Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: Custer State Park

Custer State Park for Non-Climbers

Custer State Park for Non-Climbers

Our whirlwind tour through South Dakota and Wyoming was our first “big” climbing trip with Cragbaby.  And although we definitely maximized our climbing time, we also managed to squeeze in a lot of non-climbing activities as well.  Pre-Cragbaby we would tend to try and climb all day – a good m.o. for us would be 2 days sport, 1 day long (easy) trad, and then alternate from there.  Since we used the trad days as “active rest” days, we could usually end up climbing 7 or 8 days in a row, at which point it was time to go home…Read the rest of this entry →

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Nothing Like the Needles…and Our Moves Like Jagger.

Nothing Like the Needles…and Our Moves Like Jagger.

We  couldn’t have scripted a better ending for our trip than the spindly little spires surrounding Custer State Park, also known as the Needles.  The tiny, airy summits provided more than enough reward and motivation for 4 (and a half…) climbers to get off the ground one more day.  And the long runouts over moderate terrain was ideal at the end of the week when lead heads were secure but our bodies were tired.  The word that best sums up the climbing at the Needles is FUN!  For me, it was an experience with a distinctive child-like quality to it.…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN