|
Base Camp
Up
| |
- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: July 11,
2008
- Miles Hiked:
13.0
- Elevation Gain: 5,782'
- Hiking Partner(s): Brian Kooienga
and Jeff Shafer
- Description:
- After receiving essentially no beta on Mount Owen and questionable
information on Teewinot Mountain, we decided to play things safe and
hike the South Teton. Similar to seeing our route on the Middle
Teton from the Grand Teton, we saw our route on the South Teton from the
Middle Teton. The Northwest Couloir was a known commodity and
would give us the hat trick of Tetons on this trip. Owen and
Teewinot aren't going anywhere.
- We left the trailhead with what felt like hardly any gear. The
morning was cool and the pace was fast. We carried our
mountaineering boots and hiked in trail running shoes until we got to
the Meadows. We took a break here to make some water and eat
something. The sun was now up and we continued hiking up the
valley between the Middle and South Teton. The wind was stronger
and the morning remained cooler. We traversed a large snowfield on
the north face of the South Teton and gained the ridge right at the
entrance to the Northwest Couloir which was void of any snow. We
removed our crampons from the short snow climb and finished the
scramble to the summit. We reached the top in 4 hours and 35
minutes which I thought was a fairly good time.
- Once again, we enjoyed the views of the surrounding area, had
something to eat and drink, and took several photos. After 30
minutes on the summit, we avoided the snowfield on the descent and
caught a couple of quick glissades to get us back to the Meadows where
we switched back into our light shoes. Jeff led us down Garnet
Canyon, and we basically trail ran from the Meadows camping area back to
the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. Our round trip time was 7 hours and
40 minutes. Kevin met us near the trailhead and then escorted us
back to the vehicle where he had cold beers waiting.
- Had I known that the climb to the South Teton was so easy from the
South/Middle saddle, I would have climbed the South after descending the
Southwest Couloir on the Middle Teton a couple of days ago. Even
if climbing the Middle Teton via the Southwest Couloir, there is no
reason not to pick up the South which is an easy scramble. If we
had done this, we could have hiked something different on Friday instead
of going back up Garnet Canyon on terrain that we had basically already
covered.
- Maps:
- Photographs:
| |
www.
just
hiking
.com
|
