Bucky's Shoulder

The route parallels Bucky Blue on the right, joining it only for a very short distance below the large dead tree. (Not at all if the left/corner version of Bucky Blue is considered.)

Finding the start: From the bottom of Bucky Blue traverse right, but stop short of the next large corner. Bucky's Right Shoulder goes to and past the right end of the prominent roof.

Pitch 1 goes straight up a slab to a band of more featured ground surrounding a vertical seam/crack with a couple of small trees growing in its higher section. A single bolt visible to the left of the band. (You can clip it or not. It's a bit to the left of the route and belongs to Barb's Roof.) Head straight up just right of the roof to a ledge. (I placed my anchor bit to the left here.)

Pitch 2: Continue up the next slab along the same feature. Protection is less here, but the climbing is easy. Once past the next ledge (and the vegetation on it), go up what continues to be a band of featured rock, now much narrower but with some protection possibilities still available, to an easy slab. You are now on the "tree" version of Bucky and can take the crack system to the large tree.

Pitch 3 (direct version): From the tree go up and right on walkable terrain to the next right-facing corner, then climb up the corner. Protect and start traversing along good crack well short of the large roof above you. The crack will end at about the level of the end of the roof. Step up and belay from the ledge next to the end of the roof. The pitch is short but making it longer results in significant rope drag.

Pitch 3 (head-wall version): Walk from the tree right along wide vegetated ledges to an area below a headwall (see image). Start up along the sickle-shaped crack left of the ridgeline. It goes up vertically at first over a featured, blocky-almost terrain up the distinct bulge (this is the steepest part of the route and the crux). After about 20 feet, it turns left and leads to a ledge. Traverse left on the ledge to a bottom of a right-facing corner. (This is the end of the direct version of Pitch 3, but starting from here you do not need to belay from this location, you can combine pitches 3 and 4.)

Pitch 4 (easy version): Go up part of the corner then head left over the boulders to the left of it and continue up and left over a slab with cracks, ideally above the little bush and the cholla encountered along the way. Continue left to the top of Bucky Blue.

Pitch 4 (cleaner version): Go up the corner all the way to the ridgeline then transition to the south side for a short traverse to the top of Bucky Blue. The pitch may be split at the ridgeline if that is considered desirable. The traverse is not protectable, but it is very short and protection is available above the level of the traverse on both ends. Alternatively one can scramble along the ridgeline which involves a somewhat intimidating hump with no pro at all.

Bucky's Right Shoulder is located to the right of Barb's Roof with which it shares a start. Take the trail to Bucky Blue, then traverse right.

Rappel down Bucky Blue (two 60m ropes needed) or walk off the back side, as for Bucky Blue.

Standard rack.