East Wall Rock Climbing

Approach: Total time: 15 minutes

East Wall Approach Beta: 

Recently we've done some trail work at the East Wall to help mitigate increasing erosion by reducing braided social trails and eroding platforms. In order to better preserve the cliff base area please use the TWO 'main' approach trails to the East Wall:

1 - The Pop Bottle / East Corner Approach:

From the Campground / Day Use Parking (West) - hike east on the Pony Express trail below the Lower Buttress, Main Wall, Central Wall and East Wall. Walk ALL THE WAY to the far east end of the East Wall where the shaded wooden food storage box is located. Take the obvious trail through the brush into the talus at a point just below East Corner and Haystack. Enter the talus at a point where it is both low and only a short distance from the wall. 

From here the talus trail forks left and right:

A) Take the left fork to the base of Pop Bottle - from the main Pony Express trail enter the talus and then trend left to the obvious break in the brush, hiking up a set of natural steps/benches in the rock to the base of Pop Bottle. 

B) Take the right fork to the base of East Corner/Haystack - from the main trail enter the talus and hike directly straight up through the flat area. As you being climbing up the talus trend slightly LEFT through the obvious well cut trail along the left edge of the talus cone. This trail will deposit you directly at the base of the first pitch of East Corner. Haystack starts 10 feet to the right. 

DO NOT HIKE DIRECTLY UP THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TALUS OR UP THE LAZY SOCIAL TRAIL THAT CUTS DIRECTLY TO THE BASE OF HAYSTACK. These social trails have been closed as they are increasing erosion along the cliff base trail. 

2 - The Line Approach: 

From the Campground / Day Use Parking (West) - hike east on the Pony Express trail below the Lower Buttress, Main Wall, Central Wall and East Wall. At a point when you are almost directly below the obvious line of The Line there is a well worn, well cut trail through the brush that begins this approach. You should be at a point where the Pony Express trail is (almost) at its farthest distance from the wall. Enter this trail winding right then left and then right again until you reach the base of the talus. Look up and you'll see several very large boulders as well as a large gnarled tree. Follow the path of least resistance through the talus staying to the climbers' RIGHT of the largest boulders AND to the climbers' RIGHT of the large tree. The talus will lead directly to the base of the wall 20ft to the right of The Line cutting through the brush on a very wide, well worn and well maintained trail. 

DO NOT HIKE DIRECTLY UP TO THE LINE from the left side of the tree as you'll have to bushwack across the bench below the cliff trail. 

Please NOTE that there is NO DIRECT TRAIL to Bear's Reach. Please do NOT move boulders around below these climbs to create benches and cheater platforms to keep your shoes clean. Constant removal of rocks that are in place to create trails drastically increases erosion. 

Using these two main trail options will help reduce erosion at the cliff base and help prevent situations such as those below Surrealistic Pillar on the Lower Buttress or below Pony Express at Sugarloaf, where in both cases the ground at the base of the wall is literally falling away from the cliff due to erosion. Thanks!