Tetons

After dropping Bria off at home in Idaho, I headed to the Tetons for 5 days of adventure as the number of days of summer freedom were quickly coming to an end.  I had earlier decided not to connect with random partners off MP for the trip and instead focus on a number of quality scrambles and easy solos.

Day 1 – cascade canyon to paintbrush canyon loop – 19mi/3800 vert/4:36

I had wanted to run the teton crest trail during this trip but didn’t feel as though I had been running enough in recent weeks for my body to reasonably handle the 40 mile distance.  I opted for the classic cascade to paintbrush loop instead.  I took my time, enjoying the scenery and wildlife (3 pairs of moose) along the way.  With shorter breaks at the lakes and running more of the climb to paintbrush pass (I’m blaming a week at sea level beforehand for the amount of hiking I did), this would easily clean up to a 4 hour outing.  Highly recommended.

took a minute or two of yelling/clapping to get this pair to vacate the trail

not your typical view of the grand

lake solitude.  was pleasantly surprised to have 10+ minutes of total solitude
while stopping to stretch and re-fill water 

paintbrush pass

Day 2 – E face of Teewinot – 7mi/5600 vert/low 5^th class/4:40

I relaxed the next morning as some stormy weather blew through before spending an enjoyable afternoon on Teewinot.  I got off-route near the top and scrambled some steep, exposed terrain up the W side of the middle summit before making an exposed traverse to the N to gain easy terrain to the true N summit.  Proper route finding and more running could easily clean this up to also be a 4 hour outing.

view from the TH once the storm clouds had passed and I started up

other than my "detour" up the middle summit, this was the 20ft. crux of the route (climber's R of the prominent gully
at roughly 11,500ft).  felt low 5th class to me.  have read sources between 4th class to 5.3

beautiful view of the N face of the grand and mt owen (makes me excited to return for the cathedral traverse)

Day 3 – Mt Moran CMC Route – 15mi/6200 vert/5.5 difficulty/9:00

Although most people access the CMC Route via canoe/kayak across leigh lake, a few internet comments  and a quick glance at google earth suggested a bushwhack alternative wouldn’t be too bad.  I ran the initial 4 miles of flat trail to bearpaw lake before turning W off the trail (100ft past the small footbridge) and following intermittent game trails and some bushwhacking up to 7800ft.  I then began a long sidehill traverse onto and across the S face to reach the approach gully (1:50 from TH).  More detailed bushwhack beta on my MP comment here.  I then continued up the trail, past the CMC camp to the top of drizzlepuss (4 hrs).  I stashed my bear spray and some water before tightening my approach shoes and beginning the approx. 200ft downclimb N from drizzlepuss to the notch below the CMC route.  There were 3 short sections of 5.4/5 terrain that got my attention but easily dispatched with good jugs and sticky approach shoes.  I then climbed a short but steep L-facing corner to a rap station before traversing climber’s R around Unsoeld’s needle onto the CMC face. 

sunrise from camp.  this view never gets old.

S side of moran from S shore of leigh lake

CMC face

The face is so wide dozens of variations would be possible but I trended up and R towards the prominent dike for about a thousand feet of low 5^th class terrain with occasional harder sections and frequent small ledges.  Super fun.  Once on the broad summit ridge I talus hopped to the true summit (5:15) for a food and water break.  I descended via far skier’s R side of the face on a mixture of 3^rd class trail, cairns and some 4^th–low 5^th class downclimbing.  I wrapped around Unsoeld’s needle on the E side again before downclimbing into the notch (via the same short, steep L-facing corner) and then up to the top of drizzlepuss. 

leigh lake from atop mt moran

falling ice glacier from atop the CMC face

thor peak.  hidden couloir

With the day’s soloing now being me, I sat down to relax and finish my water before crusing down the trail past the CMC camp (6:45) to the point in the approach gully I had hit the trail at about 7800ft.  The off-trail bushwhack back to bearpaw lake was quicker and easier than the morning since I knew what to expect.  I soon found myself dodging tourists on the trail around leigh and string lakes, arriving back at the TH right at the 9 hour mark, stoked on an outstanding day in the mountains, with a fun mix of running, bushwhacking, scrambling and climbing in a gorgeous setting.

water refill below the falling ice glacier

Stay tuned for part II about my go at the teton trifecta (linkup of the grand, middle and south tetons).