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# Hello Blacktail Butte
- URL: https://blog.novaugust.net/hello-blacktail-butte/
- Published: 2014-10-22T01:00:15.000Z
- Updated: 2020-12-20T16:03:23.000Z
- Author: Matt Enlow
- Tags: blacktail butte, @reidmccallum, post, Climbing, Jackson, #Import 2026-06-21 14:43

I've driven by Blacktail a hundred times now, but whenever I do, my eyes mainly stay glued to the west, staring at these guys.

![The Tetons, from Blacktail Butte](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/95/9b955960-2312-4b04-8b46-7e66317cd0ed/content/images/2014/10/2-IMG_1240-1.JPG)

As I pass by the northernmost bit of the butte, though, my eyes go back to it. "Here thar be cliffs," they say. Just the same, I thought that Blacktail was nothing but routes that were out of my league. Turns out, that's not the case.

### Who works, anyways

![Walking to Upper Blacktail Butte](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/95/9b955960-2312-4b04-8b46-7e66317cd0ed/content/images/2014/10/1-WP_20141015_018.jpg)

On Thursday afternoon I decided to be a bad influence on my Japanese coworker and show him the joys of a "flex schedule." Reid, Ryo, Chikako and myself went out to the butte after lunch.

![Toproping some 11 by mistake](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/95/9b955960-2312-4b04-8b46-7e66317cd0ed/content/images/2014/10/1-WP_20141015_011-1.jpg)

After futzing around (and giving up on) at Lower Blacktail Butte, we went to Upper and I put up *Red Chili* (9+). Reid followed, and Ryo did a great job with his first-ever rock climb.

We then toproped the unbolted *Log Jammer* (9) to the left and called it a day.

### Back for the 11s

On Saturday I got out with Chris, a new MountainProject connection. Chris has been climbing for longer than I've been alive, and was the perfect partner. We warmed up on the aforementioned *Red Chili*, then moved on to *TEC-DC9*, a weird 10b with a runout start and tricky sequences.

Chris then moved us over to *Wild At Heart*, a gorgeous 11b. He put it up and I gave it a go. I sat after failing to read the rock, but finished it. Chris told me to sit for thirty minutes and give it another go, and I did. Turns out, I redpoint 11b on my second go. Heyoo! It was sequency and felt fantastic.

I sussed out the moves for another 11a (*State and Main*), which Chris lead beautifully with my beta. From there, we snuck over and put a TR on the neighboring *Go You Huskies*, 11d. We had two goes on it and called it a day.

![State and Main & Go You Huskies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/95/9b955960-2312-4b04-8b46-7e66317cd0ed/content/images/2014/10/3-IMG_1226.jpg)

In summary, I climbed five routes, seven pitches. Three of the routes, and five of the pitches, were over 11\. One day soon, I may just be a rock climber.