"There is probably no pleasure equal to the pleasure of climbing a dangerous [mountain]; but it is a pleasure which is confined strictly to people who can find pleasure in it." 
        -Mark Twain

Donny on top of Teewinot

I spent most of last week in the Tetons. Our plan was to do the Teton Traverse- a grand tour of the dramatic skyline that has become so popular to photographers and climbers alike. We had planned three days for the endeavor, and felt like we had all the information we needed to move fairly quickly.

Well, the weather had other plans. Now, there is an idea floating around out there that there is no such thing as bad weather- only inappropriate equipment. And I usually agree with this sentiment. But when we woke up to cruddy rime ice on our route and almost zero visibility, we knew in a hurry that we would probably have to adapt a little bit. Despite these setbacks, we still got to do a good portion of the traverse. 

More importantly, I had a great time catching up with Donny- an accomplice to many of the more memorable adventures in my life, a cousin, and a good friend who I have been out of touch with for far too long. In the same way that photographs can never quite capture the essence of the mountains, it would be impossible to describe in words how good it was to be out again with Donny as my companion. Just like old times.

Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures. The Tetons were spectacular as always, and we are already planning our return to complete the traverse all in one shot.

Beautiful Fall weather in the valley...

...But a big soupy mess in the hills. This is me trying to find a way up.

We could only see about a hundred yards in front of us. We got off-route a lot and became very familiar with areas of the mountain that probably not very many people go. The guidebook and all prior knowledge we had of the route were essentially useless. It was awesome! Besides looking really cool, it gave a sense of discovery as we picked our way up the rock- first this way, and then that- never quite knowing what we would run into. What a day. 

Summit! This one was totally worth it.

The next couple of days were a lot better when it comes to weather. Here are some more pics.

Our camp at the saddle between the Middle and South Teton

Our route goes straight up from here

What a view!

This is Tom, the mountain mouse. I found him at the summit of the South Teton and fed him cheese out of my hand.

Working our way up an icy couloir. There were some sketchy parts on this one.

More summit photos.

What a trip!

*****

I realize that everything else that happened last week pretty much pales in comparison with the Teton trip, but there were a few other notable events that I'll get down here.

Chamber of Commerce business of the month!

Probably one of the last visits to the beach this year. It's starting to cool off and the water isn't so inviting any more.

Nothing like enjoying live music with your best friend in the world.

Also, a big shout out to Addy and Jack who turned 7 years old on the 9th! Their party isn't planned until later, so stay tuned for all the fun that is to come.

Have a great week!

"That is a picture of an old lady. She is in a house..."

"...The house is on fire and the old lady can't get out. That's how old people die sometimes."
       -Maren

Where did this child come from? It's creepy.

*****

I was driving through Montana yesterday on the freeway and I caught a brief glimpse of a little girl- probably about 10 years old- posing for a picture with the person I presume was her dad. She was holding a fishing pole and a fish, and had the biggest grin across her face.

Later on I noticed a car with the words "Just Married" painted across the back window.

Then we got backed up for a little while because of a car accident that looked pretty bad, with ambulances and everything.

And I started thinking- isn't it crazy how we go by people every day never knowing anything about them? Human dramas are happening all around us. Relationships being formed or broken, happy things, sad things, surprising things- it's everywhere. And yet, there we were, just sitting in our car- kids watching a movie, and Rachel and I just talking like everything was normal.

Well- not totally normal. We experienced our own little drama. Here it is in pictures:

 


It's the little things. :)

But seriously, think about it. So many things going on all around us that we are completely oblivious to. It makes you stop for a little bit and realize the obvious fact that the world, and all the events contained within it, are definitely much bigger than what it seems.

*****

Last night the kids got all their new school clothes and decided which outfit to lay out for their first day back. We had gotten home from Utah about 2 hours earlier. It has definitely been a sprint-finish to the end of Summer. I think everyone is ready to settle into routine again.

*****

For as long as I can remember, climbing up rocks has held a special sort of appeal to me. Last week I got the chance to go on a trip I have been dreaming about for years- the Cirque of Towers in the Wind River Range. This place is magical, with granite spires rearing up all around- a climber's paradise. It was also fun getting to spend some time with my Dad and Griffin (brother).

You can tell that we haven't gotten started yet because we're all fresh and smiling. It was actually a pretty grueling hike.

I didn't take this picture, but this is where we were. We camped about at the place where this was taken from, so this was our view for three days. Beautiful.

One of the coolest pitches I've ever led. Not difficult, but the angle of the "sidewalk" forced you to confront the exposure.

I like this picture

Summit!

Lots of rappels to get down

Besides climbing, one of my favorite parts of the trip was taking my sleeping bag out of the tent in the middle of the night and laying down instead under the stars. This is what it looked like:

 Let me be the first to say that I am not the one who took this picture. It is professionally done. That said, it was taken in the Cirque, at approximately the same location where I was laying. It is also very representative of what I saw that night: No moon. Lot's of stars. Milky way. Incredible.

It was honestly one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, and I just lay there soaking it all in. I looked at the stars in wonderment at how many there were. And I realized that a lot of the beauty of the night sky was that there was no single star that stood out among the others. Oh, there were definitely some that were brighter, and some that were bigger- but even these were easily lost in the breathtaking fullness of it all.

It is interesting, I thought, how our sun, a rather unremarkable star itself, is so close to us that it effectively obscures the phenomenal beauty that sits behind it. In this way it asserts it's own significance- a mere illusion that disappears only when eclipsed by the earth. In fact, if there was a person who insisted that they live only in the light of day (or in a large city), it would be impossible to blame them if they couldn't believe the night sky held any more than just a handful of dim replicas of the light they already knew. And yet the sky, lit up as I saw it that night, was nothing short of awe-inspiring, filling me completely with the deepest sense of wonder and humility. It reminded me of the Vincent van Gogh quote found, aptly, in a letter he wrote to his brother- "I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." I think now that Vincent and I have probably seen the same sky and followed similar veins of thought.

*****

Of course Rachel and the kids couldn't let me have all the fun. While I was out in the mountains, they all went and visited Rachel's mom. The kids all said they had a great time, and they couldn't stop talking about the playhouse they cleaned out. Apparently it was pretty awesome.

Fun in the playhouse. Kelly (Rachel's Dad) made this a long time ago, and Rachel can remember playing in it when she was young. Over time it became more of a storage shed as kids moved away. Not any more! Bring on the grand kids!

After spending the week with Grandma Almond, we all met back in Logan at my brother's house. We got some good time in with them, and the kids all love their cousins and are excited to see them again next month.

So, yeah...We've had a pretty good week. I'm almost ready to relax a little more and settle into the routine of school.

...Almost. I still have a few trips left in me though. Stay tuned.

Have a good week!