My Little Political Moment!

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Wanna Trade Air Quality....

Just so you know, it takes forever to drive across Washington and Oregon. Pretty, though.

 

One big adventure

So, we possibly lost our minds and convinced ourselves that an old VW van would suit our needs better than our ’95 Jeep, affectionately known as Earl. Earl is great, but he has his limitations -- as does my back, which is crying out for an alternative to a tent and a therma-rest on weekend climbing trips! We started gathering information, talking to friends with VW experience, and browsing the web for the right one. We quickly discovered a plethora of vans available in Washington and California. So we braced ourselves for a significant journey to get a van home. We found a great one in Tacoma, Washington and quickly booked a trip to go see it and drive it back, since the owner was in the middle of moving to California. We spent a fun day bouldering near Twin Falls, Idaho at a place called Dierkes Lake, a veritable natural city pool, complete with lots of screaming and, well, well- fed Idahoans. (more on the next page)

Downtown Seattle

 

Road Trip...

It was hot, but a fun way to get a little climbing and swimming in before catching a cheap plane from Boise to Seattle. We flew Alaska Air/ Horizon, which currently gets my vote for best airline around. Free beer and fully refundable tickets- need I say more? Luckily, Tacoma is right by Seattle, and we got to spend time with a dear high school friend of Phil’s, Megan and her adorable daughter Ida. Saturday, we hopped a bus to Tacoma, after jumping on the wrong bus resulting in an inadvertent layover at the airport. The VW van pulled around the corner with considerable bass preceding it. I must admit, the big draw of this particular van was some add ons like an incredible sound system and 20” low profile tires. (I never pay much attention to tires and rims, but these were indeed pretty cool.) We hopped in the van to drive around and I immediately started a mental list of all of the broken nuances in the interior that had not been mentioned. It was an ’88, so “nuances” are certainly to be expected. I had pretty much decided that the broken armrests and the malfunctioning passenger window were no big deal when the heat (turned on due to coolant problems scheduled to get fixed in the morning) stopped blowing on me and the van began smoking. We pulled over, the owner got increasingly frantic, convinced that he had cracked his engine. Indeed, the engine was smoking, hissing, gurgling, and basically about to erupt.(again, more on the next page)

So Long Opus

 

Ouch!

I think all three of us were in shock for the next few hours as the price dropped dramatically, it was determined a head gasket had been blown, and a tow truck arrived. We quickly began weighing our options- pay a fraction of the cost, fix it, and hope for the best (after coming back to Seattle again to pick it up or towing it to Boise or Victor or who knows where), or walk away and start the process again. Suddenly our impromptu mini vacation to Seattle seemed like quite a waste. Eventually, we headed back to Megan’s house, happy that at least we were spending time in a great city with an old friend. While Phil tried to unwind, I started peaking online at our options, so I could help myself make a decision. (a little more below)

Clyde and the Crew

 

And then...

I booked another flight back to Boise (to pick up our car,) and, hark, found another van for sale nearby. Gone were the fancy rims and sweet sound system, but, as it turned out, this one had just driven to Seattle from Maryland. Instead of the owner saying “I think it will get you home,” this guy said “Oh yeah, no problem, it will get you back.” So, we decided that its nuances were acceptable, the largest being exorbitantly high mileage that I would prefer not to disclose, and decided that in the end, it drove really well. You didn’t even have to drive with the heat on!! Just in time to get 100% refund from Alaska Air, we were on the road, not in Opus, as I had christened the first VW, but in Clyde. The first seemed like a fine wine, the latter more of a rough work horse. After about 15 hours driving and a short night of sleep in Pocotello, we are back home with Clyde. The dogs are sniffing at him wondering when their bed will be installed and we are eager to make it homey and head on a new adventure. Sorry Earl, your time is up.

Phil VW'in

 

Rainier- The Ghostly, Enormous Mountain in the Distance

 

 

Drying Up

Not sure how much longer we will have these incredible wildflowers! The amazing lush green of June is slowing being traded in for wispy straw hues and dryer conditions. Irrigation is big here! Still, the flowers are gorgeous while they last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backing Off

We had big plans to climb the South Buttress Right of Mount Moran this weekend. It is supposedly the highest quality rock in the Tetons and would have been our hardest climb in the area to date at 5.11 and 7 pitches. The climb sounds alluring, but the approach and the descent sound like significant obstacles. You begin by rowing 90 minutes across Leigh Lake. The remaining approach includes bushwhacking along a faint and supposedly hard to find trail. A friend with quite a bit of experience spent 5 hours trying to get to the base of the climb on her first attempt. By the time they arrived, it was too late in the day to climb and they returned home.

So, when a NOLS drop off delayed our departure, and the idea of paddling across the lake at midnight loomed in our heads, we had to make the difficult decision to change plans. We had hoped to spend the night at the base of the climb, but this was becoming out of the question. Surprisingly, it was hard to "bail" when everything was packed, a backcountry camping permit in hand, a dogsitter, etc. But, in retrospect, I think we made the right decision. Phil and I still climbed the classic Aerial Boundaries in Death Canyon on Saturday. And, well, we got to safely sleep in our own bed all weekend! The South Buttress of Moran isn't going anywhere and we will hopefully do it this summer.

