The Trough

Description 

The Trough is a steep, primarily west-facing wall on the north side of CO Highway 14 directly across the road from mile marker 103. It keeps morning shade until late morning in the summer, gets some afternoon sun in the fall/winter, and has an extremely short approach. There are at least 7 bolted climbs on this wall, with the four older (uphill) routes another testament to the vision and energy of Craig Luebben. The rock is fairly typical of the Poudre, meaning that it usually climbs a bit better than it first appears.

Getting There 

From the intersection of US Highway 287 and CO Highway 14, take CO 14 west for about 30 minutes. The Trough is at the lower end of the upper narrows, and appears just after rounding its first bend - look for a traffic sign on the right (visible in the picture) and the green mile marker on the opposite side. There is a spacious parking area just past this on the right, with the crag visible behind you a few dozen paces back down the road towards the east. When you leave, it is far better to continue west, either past the Narrows or to the small pull-out below East of Eden, to a safer turn-around spot with better views of oncoming traffic.

The Classics