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Journal Entry June 25, 2009 - Grand Teton Climb Day 1 |
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Written by Daniel Hienzsch
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Thursday, 23 July 2009 |
 Fully Packed
June 25, 2009
Grand Teton National Park
I broke camp at Colter Bay at 7:30AM this morning and figured I'd take one last shower. Had a cup of coffee and a muffin, but could already feel my nerves. I was very, very anxious about the trek to Corbett High Camp. Finished up at Colter Bay Village and stopped to offer Emergency First Responder help to a group of people surrounding an elderly man that was laying on the ground. They said that EMS had already been contacted and he was already laying on his side with his head propped up and a jacket over the top of him to keep him warm. I would only be in the way. I drove to the trailhead from there and I and the other clients gathered at Lupine Meadows Trail at 10AM and first thing, Darren, my guide, handed me 10 more pounds of food! I jammed and stuffed it all in somehow along with my four "wag bags" and we headed up the trail at a nice slow pace to accomodate the three women where going up with their guide, one of which was feeling nauseous.
Mosquitos were everywhere and I continually batted at myself. After about two hours, we stopped for lunch. I felt that, at that point, the Lupine Meadows trail wasn't nearly as severe or taxing as my benchmark training hikes had been up Lookout Peak. We rested for about 30-45 minutes in the shade at the junction of the Lupine Meadows and Granite Canyon trails, then gathered up our packs and marched on into Garnett Canyon. Sam, one of the ladie's guides, had gone back to Jackson to retrieve helmets for his clients and he joined us just after lunch to lead his group.
At several instances, snow was still covering the trail in ravines that we had to trek across. The stretches were only 10-15' long but the angle of the snow field, particularly with the heavy pack on, made me feel very uncomfortable with my footing. Darren lent me one of his trekking poles to use to steady myself across the slush, which I was very grateful for.
 Middle Teton and the Black Dike
I felt every step as an arduous task as we passed below the North and South Hourglass Couloir and worked forward with the Lower Saddle before us. But it wasn't nearly as bad as when we finally left the snow, back to rock. The same pea gravel-mossy dirt-tundra shit I'd had to downclimb, I now staggered up with that fatman sitting on my back. Eventually though, I came up some scree and around a boulder and there was camp!
Corbett High Camp is very rustic, with tents set out among the fallen granite slabs and boulders, with a large tan hut that serves as kitchen, dining area, communal space and, apparently, where the guides will sleep tonight. Dinner was multigrain chips, guacamole, Rycrisps and cheese and a Lean Cuisine entree. High living indeed! They can't cook real food due to FDA and Federal Park Service regulation. I had some "Berry Zinger" tea and settled into the little folding chair. The women got settled, although one has a massive blister on her heel; I have no idea how she's going to climb with that.
We chatted a bit, then, after a brief thunder shower, I popped outside for a look at one magnificent sunset. I am above nearly everything around me and I could watch the sunset unfold across miles of Wyoming plains and mountains. Middle Teton cast a visible shadow at least 150 miles long.
 Corbett High Camp
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 Middle Teton Casts a Shadow
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I brushed my teeth in the designated grey water area and have now settled down into this spacious, warm, taught Mountain Hardware tent, snug in a down sleeping bag and will now sleep under Alpine winds, light sprinkling and a certain sense of accomplishment.
Thank you Darren! For kicking steps for me all day, and then cooking dinner afterwards!
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Last Updated ( Monday, 21 December 2009 )
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