SDS on the left side of the arete, move around to the right and climb pockets and chickenheads up the face.

Ezekiel's Prophecy

Warm Up Slab Shorty

Jug-or-cheeks

Back Slapper

Time is Running Out

Andy's Dyno

Dr. Crack 'n Slab

Veyron Arete: (Was The Turnstile Project)

Backpay

The Seamstress

The Smoking Man Stand Start

General Porcupine

Censored

Tugboat

Tombstone

Watchtower

IPOD Army

Origins of Symmetry

Way To Blue

The Juggernaut

The Onion

Absolution

Poppy Cock

Jim's Exit

Jaws

10,000 Teeth

Purple Rain

Puffer Cheeks

Nic-o-rete

Footies

Counselor Moon

The Amateur

Easy Crack

Jaws Stand

beefstick buffet

Unknown Soilder

Death By Stereo

Umberger Helper

Back Slapper Traverse

The Woodpecker

Andy's Problem

Lushes Lip Traverse

The Exodus

Luke's Jaws

The Smoking Man SDS

Betty's Pie

Bulldozer

The Prow

Lukewarm Persistance

Vag Badger

Enter the Dragon

Private Porcupine

The Budda Boulder

Castle Danger

onion left slab

Foreplay

Andy's Arete

Payback

Sticky Icky

Back side of Lushes Lip

Pit Fall

The Woodchipper

No Mas

This is a project Jim Merli has been looking at for years.  No one has yet done it.  As far as we know.... 

  Nic Oklobjzia has made the first send of this long-looked at line on Oct. 30th, 2010.  He claims a difficulty rating around v10.  Go forth and repeat!

Climb the short arete using large jugs.  Short but fun.

Because this problem is wedged between two boulders, it takes away from it's quality. Otherwise a good problem that is only 3 hand moves.

Work your way up the arete with some highsteping to help you gain the committing move off the undercling. Perfect crimp rail to start, scary mantle to finish.

Another problem in the warm-up circuit.  Start with hands matched on the arete and feet matched on large flat foothold that forms the base of the boulder. Move up to the break, then paste your feet and dyno/deadpoint straight up to the next break and top out. Be careful on the top out. To descend, walk towards the Juggernaut boulder.

A no holds slab start leads to some good crimps and sidepulls slowly working yourself into a corner. The crux is high up rearranging yourself to grab the lip. Something different from your usual slab moves. 

Short, powerful problem. Start on obvious undercling flake. Make a big move out right and finish straight up to the peak of the boulder.

Goes up a arete with small sharp holds. Bad landing.

Start from the right hand pinch and good left hand ledge of Sticky Icky, before the top out.  Heel hook lip and climb the leftward arete of Jim's Boulder.

Updated: Was told this rock has been climbed before. It was covered in moss in Spring 2015, so we cleaned it and climbed this line. Leaving it here for posterity. Will change name, grade, FA if asked to. 

  Played around on this boulder and came up with Private Porcupine line (been done before?). Was there with Paul who spotted more holds and we worked to connect them. General Porcupine is the result. 

  Sit start low left on a thumb down crimp and sloper gaston. Move right and up and right again along seam. Crux is leaving the seam for crimp holds out right before the finishing jug moves. Good fun. 

  Proposing V3-4. Heel hook was key for me, interested in seeing alternate beta.

A very nice and tricky slab boulder that is much more technical than it may appear at first glance.  Stand start on a crimp rail, and climb the slab.

A unique boulder for Sawmill, Tugboat features compression climbing on a suspended boulder. Begin with left hand on the good side-pull just above head height and right hand on the triangular pinch that is located on the underbelly of the boulder. Compressing the arête feature, climb up and top out via a difficult mantle.

Cool looking tower, if only it had a better line on it. Find the obvious spire of rock in the middle of the main cluster leaning towards the north. Starts on the left side hugging the two corners. Climb up to a jug then pull over onto the slab for the finish.

Start matched on sloper ledge on bottom. Zig-zag your way through shoulder moves and top out in the watchtower. Check out Lake Superior. Downclimb on Purple Rain.

