Enos Mills

This climb has been known by a number of names. S. Kimball's 1986 'Estes Park Rock Climbs' guidebook notes that a 'ribald title...was suggested by an anonymous climber who penned his thought into the Sharksfin summit register' as Enos Mills Last Erection. R. Rossiter's Estes Valley guidebook noted a generic name of North Crack, while B. Gillett's Crags guidebook notes the submitted title. For lack of desire to cross-reference this website with perhaps seedier sites, I have chosen the last.

This fun, 30-40 ft climb is short but probably worth the effort only if you are near it in the Crags. It lies on a short spire just S of Sharkfin, just uphill from Half & Half, just W of Gray Slab, N of Crosswinds, & downhill/NW of Upper Great Face. The obvious widening crack is N- or NE-facing. It is pictured on the far R side of a photo on p. 133 of S. Kimball's guidebook. There is a more challenging-appearing fissure on the S face of this pinnacle.

You can start from the talus below to lengthen the climb a bit or from an obvious ledge system. Place the 0.5 & 0.75 Camalot-sized pieces, make a long reach, and worm your feet past a bulge. Place your widest cam before you engage the offwidth to chimney flare. Just to the R of the crack is a questionable pin. Wiggle & heel-toe into the fissure or sportclimb the faceholds on the outside and soon enough you are at the top. A loop of sling hanging down from the rappel anchor can give you a final bit of protection. Longish (48 in) slings are useful on the summit for girth-hitching the base of a couple boulders for an anchor on top.

There are a number of slings around a large boulder lying on top with a link to rappel off the summit. Or you can downclimb.

1.45 stars IMHO.

A handful of cams or hexes, plus a pin. A large bigbro may be useful for the timid. Longs slings for the anchor (0.5, 0.75, 4 Camalots useful).