This is Evelyn narrating, because this was a pretty big weekend for me, and I wanted to share my point of view. Dad and I packed up the car on Friday with everything we would need to climb the Grand Teton. This was something I was wanting to do for a while now, so I was thrilled that the trip was becoming real. But now that I had to actually climb the mountain rather than just looking at it, I was almost as scared as I was excited.
We arrived at the Ranger Station in the Tetons on Saturday morning, hoping to win the lottery that is National Park Permits. As expected, we did not get a permit, so we spent the day in Jackson. We got breakfast and went on a short day hike around Jenny Lake. There were a lot of other tourists, and it was hard to find parking, but the beautiful waterfall made it all worth it. After getting dinner in Jackson, we turned in for the night at the trailhead.
There is something about alpine starts that I really love. It is difficult to explain, but it feels productive and unfamiliar to be awake in the early hours of the day, when very few people stir. After a quick breakfast, we started our extensive day around 3:30 am. The majority of the hike went smoothly, but the last two miles really kicked my butt. I was not used to the altitude at all, because I had never been up so high. This gave me altitude sickness, so I was dizzy and nauseous on top of the fatigue from the grueling scramble to the saddle. We made it up long past the expected time, but we had made it nevertheless. Now it was time to start the climb.
We eventually made it over to Wall Street (after some route-finding that was more like route-following) and we set up gear. The move itself was easy, but the exposure made it feel much more serious. Once around the corner, we warmed our numbed hands in the sun, and continued up the rest of the mountain. It took a couple of hours, and it was 10 pitches because I was too scared to simul climb. The climbing was the best part of the day, other than standing on the top, of course. It felt very flowy and I enjoyed the process and all of the moves. It was also fun to climb with only dad, because we are usually both very wrapped up in our own lives. The last little bit before the top was tiring, and my body felt ready to fall apart. We made it to the top and I forgot about all the exhaustion that preceded this moment. It was such a wonderful feeling to be at the top of one of the most well-known mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest. The entire way down I couldn't stop thinking: I did that.
As expected, the hike down was long and parts of it felt like a trudge. The rappel stations were very fun though, and I got to rappel on one rope over an overhang. After the rappels, we followed the Owen Spalding route down, which was either extremely steep hiking, or downclimbing. The hiking did not change much until we got past the lower saddle and into the woods. Once in the forest, we picked up the pace and did the last 4 miles in a little over an hour. We arrived at the car around 9:30, and promptly collapsed into the car. Now all that was left was to sleep and drive home, reminiscing about the adventure we had.
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| It's always neat to see a mountain sunrise. It's like watching the world come alive. |
*****
Ok- this is Logan. I wanted Evelyn to write that first part so that we got to experience events through her eyes. The reason is because I think this was a very different trip for her and for me. This was my 6th summit of the Grand Teton, and maybe my 15th or 20th summit if you include the entire mountain range. The Tetons, for me, are full of memories. These are the mountains where I grew up. This is where I started leading trips, and where I gained confidence in myself. These times were formative- I would not be who I am today without the Tetons. That said, it has been over twenty years since I last stood on top of this peak. Every single landmark- every turn, every view- even individual climbing holds- evoked such a flood of emotion that it was a weird trip for me. But here I was, with Evelyn, who was about the age I was when I first did it. Crazy.
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| This view. Even now, looking at it, I feel the call of adventure and the taste of new independence. When mixed with the smells of the desert and the open road, it's like I am sixteen years old again. I feel it all so hard. |
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| There's me, the first time I climbed it. Donny and I camped on the lower saddle. It stormed that night and we thought we'd blow off the mountain, but the next day was perfect weather for climbing. We got lost on the route, found our way again, and ended up standing on top- two kids who were actually pretty darn competent even if we didn't look like it. A year later I would go up with a different friend and free solo the same route in just over an hour of climbing. |
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| Me on the left on my first trip |
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| Me and Ev. Full circle. Kinda neat. |
*****
While Ev and I were climbing the Grand, the rest of the family was doing other things. Addy went on an overnight hike with a friend. Maren picked a bunch of huckleberries, and is selling them to raise money for the New York/DC trip next summer. A bunch of people went fishing in the Silver Valley. It was a good weekend for everyone.
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| "If I make my legs straight, I can't tell that I'm wearing anything at all with these pants!" -Addy |
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| The stove they brought finally burned out. Literally. This thing has been around for a while. Look in the picture above of me by the tent- just to my left. Yep. |
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| No boiled water = crunchy noodles for dinner |
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| Also, Evelyn has two jobs now- dishwasher at a sushi place, and cashier at 5 Guys. She's making a bunch of money, but is pretty busy. Once school starts, she'll keep just one of these jobs. |
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| Have a good week! |
