Scratch My Itchy

This route is the left hand one of 3 pillar climbs that stand above High on Boulder/Moonrise.  You can see all 3 pillars if you hike upstream along the South Fork of the Shoshone River for 5-10 minutes before crossing on the approach.  Similar to its neighbor, when formed it is a steep classic pillar for about half a rope length before it eases slightly.  When we climbed it in the winter of 2020 it was steep straight forward ice with no rests.  When combined with Moonrise and Pillar of Pain you can get a great day out with several good quality WI5 pitches.

Most people climb either High on Boulder or Moonrise.  If you climb Moonrise you will want to traverse back left into the drainage above High on Boulder.  From there keep following the drainage above until you reach Pillar of Pain (note there is one short WI3 step of climbing on the way).  From Pillar of pain it is an easy walk around the ridge into the next small drainage to the east.  Some years the drainage below Scratch My Itchy actually forms ice and that route is called Super Blue Moon.  Either way reverse your ascent path for the way down.

Ice screws. Rap tree was in middle of the drainage right above the climb.