The Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton

Clay and Leslie approaching the meadows after 5 miles of hiking uphill in the dark (left the trailhead at 4:15am). The sun is barely hitting the South and Middle Tetons. The route to the Grand goes up to the right of the Middle. 

 The Grand Teton and I have kind of a long history. My mom grew up in Idaho Falls so I spent every three years of my youth in or around Grand Teton National Park. I spent my first semester of school at a ranch near the base of the Tetons on the Idaho side. I remember jogging every morning looking up at the range. Then I worked at that same ranch a few years later for about 9 months. I backpacked, hiked and snowboarded all while watching that mountain and wanting to get up it. I listened to Scott Wood (my professor) tell the story of Glen Exum's first ascent, and the adventures of Paul Petzlt and Willi Unsoled. In the meantime I learned the finer art of traveling on snow with an ice axe and crampons, how to climb at high altitude and how to go-go-go at Brian's pace all day. Last year I begged B to take me up, but I was pregnant and it was a no-go(-go-go). FINALLY, on Monday I stood on the summit of the Grand Teton. Let's just say I was more than a little jazzed. Here's how it went down:

About a month ago we emailed Clay and Leslie (our friends from Moab) to see if they wanted to join us. I don't know if they knew completely what they were getting into (and unlike me, they hadn't been dreaming of this for 10 years)-- but being the adventurous go-for-it types, they said yes. Here's everyone switching to snow boots and crampons after 5 miles.  

Brian, Clay and Leslie heading up the snowfield. 

Leslie making her way up the second snowfield to the Lower Saddle. This doesn't quite capture the steepness, but this sucker was no picnic. 

Looking down Garnet Canyon. Most people do the Grand in two days (hike up to the saddle and sleep, climb the Grand and then hike out). But, most people don't have nursing babies being watched by their angel mother-in-law either. Needless to say it was a FAST pace. 

Alpine forget-me-nots

 B and I at the lower saddle. We left our snow boots, crampons and ice axes at the hut and on came the harness and helmet. We had another 2,000ft of scrambling and climbing. The awesome thing (well, there are several awesome things) about doing this with a Climbing Ranger is that we only had to carry one water bottle. He knew every spring along the trail. We also grabbed a rope and climbing rack from the ranger's hut at the Lower Saddle and saved slogging it up 5,000ft of trail and snow.

Brian nearing Wall Street-- the band of rock that goes up like a sidewalk leading to the first committing move of the Exum Ridge: the step across. This involves stemming your legs (like doing a split) to reach a foot hold over about 800ft of air. You're on a rope, but the exposure is pretty intense. We simul-climbed (short for simultaneous climbing; all four of us were tied into one rope moving together) the whole route.

 Leslie and I climbing up the Exum Ridge with the Middle, South, Nez Perce and Buck mountains below.

This photo is out of order, but I thought I was awesome. This is our snow gear we left at the saddle-- notice the breast pumps in the boots. Don't see that everyday . . . 

Me on the Briggs slab-- a slightly sketchier area. This and the Friction pitch are the two places where "everyone's girlfriends always cry." Happy to report all eyes were dry in our group.

 The mighty Allreds. Clay and Leslie lookin' like champs. We love these guys! I'm realizing how hard real friends are to come by. The Grand was Clay and Leslie's first big summit and they did so awesome.

 Us on top of the V-pitch.

Crossing the Ford Couloir. Almost at the top!

All cheese and smiles on the summit! 

 Clay, Leslie, Brian and Me after climbing the Exum Ridge route to the summit. The summit of a mountain always has a party atmosphere. I L.O.V.E it. Everyone is eating, chatting, taking pictures, making phone calls (the babies were okay) pointing out features thousands of feet below in the valley and swapping stories. After leaving the trailhead at 4:15am we arrived on the summit at 12:04pm.

After the other group on the summit found out Brian was a climbing ranger, they unabashedly joined our group for the descent. The Grand is known for getting parties completely lost. We descended via the Owen/Spalding route; this is me on the first rappel. 

Brian setting up the second rappel on the way down. 

They way down was a lot of fairly mellow down-climbing. 

Almost back to the lower saddle. The hut on the left is owned by the NPS (the one on the right is owned by Exum Mountaineering; the major guide service in the park) and is where Brian stays when he does his 3-day saddle patrols. The tundra is covered in tiny forget-me-nots and moss campion. They set up a hose in the melting snow for water and the view can't be beat. Once we got back down here, it was a water break, pumping, food and then the long haul out. Going down the snow was sort of epic, but we all made it. I ended up leaving the group a little early and ran back to the trailhead-- I was so worried Liesel would be screaming and exhausted, but when I walked in at 6:30, she just looked up and smiled. Allison did an AMAZING job watching both babies!

The verdict? Well, the Exum Ridge was as cool or cooler than I thought it would be. I loved, Loved, LOVED it. It was great to go with Brian who knew exactly where to go in the mess of rocks and ridges and it was so great to go with Clay and Leslie. Next up? Mt. Moran!