Climb a steep face (protected by 2 bolts); step right (crux) a little ways above the 2nd bolt, then up a fun wide arete with big holds to chains.
Note: Independence Day is the name of the route in Dennis Jackson's Rock Climbing New Mexico (2006), and Whodunit? is the name given in Jay Foley's Taos Rock (2005). (Edit 10/18/08: see comments below for clarification.)
Location
This is the leftmost route in Independence Gully. Scramble up the gully a ways, and look for 2 bolts on your left, which marks the start of the route.
Protection
Standard rack of stoppers and cams to 3" plus 6-8 double length runners or quickdraws. Gear required above the first 2 bolts. Stoppers and small/medium cams are especially useful.
The Whodunit listed in the Foley guide refers to who put in the first two bolts, rather than calling the route Whodunit.
In the interest of full disclosure, I placed those bolts ground-up on lead as well as those on the route to the right. I had never noticed anyone else on the line after 16 years of climbing at TP and had not seen it listed in a previous guidebook. I bolted it on July 4th (thus the name) and did not know it was a previously established route, I just knew it got nice afternoon shade when most other spots bake.
Interestingly, I now see some folks on the route. This is not an argument for convenience retro-bolting; if I had known it was climbed previously, I would have refrained from bolting. Dennis Jackson knew who bolted the route(s) because he asked me about it prior to putting out the guidebook.
The name is one I gave to Dennis, the actual first ascensionist should give the correct name. Oddly, I did not know that the other routes were called Dependence and Independence before I called this Independence Day.
What are the Chances??? I climbed the FA of the 5.11 bolted route and the crack to the right 15 years ago or so. Also on July 4th!! Hence the name Dependence(bolted) and Independence(crack).I think John Pancost among others had previously climbed the blunt arete to the left of these two routes.
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