Grand Teton with Craig, Chris and Paul

This amazing crew of three topped out on the Grand Teton at 9:35 yesterday morning. We had climbed together in Exum Mountain Guides' Multi-pitch I school, and they climbed with guide Mike Abbey for their MP II day. Without a day off in between, they set off for the Grand Teton Sunday morning with a promising forecast and  a bright attitude.

Wild flowers were in full force here at the Petzoldt Caves. All smiles all the way!

Amazing sunsets over Idaho, as always...

After a 4:45 start and a walk in the dark....The Shadow of the Grand on the air!

...and dawn's early light on the Enclosure

 

Still smiles about the wind, weather and conditions at the start of the Owen Spalding Route.

Embarking on the Owen Spaulding Rout, we encountered a dry Belly Roll Pitch, while the crawl had islands of dry rock amid a lake of clear ice. Rockhopping with the abyss of the Black Ice couloir below at the head of the sweeping Valhalla Canyon, got your attention to say the least. The snow in the Double Chimneys was a surprise, which kept us stepping carefully to keep shoe rubber dry. Stemming and a few key chipped off holds got us up to the verglas in the last 15 feet of the Owen Chimney.  

The rest was a cruise and after Jim Williams' Exum party departed, we enjoyed the windless summit to ourselves and stunning views of ID, WY and MT and the Greater Yellowstone ranges.An amazing summit day was had and everyone performed at a top level - no falls, no injuries; we overcame the unexpected and relished in the gifts of the day. Not even rain marred the amazing weather, though we did get some awesome lightning, thunder and a big, thick rainbow.

Rainier 2010 - Ultimate Software

The stalwart team of Ultimate Software leaders met in Seattle on July 30 for an attempt on Rainier. We had a great group and a great time, and though the summit eluded us, we reached our own high point and bring home great memories and new ways of working together, inspiring and supporting each other, and pushing individual and group limits to foster teamwork and leadership.

Snow School 101 here we come!

 

 

Helping hands are everywhere!

Tight is right!...helping each other succeed.

Walking down is important!...crampon technique is key.

Camp Schurman and the Emmons Glacier route - look for the line going straight up above the camp, that turns left between crevasses to reach 'The Corridor.' From there, as our summit team will attest, the route goes straight up on poorly established steps, until finally cutting right and easing off to reach the saddle between Liberty Cap (R) and the summit proper (L).

The view back toward the trailhead from the top of Steamboat Prow above Camp Schurman. the distant lake in the middle of the White River drainage is about a mile shy of the trailhead. Thank goodness for the Inter Glacier glissade!

Dawn comes in spectacularly!

Check out the red light reflecting off of the glare ice on the lower glacier - a rare sight!

 

Reaching our summit...7 am.

 

Bound for SeaTac and home again!

The Rawlings on Cody Peak

Sam and Michelle climbed Cody Peak on Monday with me (via Exum)...Check out this clip of ridge running on the loose rock trail! And here's Sam...

North Face of Buck Mountain, West Couloir July 7, 2010

Tim Brown and I set out to climb the North Face of Buck Mountain, West Couloir. An early start of 4:30 a.m. soon yielded to dawning skies. A rugged 'shwack up Avalanche Canyon brought us to our first good view of the North Face. Our route: the gully/couloir to the right of the ridge which leads up to the snowy summit, by way of the snowy bench below the north face.

See if you can find Tim here, leading up the first pitch...look toward the top of the visible snow.

Tim and the rope disappear around the corner...






















From the next belay, Tim shoots up the steep neve to a snow ledge he chopped out of the couloir.





















From the top of pitch 5 an amazing view of the central Tetons unfolds.












Pitch 6 runs up steep to steeper snow. The gully narrows and the summit ridge grows nearer.












On pitch 7, Tim leads out to peer around the corner, setting a picket here before heading up toward the ice bulge ahead.



















Here, Tim is about to top out on the ridge, where steep scrambling on exposed ridge carries us up toward the summit.















Tim on top...with the Grand Teton in the background. South Ridge of South Teton - a ski descent - is the hanging snowfield behind his head. Awesome weather all day was a blessing.














A last look at our route and the north face of Buck in afternoon light. The West Couloir is the second couloir to the right of what looks like the main summit ridge. The north central buttress/ridge is actually the one with snow toward the top.

Here's a view of Buck and the route. The West Couloir is the right hand long, thin white line that runs up just to the right of the summit. This photo was taken a week prior during Exum's guide training days,  from Nez Perce by Christian Santelices, a Senior Guide at Exum.

Garnet Canyon and the Mist

A break in the weather at dusk

Garnet Meadows Cave Camp

John Skelly and I headed up into the rain to see what the mountains might bring. They brought more rain. But the overhang left by a glacial convergence gave us shelter and a place for undamp spirits.

John under the roof

Deep holes being carved by dripping or pouring water.

The Cave with Disappointment in the background.
Dripping water filled out bottles in no time.


Skiing in the Rain...I'm skiing in the rain!

Wolf Mountain Skate Ski Traverse

Here's a little route that I've always wanted to do, having seen it from the highway south of Hoback, and now that I've been on the route, realize how prominent it is from many places right around town and in the valley of Jackson Hole.

Wolf Mountain is home turf to the area's only heli ski operation, and for good reason. Access is fairly long, though not unreasonable. I started out at 5:15 a.m. on May 16 from the East Table trailhead in the Snake River Canyon, giving me established trail for about the first 3 miles. From the head of the drainage, the snow cover was plentiful, although occasionally punchy. I followed a ridge climbing gradually to the west, and then steeply up to the flatter portion of the Wolf Mtn's south ridge, visible here from the highway at Astoria, and along which I was hoping to skate ski to the summit of Wolf Mountain, on the right.I topped out on the left (south) end of the ridge visible above to be greeted by stellar views of Jackson Hole and the Teton Range. The Grand is front and center below. It was at this point that I donned my skis, and the crust was as expected firm and supportable. Although calm at clear at 7:45 doesn't sound that warm, the window of opportunity to get up, down and out was limited. Last thing I wanted was to be post holing through rotten, unskiable snow for the few miles back to the highway.And here is the view to the south, of the Wyoming Range, east of Alpine and Afton, WY. My skate ski track is barely visible in the foreground. Now for the fun part. I was able to cruise one of the two miles of ridgeline, mostly skirting under cornices on softening corn to this point. Checking the time and temperature, I made the decision that after all the climbing and miles of approach, this was a summit better left for another day. I had already experienced punchy snow, and knew that good snow now would be crap later. I skied a bit further down the ridge and then dropped in.
A few big GS turns down the east face of the ridge here in perfect corn were perhaps the highlight of the tour. I traversed the upper east bowl to get in the Cabin Creek drainage that was also home to a trail, which I found after some very interesting scrapping through the trees and multiple crossings of the rushing stream on suspect snow bridges.
The hike out was fine if a bit muddy in places and punchy in others, and the hitch back to my starting point, went...with(out) a hitch ; ), and I was home before noon.