

I think the mini-guide in question is A Mini Guide to Custer State Park - Black Hills, Daryl Stisser & Cheryl Mayer (Sylvan Lake Climbing School & Guide Service), available from Granite Sports, granitesports.biz/.

Another possibility, not simply a guidebook, is South Dakota Needles: Adventure Climbs of Herb and Jan Conn
stores.sharpendbooks.com/-s…

Spending a few days following in the footsteps of the Conns would be a blast.

chris tregge · · Madison WI · Joined May 2007 · Points: 11,036

I posted this on that other thread. Here it is again, a guide for guidebooks. :)

Needles book

Limestone sport guide

Conn adventure climbs book

Granite Sports where they have the new Needles Miniguide -- just call them and they will mail you one.

Rushmore

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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