Start on the right side of the boulder using the rail and heel hooking meet up with my stereo and top out.  I am sure this has been done as it was pretty clean but I could not find it on here.  Anyone with info on the FA/name please let me know and I will change name.

Start in shield on RIght arete of the "absolution boulder. Pull hard on small hold with bad feet and achieve seem then traverse around corner into absolution then up. 

  you could go direct, but I was scared.

A very fun slab. Somewhat tall, and has this line of slopey pockets that you follow. A great topping out view too.

Stand starts on a left hand crimp and a right hand undercling. This problem is definitely more challenging the shorter you are.

Sit start in a stretched out position with a right heel hook. Then with your left hand staying on a sloper, bump your right hand up numerous bad crimps. And either dyno or static the top.

Highball on a vertical face. Starts in a crack on the left then cuts back right halfway up following the seams. Be ready to gun for the top!

Even though this problem is right next to 'Vag Badger', it is a completely different style. It is a sit start followed by slopeiness.

Start on Andy's Problem then move up and left finish is slightly easier.  

  again, not sure how it goes tried both a few years ago. If someone could give me some more info that would be great.  

The crux is getting your ass off the ground and making a right handed lunge to a good hold, all while using terrible feet. Continue to follow the sharp crack out right until you top out at the peak of the boulder.

Sit start low and slap your way along the sloping lip. Bear hug and burl your way until you reach the peak. Top out right.

sit start using jug right hand side pull and "ok" left hand pinch. from there move up into the dihedral and back onto the face topping out up and left from start. NEEDS MORE CLEANING! but could be considered on of the best?  

Start to the left of the hole between the boulder and the ground. Use 2 good holds a few feet apart, about a foot above the bottom edge of the boulder out to stand start.  Get feet up & go left and up.  Slab top out.  Nice warm up in the central area!

A decent warm-up that could clean-up with more traffic.  Start with hands matched on the arete and feet matched on large flat foothold that forms the base of the boulder.  Move up to the break, then back right (high dab factor here), finally moving back up left and to the top.  Be careful on the top out.  To descend, walk towards the Juggernaut boulder.

Stand start under the bulge and pull up onto the slab.  Move up the slab till you connect with unknown solider. Good slab warmup

One of the best V7's in Minnesota, and unique for Sawmill. This problem is a stand start on the slot jug, then immediately goes onto the 45 overhang. With these nice skin-friendly holds, work your way up the center of the face towards the dihedral. Prepare for a cool but scary finish move. Be careful of the huge opening to your right.

This is only the stand start to the once deemed 'impossible' 50 degree wall. Jim Merli's "L' Etoilie du Nord" (Amateur SDS) is Minnesota's (and probably the Midwest's) hardest problem. The stand begins in the middle of the rail and is only a few moves long...hard moves and sharp.

SDS and climb up through steep break in rock.  Top-out right.

Good warm up for the harder lines in the area. 

Crux is the top out, Start with feet on huge shelf. Hands on holds just short of waist level, up to slopey side pull and up to the top out.

SDS on crimps, move to a large jug, then up to a cool gaston.  Pull around onto the corner onto the slab and top out using crimps.

Nice line that goes right up the middle of this boulder. Start on the rail and setup for an awkward but cool dyno to a slopey jug. Then crank out a big lock-off to top out.

I thought this short and simple problem was very good. Stand start, then do a couple of crimp lock-offs.

Same weird start as 'Back Slapper', but follow the rail left and up.

Start right hand pinch edge, left hand undercling. Establish on boulder and make big move to large edge, continue up   Small holds and pods to the Scary finish. A full value boulder problem.

Start on to holds move into a crimp then do a huge lock off and lunge to arete.  

  this description could be off, if anyone heads up there take a look at it.

"Sit start on lowest rail and make one move to lip and traverse left around the corner to finish."

One of the few proud lines in Minnesota. This technical and powerful traverse doesn't have any moves harder than V8, but it builds up after about 20'. The first third is a great warm up, then it gets serious with a deadpoint redpoint crux to a mean hold. Followed by a unique top out. Very fun!

campus start on crimp rail on far right side of the "jaws" boulder. Do 2 moves on slopers and et the good seem. follow seem into "lukewarm persistence".

