Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Grand Teton | Jackson Hole

Over breakfast at Ruth's Cafe, Chris and I came up with this idea to climb the Grand Teton. This was monday morning after returning home from a five day river trip. We were gone the next day heading towards Jackson Hole Wyoming, to a place I love with a dream I've had!
Afton, Wyoming - the gateway to FUN and antlers!
I can't go to Jackson without kayaking the Snake River, Alpine section. The river was crankin' but not the crowds. It blew my mind at how quiet it was compared to other years. It was a very peaceful and fun river run! Chris's 1st time, my 1,000th time. It was awesome to be able to show him this cool section of river. He has become quite the kayaker!
Lunch Counter
Lunch Counter rapid and the paying customers
Hiking. . .

and sleeping is how Chris and I got ready to climb the Grand Teton
View from the road of the Grand Teton
4:30 a.m. and lost on the mountain side. I couldn't wait for the sun to come up to show us the path of rock and snow to the lower saddle!
First light, it's shining on the South Teton mountain

Chris almost to the top . . . of the lower saddle! Ha
Me climbing towards the lower saddle
Me, almost to the lower saddle- what a view! So awesome!
Lower Saddle camp for those who pay for a tour guide, middle Teton in the background
Carbing up for the next half of our climb (eating at lower saddle)
Just leaving the lower saddle- going up up and away!View from the lower saddle looking up at our climb. What you see is only the beginning of the steep snowfields. I found that their were two more snowfields after the three that you can see in the photograph, to the upper saddle. This mountain is HUGE! I kept thinking that.

Getting started from the lower saddle
The route is between the two cool pillars of rock
Think STEEP!
The lower saddle in the background. This is the first real steep snow couloir that you climb
Self portrait by Chris, I like how it shows the angle of the slope that were climbing on
Taking a breather
Just shot through the two rock pillars, one of the technical parts, the skinny path right behind me. You down climb it backwards and tied up!
Chris climbing towards the upper saddle of the Grand. The mountain just kept going and going.

Up is this way
The view from our top of the Grand Teton –Wow!
Rappelling down- 150 feet of freedom from the ground. Good times!
Chris making his way down the lowest part of the biggest part
Glaciading down. I got a 30 second ride on my butt down the glacier. I also got to glaciad two more times after this one! Yahoo!At the bottom of the snow fields, airing out my socks. Only four more miles in front of us. Downhill walking on a trail to our car, no problem except we're out of water and so tired!





1 comment:

Indy Dan said...

Love traveling the Tetons and Yellowstone. Was searching from a shot from the top of Grand Teton when I stumbled across your pics and blog. Great job, enjoyed them all especially your video of your slide down the glacier face!! Dan in INDY