The Dakotas don't seem to have a home here on MT. Project. Is anyone here familiar with Rapid City, SD? Is there a good gear shop where I might pick up a guidebook for the Rushmore area? I found guidebooks for Devils Tower and the Needles, but we'll be there several days. I'm printing the mini-guides from this site, but could use a little more info on finding routes within a given area. Thanks!

Kathy

I don't know about Rapid City itself, but since you're going to be in the area, you could go to Granite Sports in Hill City, which has quite a good selection of guide books.

This seems to be the appropriate forum for SD. The Admins could probably add in SD alongside CO and WY in the description.

I second the Hill City, SD Granite Sports for guidebooks. You'll probably want to pick up the Mount Rushmore Guide by Vern Phinney, but it's dated, and many of us are anxiously awaiting Andy Busse's guide (hurry up Andy) that will add in the tons of new Mt. Rushmore route developed over the last 15 years. If you call Granite Sports you can order the guide over the phone. Good people there - Pat the owner is super friendly, and many of the local guides work there as well. Support the local shop (granitesports.biz/). If you're climbing in Custer or at Mt. Rushmore you'll only be 5-10 mintues from the shop.

In Rapid City itself there's a good selection of gear at Scheels and at an outdoor store on Rushmore (I don't remember the name of it off the top of my head). I don't recall either place having guides, however.

Other guides: South Dakota Needles: Adventure Climbs of Herb and Jan Connby Lindsay Stephens, is a great read, and there's a lot of SD Needles history, but the route descriptions are sparse, and it focuses on Conn's climbs exclusively. There are some out-of-print guides. Piana's Needle climbing "Touch the Sky" is highly coveted, and expensive. McGee's "Poorperson's" Needles guidebook is a little cheaper/easier to find 2nd-hand online. There's an out of print John Page guide too. I know of these last three 2nd hand.

Check out this site for a discussion of the guidebooks and a couple handy links to some out-of-print maps to the Custer State Park climbs: (www.billandcori.com/blackhills/bh_climb.htm).

I've found myself printing the mini-guides myself quite frequently as well, regardless of all the beta in the guide-books.

Btw: Andy finish your Rushmore guide! =)

Whatever you do, be careful of Dan. Because he's usually hot,and he'll draw fast and shoot, and the next thing you know, you've got a doctor stinking of gin cutting into you.

Right across Main Street from the Firehouse Brewing Company there is a sports shop (seemed mostly like a skateboard shop) that has some climbing gear and a few guidebooks. I don't remember if they have a Rushmore guidebook, and also don't remember the name of the shop. Sorry. Is it "Edge Sports?" (any Rapid City locals out there?)

However, search bookfinder.com for "Vernon R. Phinney", and find this book "Mt. Rushmore National Memorial Climber's Guide". You can get a copy on Amazon. It's out of print so not cheap, but at this point in time it might be the best one out there (for Rushmore). If you make it to Granite Sports in Hill City, they usually have a few copies of this one on hand (for cheaper than online).

Yeah Edge Sports has all of the guide books for the area.

Just got back from there, OOOOOH you'll love it!

You'd need a month. Submitted By: YDPL8S on Sep 13, 2010

YDPL8S,
Those are the Cathedral Spires, right? Didn't get to climb there, but it looks awesome. What climbs did you do? Planning on going back next year.

KathyS,
The only mulit-pitch I can suggest is Garfield Goes to Washington, in the Rushmore area. Did that one a couple months ago & really enjoyed it. The only multi I've done so far.

My buddy Daryl runs Sylvan, and is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

www.sylvanrocks.com/

He might be able to provide some info.

Chad, this last trip was with my fiance' to show her the beauty. So, I only got in a few short ones on the back side of Sylvan Lake (beautiful place by the way). The aforementioned Sylvan Rocks has a good rep, so they would be a good resource. They were pretty wet up there earlier this year so everything is pretty lush and beautiful (except the beetle kill).

You folks are awesome! Thanks for the info and the humor. I waited too long to post my questions to mail order anything, but I printed a few things from links you provided and will check out those gear shops for a guidebook or two. I am looking forward to some great climbing! :^D

Kathy

Just a small warning, be ready to run it out if you climb at Sylvan Lake / Cathedral Spires. 30 foot run-outs are COMMON, not the exception. Falls may not be fatal, but the rock will cut you up real good if you fall.

Or maybe I just pick routes with "historic" value. Geriatrics is one example, it is only 5.9, but it has a big gap in protection points, even if you put in the intermediate cam/nut between bolts.

Have fun.

Thanks again to all who replied! We had an excellent time, and only scratched the surface. We lost one climbing day to rain, so we never made it to the Cathedral Spires. We will be back. We found the Stephen's book on the Conn routes, and Vernon Phinney's Rushmore book in Hill City. We also found a good guide to Devil's Tower in the gift shop after we were done (oh, well). With those, and printouts from MP, we found far more routes than we had time to climb. Some highlights were the Doody route up the Gnomon, Dire Spire (Conn route), Cerebus (Triconi Nail), Bon Homme Variation (Devil's Tower) and Inner Course, which was uncharacteristiclly well protected (9 bolts and one cam in 140 feet).









Kathy

Awesome pics Kathy! Sounds like you had a great trip, but left a lot of climbing to do on a return trip.

=)

I heard people from S.Dakota like to try and poop on there unattended children from ledges in Eldo, or something like that.

This one's for Ayescotty9:



Same route as your avatar. :^)

That's Gossamer if I'm not mistaken. Great little route.

Kathy, Glad to hear you had a good time in my old stomping grounds. I missed this when you first posted as I was up in Colorado at the time.

As you have obviously learned not every climb there is for every one. You mentioned Innercourse I know it only had 3 or 4 bolts placed during the first ascent but they realized what a great easy climb it would be and the FA party added more shortly after.

nice pictures, looks epic