Seuss Wall, Running Scared Crag

Lat/Lon: 37.66694°N / 112.71389°W; Click for Google Map
The Brian Head ski resort area in southern Utah offers temperatures some 30F!!!
less than Saint George and Zion during the summer months. I challenge anyone to
find another place in the world where one can drive one hour, change conditions so
fast and still find as many sport routes up high as there were down low. At 9700’! the
relatively newly developed (1998) Running Scared Wall (originally named Ravens
Crag by Todd Goss) itself offers over 35 bolted and trad routes from 40’-70’. You will
be hard pressed to find a more scenic location to climb in the fall when the
aspens change. Mosquitoes aside, Running Scared Wall is just about the most
beautiful crag I have ever sport climbed on. The walls are situated in a heavily
populated aspen glade overlooking a large natural meadow with running streams.
The aspen trees are much larger than I have experienced in the Sierras or the
Canadian Rockies. I measured one such monster aspen to be over 2’ in diameter.
The all present hummingbirds that we experience at the many crags around Saint
George are also very prevalent at Running Scared Wall. Running Scared Wall got its
name from Tyler Phillips who in 1998, while working on the routes, was followed out
of the woods below the crag by a mountain lion. The texture and hardness of the
basalt rock is similar to what you climb on at 4500’ in Crawdad Canyon.

The Suess Wall is located dead center of Running Scared Wall and features four
published routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.10b, making it a logical starter for the crag.
The grades seem somewhat soft, similar to Prophesy Wall. There is at least one
additional, non-published, route to the right of Suess Wall. High School and School
Room are to the right (east) and Dysfunctional and Dark Tower are to the left (west).

Route Description(s)
The Routes are Left to Right, West to East

Lorax - 65’- 5.10a/ It will be hard to beat this route for its grade at Running
Scared Wall. Same start as Places You’ll Go and Crescent Moonwalk for
three bolts and then four bolts up the face of the left leaning arête, not moving
out to the arête itself until right below the anchor (two rap hangers). Lorax is
not as hard (overhanging) as it looks!
Places You’ll Go - 65’- 5.9/ Ho hum, but at least more challenging than
Crescent Moonwalk. Take the first three shared bolts again and turn left, but
go up the face of the inside left corner versus the arête face. Places You’ll Go
gets a little crimpy towards the end but a split stem move (photo) makes
reaching the anchor a piece of cake. Seven bolts total to anchor.
Crescent Moonwalk - 65’- 5.9/ This route felt no more difficult than 5.8 to me.
Take the middle Suess Wall direct, then move right, back left and finish
straight up on the crux move to anchor. Again, sharing first three bolts over
scrambling terrain, seven total bolts to anchor.
Flirtation - 45’- 5.10b/ Flirtation is located around the right side on the back
right Suess Wall. As the name implies, definitely the route you want to
focus on at Suess. Flirtation is a fun and sustained 5.10 route that is broken
in the middle by a significant crack. After that it gets a little sparse. You must
unlock some crimpy moves right below the anchor, if you break left on easier
ground, you have not done the route.

Essential Gear
A 50m rope will do you as the Running Scared crags pretty much top out at 75’.
Although there are plenty of sport routes to keep you busy, there are a few attractive
trad routes as well, so you could bring a rack. Of course bring a handful of draws.
Running Scared Wall is at 9500’! so bring a jacket just in case. It will be much
warmer in the afternoon than it is at the pass over Cedar Breaks, so don’t panic. The
mosquitoes can be bad as early as May so bring appropriate protection for that.

Getting There
Head east on Highway 14 out of downtown Cedar City (the road typically opens
sometime in May, pay attention to the signage) on your way to Cedar Breaks National
Monument and/or Brian Head. Turn left on Highway 148 and pass through Cedar
Breaks National Monument on your way to Brian Head. Turn right on Highway 143
towards Panguich Lake. Descend to 9500’ after approximately five miles. Look for
the Running Scared cliff walls up and to the left of the road as you descend into a
dip. Either park on a turnoff to the right at the bottom of the dip over a running creek or
proceed beyond this point in an attempt to find the logging road into the cliffs from the
east. If you parked on Highway 143, cross the road to the west and follow the fence
line up the hill into the aspens. Turn right on a logging road and look for a cairned
(2007) trail on your left that leads to the crag.

Red Tape/Camping
Dixie National Forest, managed by the USDA Forest Service, encompasses nearly 2
million acres over 170 miles across southern Utah. It is by far the largest national
forest in Utah and includes the divide between the Great Basin Desert and
Colorado River. If you plan to use a specialized facility (camping, parking, boat
launch, ramps, swimming site, etc.) in the forest, you may have to pay a user fee. It
appears people have camped and climbed in this area at will. Pit fires are highly
discouraged if not illegal but you see at least one on the logging road.

I advise you camp at the National Forest Service Panguich Lake sites if you want to
spend multiple days here. The Cedar City district campgrounds include: Cedar
Canyon, Deer Haven, Duck Creek, Navajo Lake, Panguitch Lake North, Panguitch
Lake South, Spruces, Te-Ah, White Bridge and Yankee Meadows. Campsites are
available on a first-come first-served basis from May 25, 2007 through June 11,
2007. Reservations for group sites can be made up to 360 days in advance.
Individual campsites can be reserved up to 240 days in advance. Tent sites range for
$8-12 (2007).

When to Climb
At 9500’+, climbing in the winter can definitely be too cold in this region. But of
course that means that Running Scared Crag and even further up the road, Brian
Head, serve as great escapes from the searing heat in the spring and summer if you
are visiting southwest Utah during a heat wave.

Notes: For someone who has spent the past 6 years in Canada, finding this crag
has been a welcome respite to the unrelenting heat of the southern Utah desert. I did
a 10 pitch route in Zion the other day in 100F. Whenever we drive through Cedar
Breaks the high is never above 60F. It warms up just the right amount as you
descend to Running Scared Crag. Seuss Wall is a perfect start here. The guidebook
notes on how to find the trail are screwed up, make sure to use mine, might save you
a little bushwhacking. Never seen anyone else up here as it is quite remote by sport
climbing standards. Good rock, but the routes are not climbed much, so loose in
spots.