Sunday, August 7, 2011

Third Flatiron in Boulder

Today is the day for Peter and Doug to ascend the Third Flatiron in Boulder, Co.   Peter home at 4:30Am to meet up with Doug.  They have plans to be off the rock before the sun gets too high and hot.

The Flatirons are rock formations near Boulder.  They are numbered First through Fifth along the east slope of Green Mountain.  They are shaped like the flat, metal irons that were used by pioneer women to press their cloths. They consist of conglomerate sandstone and geologists estimate the age of these rocks to be about 290 million years old.

As Peter and Doug complete their multi pitch ascent, they will see the graffiti that has been painted on the side of the Third Flatiron.  Students in the 40's, 50's and 60's from the University of Colorado wrote "CU" in giant white letters on the rock. In the 70's, the City of Boulder painted over the illegal graffiti with color very similar to the rock.  The match is not perfect and be can be made out if one knows what to look for.  On Thursday, Doug took me for a walk near the base and pointed out the marks.  Easy to find, once you know what you are looking for.

This climb looks quite strenuous and not for the faint of heart.  The whole face of the 3rd, is about 1300 feet. I prefer not to be watching their every step, so will wait for their return to hear the details. 

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