Trip Report
Climbing Massacre in January snow TR

by Ezra Ellis
Thursday January 20, 2011 10:02pm
Well we are crazy bishes!
Idaho is a long cold winter, but massacre rocks is the ticket for our winter blues, it's black, wind-sheltered south facing basalt and it's great in the winter if its above 20 degrees or so and full sun.

We managed to get out this January in the snow, Who'd have thunk!

Here is the approach road 4wd definitely recommended.

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some pics of the country side approach

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Our first route, some 5.9

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Second route some 5.8


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some of the surrounding route in the snow and shade, no way this trip!

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Third route, a 5.9

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4th route 5.8+

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Last route 5.8, I was comfortable while proving you can climb in the snow in east Idaho in January shirtless

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Scott my reliable partner, even in january

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Parting Shot, now to cold to climb, the cloud cover makes such a difference!

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Thanks for looking Y'all











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Ezra Ellis 		About the Author
Ezra Ellis is a trad climber from WA, & NC & Idaho.

Comments
Mighty Hiker

climber
Outside the Asylum
  Jan 20, 2011 - 10:45pm PT
Very nice! Are those basalt columns?
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
Author's Reply  Jan 20, 2011 - 11:09pm PT
Yeah, Anders, That's Basalt, it's pretty good rock at Massacre, although most of the other basalt on the snake river plain is total Sh*t.

It is from about 6 million or so years ago from the same Yellowstone super-cauldera system that created Modern day Yellowstone park!
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
  Jan 20, 2011 - 11:12pm PT
Cool & quick Ezra. Amazing how that dark rock holds heat from the sun on a cold winter day. Congrats on getting out and about.

Mighty Hiker: re "Are those basalt columns?"

Shouldn't it be phrased: Are those columns basalt?

To be serious: the wide Snake River Plain in S. Idaho is a "great rift" studded with volcanos as recent as a few thousand years old.
I believe current geological thinking is: the "hot spot" that is under Yellowstone caused all the basalt flows. It had the continental plate that S. Idaho sets on, pass over it: causing all sorts of volcanic action and basalt flows.

Measured depth of the basalt flows, is thousands of feet in places. We hosted a geologist college pal for dinner a couple of years back. He has been mapping volcanos and lava flows in South Idaho for decades, and is still finding older volcanos that now are minor land features.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 20, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
Super "cool" Ezra!!

Way to rock the bitchin' photos bro, keep 'em coming and I'll keep looking and posting.

The worst day of climbing is better than the best day of debating LEB.
So says Survival....amen.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Jan 21, 2011 - 12:22am PT
hey there say, ezra... first off, please forgive, i got dial up, so i usuallly only see a few pics, and then post--so dont have much to say, here...

i missed the other pics, but i do try to come back... just lately i been busy with moving, etc..

well now:

this is REALLY NEAT, i enjoyed this a lot ... i dont know much about idaho.. thanks for the share of this neat stuff...

god bless...
:)
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Jan 21, 2011 - 12:23am PT
hey there say ezra... thanks for the info, too, in the comments...

also, thanks fritz, as to this quotes:

To be serious: the wide Snake River Plain in S. Idaho is a "great rift" studded with volcanos as recent as a few thousand years old.
I believe current geological thinking is: the "hot spot" that is under Yellowstone caused all the basalt flows. It had the continental plate that S. Idaho sets on, pass over it: causing all sorts of volcanic action and basalt flows.

Measured depth of the basalt flows, is thousands of feet in places. We hosted a geologist college pal for dinner a couple of years back. He has been mapping volcanos and lava flows in South Idaho for decades, and is still finding older volcanos that now are minor land features.

yep, wow, neat stuff...
:)
Captain...or Skully

climber
Boise, ID
  Jan 21, 2011 - 12:33am PT
Right on, Ezra. Massacre is a cool place. Kind of a ways From anywhere, but that's cool.
TFPU, man.
em kn0t

Trad climber
isle of wyde
  Jan 21, 2011 - 01:42am PT
4 thumbs up!
OlympicMtnBoy

climber
Seattle
  Jan 21, 2011 - 02:12am PT
Nice! Why do I feel like this is a premonition of my coming weekend in eastern WA?
Mighty Hiker

climber
Outside the Asylum
  Jan 21, 2011 - 02:14am PT
Why is it called Massacre Rocks?
d-know

Trad climber
electric lady land
  Jan 21, 2011 - 07:57am PT
dig it fellas!!



massacre rocks story:

For years, the Hudson's Bay Company had been a stabilizing force on the Native Americans who lived near the Snake River--but when the British fur-trading company pulled out in the early 1850s, attacks on emigrants increased substantially.

The best-known incident happened near Massacre Rocks in what is now Southern Idaho. On August 9th, 1862 the attack came without warning. Within minutes, five emigrants were dead. The next morning the survivors regrouped and fought back.

Emigrant John Hilman:
"Thirty men went in pursuit of the Indians and found them seven miles distant. At first fire from the Indians, two thirds of the men turned and ran."

In the resulting battle, four more emigrants were killed.

After hearing about this battle (and several others) many wagon trains took an alternate route--the Goodale Cutoff--which steered clear of any "agitated" Native Americans along the Snake River. The cutoff skirted the edges of a strange set of geologic formations now known as Craters of the Moon. Yet even at the height of the Native American troubles, the majority of the emigrant wagons stayed on the main route along the south side of the Snake River.
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Native.html


thanx4 sharing.
ncrockclimber

climber
The Desert Oven
  Jan 21, 2011 - 09:11am PT
Bump for great climbing content!
Crimpergirl

Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
  Jan 21, 2011 - 09:19am PT
Sweet to get out in January! Thanks for sharing. Looks like fun. What's up next on the agenda??
Bowser

Social climber
Durango CO
  Jan 21, 2011 - 11:57am PT
Right on guys!
pc

climber
  Jan 21, 2011 - 12:04pm PT
Excellent! Almost tricked us into believing it was warm in a couple of those photos.
nutjob

Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
  Jan 21, 2011 - 12:10pm PT
Great stuff Ezra! Shows spunk and spirit!

Community service bump to increase the TR ratio.
Gerg

Trad climber
Calgary
  Jan 21, 2011 - 01:04pm PT
Ezra,
Is there a guidebook for Massacre, and if so, what is this area called?
Are those boulders in the photo any good, know anything about them? has been a few years since I climbed in Idaho and I am due!
PhotogEC

climber
In front of my computer
  Jan 21, 2011 - 01:55pm PT
Fun in the sun (and cold). Love it.

--Eric
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
Author's Reply  Jan 21, 2011 - 02:32pm PT
Gerg, there is a free guide book at the local web site domain, it's at the top of the page!
http://www.seiclimbing.com/

Thanks for the kind comments all!

Survival, fo shizzle about leb, let's all just stop posting on her threds....:)

Fritz: 1. Was the geologist K. Pogue from whitman?, he's a great guy!
2. What do you think about the rock at Dirkes lake, is it as good as massacre?
Captain...or Skully

climber
Boise, ID
  Jan 21, 2011 - 05:51pm PT
The rock at Dirkes(say Dirkees) Is every bit as good as Massacre. That's another fun place. Cheers!
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