I am confirmed in our decision upon hearing of the tragic loss of an Exum Guide this weekend while soloing the Grand, a much easier climb and one well within the limits of this climber. There is always the threat of extreme consequences to your decisions out here, and part of our learning process is learning when not to proceed. Sore and tired on Sunday, I got to hear Lyle Lovett at the Targhee Music Festival and enjoy BBQ sandwiches in the backyard at sunset. Life is good!

Dubois, WY

 

Banks of Wind River

 

Leaving Teton Valley Ranch Camp

 

www.alandoutoftime.com

We spent the weekend at the International Climbers' Festival in Lander, Wyoming. It is a small, but fun affair, and a good reason to check out the climbing at Wild Iris. Wild Iris is about 25 miles south of Lander at around 9000 feet elevation. It is a gorgeous place to climb, with miles of arid plains, red cliffed canyons, pronghorn galloping through, and great, pocketed sport climbing. We spent some time in the iconic Lander Bar, visited with old and new friends, and enjoyed fabulous camping in the city park. I have never seen such a wonderful city park, with beautiful trees, lush grass, and lots of climbers' tents! We headed back today and were delighted to see a momma bear and her cub (maybe Grizzlies?)off the side of Togotee Pass as well as a bison scratching his head on some roadside fencing.

 

The Open Book- Garnet Canyon

I climbed The Open Book with a friend Gena on Sunday. The approach is immense, and very similar to the hike to Surprise Lake that Phil and I did back in November when we first visited Jackson. I tried in vain to keep up with Gena on the totally uphill approach. The Open Book is a classic climb of 5 pitches with several nice cracks. The weather forecast was a little sketchy, so as usual, there were moments on the climbed when a raging storm seemed imminent. But, the rain appeared to stay south of us, and we were lucky to have cloud cover to keep things cool. I also felt comforted knowing some climbing rangers were behind us on the same route. We were surprised to see a lot of snow on the descent, and we were very careful as we made our way down to Ampitheater Lake. A roll down the steep hill and into the icy lake would have been more than unpleasant. Considering how tired I felt on the hike in, I was pleasantly surprised to feel "not that bad" on the way out. But, the next morning, I felt pretty exhausted. I can only hope that next time I do that approach, I will be a little more fit. Trouble is, there are lots more climbs that start higher in the canyon- meaning longer approach and steeper. Ugh! Well, it is all part of climbing in the Tetons. Simultaneously insanely gorgeous, difficult, scary, exhausting, and exhilarating!

I am also adding a few pics from a hike near the house that Jasmine and I did up to the saddle below Taylor Mountain. It is a great hike and I think my new favorite!

Headed for Home from Garnet Canyon

 

 

4th of July

I really wanted to climb in the Tetons on the 4th. So, I rallied Phil out of bed, who was totally knackered from doing Caveat Emptor in the Tetons the day before with Nate. We headed to GTNP with less than an alpine start, and I promised to try to lead every pitch of Baxter's Pinnacle, a 5 pitch classic in Cascade Canyon (much easier than Caveat Emptor!)It was a gorgeous day, and the park was very busy. We took the boat across Jenny Lake in an effort to start and finish the route before possible afternoon showers. As with the Snaz, nasty clouds and a smattering of rain came as we began the first pitch. Apparently this is common, and it is important to mix caution with hasty decisions. As with the Snaz, we kept going, and the small storm blew on by. It is hard to tell what is coming at you when the weather arrives, as it comes from the west and is largely blocked by the Tetons. So, you can be enjoying balmy skies in Jackson whilst dark clouds of doom are just about to cross the Tetons and splatter you!

I am excited to say that I did lead every pitch and both felt comfortable and enjoyed it. I confess that it has taken a little while to get used to the Alpine setting: high exposure, loose rock, scant protection, limited retreat options, weird weather, long approaches, etc. But, once you feel good on these kind of routes, they are really a blast, although always to be respected. Baxter's Pinnacle is a very popular route, so there were parties in front of and behind us, though we really only had to wait a little on the final pitch. Loose rock abounds, and one bunch of rocks sounded more like firecrackers than falling rock as it plummeted down the descent gully. From the summit, you have great views of Jackson Lake, Jenny Lake, and the valley that is Jackson Hole. The descent was not too bad, although quite loose. I feel myself getting more methodical and less frantic on these hairy descents.

I convinced Phil not to take the ferry back to the car, and we walked the 2+ miles around the lake to the car. It is a serious temptation for climbers to be able to forfeit 3/4 of the approach via boat! But, we were glad to skip it, as the extensive line was reminiscent of a new roller coaster at Disneyland. It would have been fun to do some people watching among these "hikers" though!

We got home at a reasonable hour and rallied to go to a barbecue in Victor. We even stayed up long enough to see some fun, albeit illegal fireworks. This is no small thing, as it doesn't get dark until pretty late here! The Knotty Pine was thumping with an outdoor band as we headed home for some much needed sleep. Hope you had a good 4th!!

On the Descent

 

Jenny Lake from Baxter's Pinnacle

 

Final Pitch

 

About to Start Last Pitch on Baxter's

 

Arrowleaf Balsamroot