Start seated and climb the lower half of Sticky Icky.  Then, instead of the traditional mantel to slab top-out, you cross left and climb the leftward arete.

A really fun climb with some cool moves. start on the left side of face, work up arrete on crimps until you have to roll through right into the sloping top out. A lower start is probably possible.

Sit start, then work up the right side of this face while doing a couple of cool dynos. The arete to the right is off.

SDS between two boulders.  Climb up the vertical face for 4 feet untill it turns into a 45degree overhang.  Using the face and the left arete top out.  Sticking the lip is the crux.

One of the top V7's for the area. Same crux start as 'Jaws', then from the jug cut out left up the corner to finish. Hold broke awhile back, the finish is now better but not harder.

Are we at Taylors? The rock in the beginning of this problem is very basalt like. Crimpy deadpointing start.

This problem is located on the Dragon Head Boulder (see location info below).  The problem involves an ugly beached whale mantel.  This movement reminds me of humping, hence the name, Enter the Dragon.  Clever!  Nod your head.  

  Enter the Dragon begins on the side of the boulder closest to Jaws and Nic-o-rete. Begin with a low, awkard start, make a couple easy moves to the lip, then get your hump on.

See General Porcupine. Direct finish, straight up from start holds. 

  (Likely climbed circa 2005 by Jim Merli and company. No clear recollection of the line or name. Will update name, grade, FA as requested.)

This boulder has a couple possible lines.  One starting underneath & moving left over a glued hold.  One moving right & up onto the overhanging arete.  The arete alone was supposedly climbed by Matt Tschol.  The slab to the right of the main over hanging face was first climbed by Kris Johnson.

Left hand on dimple at arete, right hand on crimp on the face. Pull off the ground to establish, then fire right hand for jug. Cruise the slab. You're welcome to jump off the ground to the jug, but just don't say that you've climbed Castle Danger.

Slab on to the left of the onion.  Stand start matched on a positive crimp and poor feet.  Move up and use the left arete.  Careful of the tree directly behind you.  not sure if this had been done before but I am assuming so.  Please update info if you know it and I will change FA/name.

to the left of the dozer wall. starts on good side pulls go up and left. the low angle slab is a dab factor but a life saver

Best problem on the Dragon Head boulder, and a very attractive feature with a lot of good holds. It really borders on V3, and a lot of people find it a tad easier than The Prow V3.

A very Squamish-esque line. This climb took me forever until I came here when it was about 40 degrees and it went right away. Being that its a sloper fest it is a very temperature dependent problem. Depending on the weather it could go anywhere from V5 to V9. Start with hands matched on the v-shaped edge. Follow the slopers to a seam then top out over the nose/peak of the boulder.

A very steep arete that is trickier than it seems. Work the crux crimps down low and then head for the classic top out. Very popular.

Sit Start at the right corner. Use arete to pull up, and move out left or keep going up right arete. Either way is pretty easy but following the right arete requires more precise footwork and is more fun. An ok warm up and good for beginners.

Same start as councelor. climb right to the arete and then go up   you will be climbing over a pit, do not fall.

A sharp little bugger. This problem originally had a great deal of moss covering the top out; the problem also has very SHARP holds.  No more moss; no more attempts because the holds are too painful. No Mas, get it?   

  Begin standing with matched hands, move up seems (SHARP) to the top.  Be careful not to fall onto the slab.

Minnesota's best bouldering spot is located here at the base of Sawmill Creek Dome. A very beautiful and secluded area with a high concentration of quality boulders in a relatively small area. The season here is very short, usually spring is good, and the fall is even better. You can plan on good conditions most of the time in late Sept and Oct, and if your lucky, Nov. A full day spent here will leave your finger pads extremely red and sore. The rock here looks and feels like granite, but is actually called Anorthosite. Even though development began in 2000, the tick list is continually being expanded. Potential especially lies in the double digit range.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Picnic Rock