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11th Hour Gulch

S Dakota > Spearfish Canyon

Description

11th Hour Gulch has a wonderful natural curtain of ice, and in some years kind souls have farmed ice on the opposite side of the narrow side canyon. Toproping access is easy, and the routes are good intermediate leads as well. The well featured rock would make for fun mixed climbing.

Getting There

Pass Bridalveil Falls while heading south through Spearfish Canyon. Keep a sharp eye on the right side of the road - 11th hour gulch is a narrow side canyon only a few feet off the shoulder of the highway. The ice is visible from the road - it is only a few hundred feet away and about the same level as the highway. Pullouts exist both before and after for parking.

Routes from Left to Right

WI3
 1
11th Hour Left
Trad, TR, Ice
WI3
 12
11th Hour Center
Trad, TR, Ice
WI3-4
 15
11th Hour Right
Trad, TR, Ice
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 1
Mixed/ Rock route
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
11th Hour Left
 1
WI3 Trad, TR, Ice
11th Hour Center
 12
WI3 Trad, TR, Ice
11th Hour Right
 15
WI3-4 Trad, TR, Ice
Mixed/ Rock route
 1
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Good 4
[Hide Photo] Good 4
Scott, on his first ice climb ever.
[Hide Photo] Scott, on his first ice climb ever.
Kyle on 11th Hour Right
[Hide Photo] Kyle on 11th Hour Right
Climber on 11th Hour
[Hide Photo] Climber on 11th Hour
11th Hour Gulch
[Hide Photo] 11th Hour Gulch
Early season.
[Hide Photo] Early season.
Climber on Eleventh Hour
[Hide Photo] Climber on Eleventh Hour
conditions as of 2-14-09
[Hide Photo] conditions as of 2-14-09
11th hour as of 1/31/09
[Hide Photo] 11th hour as of 1/31/09
Conditions as of 12-24-2008
[Hide Photo] Conditions as of 12-24-2008
11th Hour Gulch as of 12-24-07
[Hide Photo] 11th Hour Gulch as of 12-24-07
Side view from the approach trail.
[Hide Photo] Side view from the approach trail.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] It's about 9 miles up on the right from the start of the canyon.
Good snowed cleared parking on the left.
(and roughly 3 miles past Bridalveil Falls) Dec 31, 2009
[Hide Comment] Parking Lot is at N44°23.63' W103°54.66'(on the East side of the canyon road), Trailhead is slightly up canyon and across the road at N44°23.62' W103°54.67' Jun 20, 2010