Wigwam Dome 

There used to be a route book kept at the Bucksnort Saloon. If it's still there (and if the saloon is still there), it has some good information and some interesting invective. Check out routes such as Halogen Angels, Better Lock Next Time, Turbo Betty in the Wigwam Dome/Sun and Moon areas; put up by Kyle Copeland, Marc Hirt, Tim Hudgel, John McMullen, Charlie Fowler, Dan Mannix and myself; among others I'm sure. Happy hunting.

Just in case the Bucksnort is closed next time I go, (opens at 4pm on week days) how about adding some of those routes. I'd love to read some more on this area, it seems there is even still some new routes going up plus tons of great ones that are not very well documented in the books.

The Bucksnort Saloon along with this entire area burned down this summer thanks to the Forrest Diservice. I don't think anyone will be climbing her for a long time....

If you ever get to go back into the Pike Natl Forest, the routes at wigwam were rebolted in the summer of 1999 by Pete Hubble Bill Shnauzer and Fred Kovats. They also replaced all the anchors on the Helens dome routes. Same big expensive stanless bolts, they even used the original holes! Nice job, sooner or later somebodys going to get killed climbing on that 1/4 inch crap! Really lots of fun to climb here now, but they still arent sport climbs by any stretch of the imagination.

As of spring 2002, on Wigwam dome the first two pitches of El Supremo have new bolts but not the third pitch which has some very long runouts on 5.10 climbing. Rambling Rose has new bolts on its crux pitch but not the one after. One of the new bolts on the crux is a retro bolt and is next to a perfect cam placement. Pow Wow Canal still has the original bolts and could definitely use new ones. The first pitch of Lady Slipper has been retro bolted and is now much safer than it used to be. Also, there is a new route to the right of the headwall on the Sun which looks very interesting. 2-3 pitches and probably at least 5.11.

I don't think the Bucksnort Saloon burned down, the Hayman Fire never got as far north as Pine. However, Wigwam Dome is very close to the fire perimeter and I can't tell from the fire maps if the trees in the above photo are gone or not. Certainly the access to this area is burned and will be closed for some time.

I had a memorable epic on Wigwam Dome where a huge hailstorm hit halfway up. The hail was funneled down large slabs above us and our belay was like standing under a cement chute vomiting an avalanche of hail. We rapped off through this, really glad to be wearing helmets.

I can say authoritatively that the Bucksnort Saloon is alive and well.... Consumed a few pitchers not 3 weeks ago at that fine establishment.

Damn! Glad to read the Bucksnort isn't gone! Had too many fun times there. Can any of the ladies tell me if the graffiti in the women's room still says "I love Chip Ruckgaber"? I know who wrote it...

Sorry for the false alarm, nasty rumor and I_m glad to hear I was wrong. Had I not left the country after adding that comment, I surely would have gone to check for myself. See ya there for a pint.

The fire never reached the rock up Wigwam except for the Beartooth Spire. How about giving the fire crews a little credit for a lot of hard work instead of this "Forrest Diservice" crap?

Bush [League] and Rock Island got torched as well...

Does anybody have any information on the route that is to the left of Wunsch's Simulator? The first pitch goes up a slightly overhanging corner, and the second pitch is a sick looking overhanging thin hands lightning bolt crack. It is one of the sweetest most exposed lines I have ever seen.

Did "Trail of Tears" in October. I am surprised this does not get more press. Great 5 pitch route. Exposure and pro are excellent. Light rack up to a 3 [Camalot]. 1st pitch is recognized by a tear(water) seeping from a dish 10 feet up. The 2nd pitch gains the large dihedral that dominates the right side of Wigwam. The 3rd and 4th pitches are ultra classic especially for a 5.9 climber. Walk off the top to the east.

On our first time into Wigwam recently we hiked way too far. We saw the spectacular vertical face of The Sun, but because Hubbel said the approach was two miles, and only 30+ minutes had passed, we said "nice crag" and kept our heads down and kept up our blistering pace. Eventually we passed a crag to dropped right down to the trail and beyond that a broad open area with no rock in sight. We reconsidered, read the Trout guide which said the approach was 1 mile, and turned around, having walked about 40 minutes too far.

So that this doesn't happen to you, here is some more detailed approach info:

Hike about 1 mile to the 4th creek crossing which is from south to north on a flattened log that parallels a large tree down across the creek. Continue gently uphill trending away from the creek for about 10 minutes. Immediately after a hairpin turn in the trail look for a subtle ridge or hump on the right running into the open woods. Wigwam is barely visible through the trees. Follow this hump, and shortly you should spot the climbers trail which is marked by sticks on either side and later when it enters the talus and begins climbing by cairns. If you miss this turn, you'll get a better view of Wigwam and the spectacular vertical face of The Sun within a few minutes. Just wander through the open woods towards the right of The Sun aiming for the left side of Wigwam, and you'll pick up the climbers trail.

As AC mentioned about 100' uphill from the start of Wunsch's Simulator is an overhanging finger crack. Does anyone know anything about that route? It looks super hard, maybe 5.12+. This route does have an anchor on top that you can rap off with 2 100' raps.

That overhanging crack is more like thin hands/hands, and a bit of grainy rock.

There's another great pitch located halfway between Wunsch's Simulator and the Teepee Tower Crack (so just downhill from Wunsch's Simulator). It might be listed as "Turbo Betty" in the old Trout guide, but it's the beautiful finger and hand crack amid some neon lichen, leading to a webbing anchor from a horn and fixed stopper. ~5.10+