After a Long Time, The Climb Suddenly Gets Steeper, Then Changes to Nearly Vertical !

…. “My pack must be about forty or forty-five pounds now, and after we’ve climbed for a while an equilibrium establishes itself at about one breath for each step. .. We come to a rough grade and it changes to two breaths per step. At one bank it goes to four breaths per step. Huge steps, almost vertical, hanging on to roots and branches. I feel stupid because I should have planned my way around this. The aspen staves come in handy now, and Chris takes some interest in the use of his. The packs made you top heavy and the sticks are good insurance against toppling over. You plant one foot, plant the staff, then SWING on it, up, and take three breaths, then plant the next foot, plant the staff and SWING up -- .. “

On Very, Very, Steep Slope On Side Of Smaller Canyon, Off Of Upper Cottonwood Canyon, Gallatin National Forest, MT. Additional clues as to where the narrator and Chris hiked: We are told that
..a) They continue up, but not long after finding water,
..b) There is a considerable increase in steepness, that quickly changes to near vertical.
…..The route I have indicated on my Hypothetical Climbing Trail Topo Map shows a very steep part from WayPt N+C 11 to N_C 12. Although it is hard to tell from the Topo Map Contour Lines, this could have some very steep parts, perhaps fitting the Narrator’s “near verticle”.

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(Photo = September 2006 0152 ...... ZMM Page = 199 ...... Photo Simulate WayPt = N+C 11i ~7200ft = 6.56+0.1mi fm DeWeese.)