A few weeks after I got part of my ring finger amputated, I found myself itching to try my hands at climbing again (literally) and adventuring again. Packed up my car, I set out for Jackson hoping to summit the Grand Teton.
The drive out of Salt Lake is probably faster if one takes the I-15 first. But my goal this time around is to take the slow roads and avoid the interstates as much as possible. You can’t avoid them entirely of course, but I can certainly take as little as possible.
Off of the Interstate leads you to towns like Afton and Alpine along the route to Jackson. This was a particular year for Alpine as the Palisades Reservoir was particularly low. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the local brewery which also allows you to camp nearby. Though, Alpine is just a bit too far from Teton for me. I opted for a campsite on the Snake River closer to the “Hole.” Waking up every morning to go fly-fishing and going to sleep with the sound of the flowing river, was truly an idyllic experience.
Before climbing the “Grand,” I thought I should scope out the place first. This was not the first time for me in the Tetons, but there were plenty of places I didn’t hit. Like the Mormon Row where many of the famous pictures are taken. Plenty of places one should visit over and over and again, like Jenny Lake which is increasing in popularity as the summer heats up.
Heading back into town for a few nights’ rest, I got to enjoy some of the best that Jackson has to offer: a relaxing tea and croissant in the shade, a beer overlooking the prairie sunset, and a variety of shops including one that sells taxidermy.
The Climb
Now onto the climb itself. For this climb, I went with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. Expensive but you do get what you paid for. Two of the difficulties of this climb for me are figuring out the route and getting a permit. Going with a professional guiding company makes both easier. Plus I got to top the Disappointment Peak as a bonus!
We started the approach from Lupin Meadows trailhead up a bit over 4000 feet to the JHMG base camp high up on a moraine slightly off the main trail. This gave us good access to Disappointment Peak and some of the rock climbing opportunities nearby. Although you do need to climb another 300 feet to reach it. The National Park Service also gives out permits to a few campsites nearby. The sites in the meadows are especially beautiful with great water access. The downside is that you are much further away from the “Grand.”
We decided that we would go with the Upper Exum route with some fun variations for added difficulty. The climb we did was about 5.4 to 5.7, or Teton 5.4 to 5.7 as my guide called it due to constant high exposure. The 5.7s were the added difficulty from the variation which are not mandatory for the summit. Many have sneered at the low climbing grade but mind you, this is not gym climbing and you don’t have all the time to find the holds. Practice trusting your rubber on friction pitches helps with this climb especially. Me, I am not a morning person, so every alpine start is tough. But, with encouragement from my guide Brian, I actually managed to enjoy this climb. What was also encouraging was that my amputated finger was performed in the few hours of climbing and rappelling that day.
We were extremely lucky that day as the weather turned out perfectly, with no wind at all. This made for a very pleasant summit where we could sit down in the sun to comfortably eat snacks. We took advantage of the nice weather and descended all the way back to the trailhead after a few hours of rest at the base camp.
The Other Side of The Teton
Successfully concluding what I set out to do on the Wyoming side of the Tetons, I set out for the quieter, Idaho side of the Tetons. Not much picture but it’s mostly me enjoying the lower cost of living and quiet, non-competitive fly-fishing.
The quieter side of Teton also allows you to drive the equally scenic but less populated roads which pass through wide open prairie and the western side of the Yellowstone. As a bonus, you will also pass Four Corners where converts are held at the hot springs.
No matter which side you pick, don’t skip the town of Bozeman. I particularly enjoyed the restaurants and the Museum of the Rockies during my brief stop there. Turns out, the Museum of the Rockies has one of the best collections of dinosaur bones and fossils in the country!
