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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 23, 2017 - 05:09pm PT
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Bump for a love affair six decades in the making.
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L
climber
Just Livin' the Dream...
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The old junker is heading back for a reunion---or is it a pilgrimage---to the place where it all began...
Hey Richie,
How's the pilgrimage going?
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Are you surviving, Ol' Buddy?
Relax on the Jenny Lake boulders.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2017 - 10:20pm PT
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I'll try to post something longer in a bit. I returned with only a little time to get ready for the Fall Semester and some family obligations to boot so am a bit short on time for posting. Or maybe I'll just incrementally flesh this out...
I had a great time. Did I find what I was looking for? I have to quote Joe Kelsey's book title (and refer you to the book for the source---https://www.amazon.com/Place-Which-Search-Summers-Rivers/dp/0692737596 ): Perhaps...I'm not sure...but the Tetons were surely a good place in which to search.
I had an active stay, with something at least moderately strenuous on 13 out of about 17 available days. I didn't climb as much as I hoped, managing only three pretty basic Teton rock climbs (Cube Point, Guide's Wall, and The Open Book).
Passing by Ampitheater Lake on the way down from Disappointment Peak:
I hadn't really thought much about scrambling peaks, but ended up climbing Table Mountain (a hike to about 11,500 ft), South Teton (3rd class), and the East Ridge of Buck Mountain (4th class if you do it right, but I didn't and encountered some low 5th class).
If you care to count Mount Elly and Cody Peak at the Southern end of the range, I managed five summits.
(Mount Elly is stretching it as it is just a bump on a ridge.) Many of the days were long, because as Jesse Owens famously said in a TV ad that aired just after he had died, "Now I'm moving at a slower pace." South Teton took me fifteen hours alone round trip and Buck Mountain took me 12 hours alone, and both involved racing potential afternoon thunderstorms. Meanwhile, some MAD (Mountain Athlete Dude) climbed the Grand three times in a single day (up and all the way back to Lupine Meadows three times).
I also managed I nice walk into New Fork Canyon in the Winds with my old pals Dick Dumais and Joe Kelsey...
...and had an interesting hike with Dick to Wind Cave in Targhee NF.
I had some bigger plans that didn't happen. Doing them required three conditions: partners, appropriate conditioning for me, and acceptable weather. Two out of the three conditions were met a number of times, but all three never came together. I thought I could get in good enough shape with some short but intense trail-running back home (in the six mile range) and then a week of hiking in the Tetons, but in retrospect I think I was only finally ready for my bigger projects at the end of the trip, when I had close to three strenuous weeks of activity under my belt. But the weather turned bad the last few days, and so that was that.
I don't have a shred of regret about those projects left undone. I got to spend about three weeks in the mountains of my youth, with a body that is is running on borrowed time, making every experience more precious. My pedestrian pace opened my eyes to my surroundings in ways I missed in my more athletic days, when it seemed important to keep my head down and move faster. I have lots of pictures to illustrate this point. Here's a sunrise on the Garnet Canyon trail on my way up South Teton.
and here is a sunset from the valley, just as a storm was clearing
and here, easily overlooked, are some Monkey Flowers near a stream in Stewart Draw on the way up to Buck Mountain
I never made it over to the Jenny Lake boulders. I have the fondest memories of spending time there with John, but I was anxious to get up into the canyons and onto the peaks, places that (I hope not) sooner but (inevitably) later will be beyond my capacities.
One of the great pleasures of the trip was reuniting with Dick Dumais and Joe Kelsey---we have shared history going back to the Gunks in the sixties, as well as climbs together around the West (Dick mentioned at one point that he and I had done the Snaz 50 years ago), but have not seen each other for 30 or 40 years. We old fogies, some of us sporting bionic enhancements, managed to dodder out some treks up to about 14 miles.
We're doin' what we can to keep on truckin'.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2017 - 04:49pm PT
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I added some pictures so am giving it a bump.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 27, 2017 - 04:59pm PT
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Nice pictures and story Rich! The Tetons are also the mountains of my youth. I went there immediately after getting out of the army where I was introduced to climbing while serving in the 7th Special Forces. Interestingly, Table Mountain was the first peak I ever climbed.
I still go back to the Tetons every Summer.....the place exerts a bond on you. Let me know if you're going back next year.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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Aug 27, 2017 - 08:00pm PT
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Aug 28, 2017 - 04:46pm PT
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Rich. Sounds like you had a great trip. Wish we could have met you out there. lioving in the east I feel it takes me 3 weeks of hikeing at altitude to get reasonably comfortable up high.. perhaps if I could take a few weeks off before trip and do the presi traverse and franconia ridge a bunch of times it would shorten that time. It's hard for me to get in mountain shape only training seriously on weekends...
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Aug 28, 2017 - 07:54pm PT
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Thanks for posting Rich, would have enjoyed meeting up with you but family duties prevailed up north.......next season perhaps, until then happy trails to you!!!
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Aug 29, 2017 - 12:56pm PT
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That's a lot of places, a lot of vertical, a lot of views and a lot of adventuring.
Thanks for the inspiration!
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clode
Trad climber
portland, or
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Aug 29, 2017 - 03:36pm PT
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Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
I spent three weeks in the Tetons when I was 17, as part of a large group (Mazamas Annual Outing, 1972). I climbed the Grand twice in one week (the ice in Owen-Spalding ice chimney the first time was challenging, one week later it was almost all gone!), Teewinot, Buck Peak, Ice Point, Symmetry Spire, and others.
Where is the climber's ranch?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 29, 2017 - 04:33pm PT
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The climbers ranch is directly below Garnet Canyon and the Grand Teton. When driving from Moose to Jenny Lake you will see a wooden sign for the Ranch. This is about two miles before Jenny Lake. You take a left at the sign and drive a half mile or so directly to the Ranch. You can hike directly into Garnet Canyon via a nice trail.
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L
climber
Just Livin' the Dream...
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Aug 29, 2017 - 06:08pm PT
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Great photos and a remarkably touching narrative, Richie.
Thank you for sharing your trip with us.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2017 - 08:32pm PT
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A bunkhouse at the AAC Climber's Ranch...
and sunrise viewed from the ranch
Sunrise on the Garnet Canyon trail on the way up to South Teton
and higher up the Meadows and the South Fork of Garnet Canyon:
When you reach the col between Middle and South Tetons, there is an abrupt drop down to Iceflow Lake and a view of Table Mountain. The haze is smoke from fires in Idaho.
The col between Middle and South from the West (viewed from Table Mountain). Iceflow Lake is obscured by a low ridge.
Two of Mt. Moran and one of Teewinot
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Aug 30, 2017 - 10:27am PT
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Excellent trip report and great pictures Rich. Wish I could have joined you, Joe and Dick. Alan
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 30, 2017 - 11:52am PT
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Alan...we should have a reunion next year in the Teton's of members of the "Half Century Climber's Club," better known as the "La Brea Tarpits Climber's League."
Joe, Dick, Rich et al. I'll get McCarthy up there.
It would be the first one, we'll probably only have to do five...or less.
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Aug 30, 2017 - 12:16pm PT
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Great idea, though maybe someplace a bit less intense--we're not all you, Jim, might be more appropriate--such as City of Rocks or the Meadows--unless they make the Lower Saddle "accessible" by then. Alan
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 30, 2017 - 12:24pm PT
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I love the COR....climbs of all grades, easy approaches and great camping.
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Aug 30, 2017 - 12:55pm PT
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So let's start pounding the drum for a COR Half-Century Meet at the COR next summer--with the heartier ones also including the Tetons and/or Winds--the latter might get Arsenault along as well.
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