Lake Koocanusa 6/21/2020
Traveling towards Canada from Northwest Montana there lies a stunning reservoir, stretching for tens of miles through the alpine beauty of Montana. On this picturesque lake holds a local crag, sporting some of the best single pitch, sport, and trad climbing for hundreds of miles. Upon reaching the area, the number of routes astonished me; I felt like a kid in a candy store picking and choosing the first route to advance. Wonderfully bolted routes atop a high platform would take our focus for the morning, as we stemmed and crimped our way up the granite walls. Moving towards some smooth crack climbing, we found ourselves greeted by our worst enemy-- rain. We climbed as long as it made sense before we retreated from the downpour to regroup. A water break and lunch would prove to be the perfect amount of time before the sun would come back and dry all the walls to perfect condition. We eyed the classic route from the area, “A Room With a View” and set out to enter this room and enjoy the beautifully overhanging 40’ route right above the reservoir. Multiple car-sized overhangs stood between me and the top chains, as the movements began linking perfectly together I flowed up the beautiful route until I reached the bedroom-sized rock block where the route became very exciting. Taking in the views and gaining my breath I reached with all my might to catch the corner overhanging the route, and with a deep breath I was in the unknown completely exposed with nothing below me for 40 feet, I readjusted my feet and knew I had just completed the hardest part of the beautiful route. Followed by my close friends we were ecstatic to all have sent the wonderful route. So we did what any other climber would do and hit the rope swing on the way out, and enjoyed the warm summer water greeting our likeminded happiness for the days sends.
