ram
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2013
- Messages
- 116
The Watchman is an iconic mountain in Zion National Park. People line up most evenings at the bridge, in the park to take the picture of it, as the sun sets upon it. It is the mountain displayed on the Backpackers pantry freeze dried dinners and can be found all over the place.
Having just gotten out of Cove Canyon after 4 days, the day before and due the day after in Death Valley, I was in the market for a sporting scramble. Jenny was interested. There were others to ask, but it was such short notice, really no notice at all.
So after struggling to pull the gear together, off we went. The climb is rated class 4 and probably slips into low 5th class in a few spots. While not a classic line, the route intrigues due to its confusing amount of latitude, especially in its 2nd half.
From the river, you make your way up through the low cliff band at a weakness, then up complex and somewhat exposed country to the pass between the north and middle peak of Johnson Mountain. After many hours of work, you can finally see the Watchman, across a pass. The routes most exposed section is getting up the next few 100 feet, all of it on pretty brittle and sandy rock. Then gully's and ribs present themselves everywhere, 2, 3, 4 options at a time. Half of them are dead ends, or so I speculate.
The day is warm and we move deliberately, until finally there is only one point higher than us to the north. We make our way to the top at 3 PM. Fifteen minutes of view, food and water and we must start our descent. We make the valley and the campground, with 20 minutes of daylight to spare.
As Jenny and I make our way through the campground, a mother of a 10 year old, shouts us out. She congratulates us for....what? Being old and getting out and hiking? She is half our age. We thank her, as I note the mountain standing tall, over 3,000 feet higher, above and beyond the top of their camper, she has no idea were we have come from. It has taken us a bit under 9 hours. A fine way to spend my 60th birthday
gaining height above the surprisingly noisy Springdale
Up on Johnson Mt. West Temple looms beyond
The massively complex slopes of the Watchman, from Johnson
One of the steep spots
Jenny
getting closer
A final delicate traverse
Old Ram, take a look at your life
A fine view
hand lines and raps for the steep part of the descent
North Johnson Peak. Our route went thru the gap down right of the summit. The Watchman not even in view
The watchman, front and center. Johnson on the right
Featured image for home page:
Having just gotten out of Cove Canyon after 4 days, the day before and due the day after in Death Valley, I was in the market for a sporting scramble. Jenny was interested. There were others to ask, but it was such short notice, really no notice at all.
So after struggling to pull the gear together, off we went. The climb is rated class 4 and probably slips into low 5th class in a few spots. While not a classic line, the route intrigues due to its confusing amount of latitude, especially in its 2nd half.
From the river, you make your way up through the low cliff band at a weakness, then up complex and somewhat exposed country to the pass between the north and middle peak of Johnson Mountain. After many hours of work, you can finally see the Watchman, across a pass. The routes most exposed section is getting up the next few 100 feet, all of it on pretty brittle and sandy rock. Then gully's and ribs present themselves everywhere, 2, 3, 4 options at a time. Half of them are dead ends, or so I speculate.
The day is warm and we move deliberately, until finally there is only one point higher than us to the north. We make our way to the top at 3 PM. Fifteen minutes of view, food and water and we must start our descent. We make the valley and the campground, with 20 minutes of daylight to spare.
As Jenny and I make our way through the campground, a mother of a 10 year old, shouts us out. She congratulates us for....what? Being old and getting out and hiking? She is half our age. We thank her, as I note the mountain standing tall, over 3,000 feet higher, above and beyond the top of their camper, she has no idea were we have come from. It has taken us a bit under 9 hours. A fine way to spend my 60th birthday
gaining height above the surprisingly noisy Springdale
Up on Johnson Mt. West Temple looms beyond
The massively complex slopes of the Watchman, from Johnson
One of the steep spots
Jenny
getting closer
A final delicate traverse
Old Ram, take a look at your life
A fine view
hand lines and raps for the steep part of the descent
North Johnson Peak. Our route went thru the gap down right of the summit. The Watchman not even in view
The watchman, front and center. Johnson on the right
Featured image for home page: