August 07-09, 2008
Day One - August 07
After a long drive to Jackson Hole, WY, and many hours in town getting our gear sorted out,
we got Liesl connected with her Guide at Jackson Hole Mountain Guides.
A long prayer in the hotel room prior to leaving, we all set out for the Lupine Meadows trailhead
in Teton park. After a few hours of arduous climbing, our groups met in the Meadows at 9,000
feet. Jordan made a decision to have to tap out and down climb with a member of Liesl's group.
Jeremy dropped gear and decided to press on to make a solo attempt ahead of the other
climbers, keeping in radio contact with Liesl.
Liesl began to encounter some difficulties with altitude sickness but pressed on like a trooper to
make high camp, approximately 11,200 feet. From two different locations, we stood by and
watched as two different climbers were air lifted by helicopter from the mountain, as if it were an
ominous warning to be watchful on our climb, but also creating some concern in each of us for
each other while we were not in direct radio contact.
By early evening, an electrical storm began to roll in on the mountain and Jeremy had to turn
back from about 12,500 feet. Unable to regain radio contact with Liesl and with no gear to camp
on the mountain, Jeremy, somewhat dejected, down-climbed all the way back to the car at 6,000
feet to rejoin Jordan. We watched the storm hammer the mountain, thinking about Liesl and her
team at high camp.
Liesl spent a long night on the mountain, working her way through the altitude symptoms, while
Jeremy & Jordan spent a cold night in the car.
After a long drive to Jackson Hole, WY, and many hours in town getting our gear sorted out,
we got Liesl connected with her Guide at Jackson Hole Mountain Guides.
A long prayer in the hotel room prior to leaving, we all set out for the Lupine Meadows trailhead
in Teton park. After a few hours of arduous climbing, our groups met in the Meadows at 9,000
feet. Jordan made a decision to have to tap out and down climb with a member of Liesl's group.
Jeremy dropped gear and decided to press on to make a solo attempt ahead of the other
climbers, keeping in radio contact with Liesl.
Liesl began to encounter some difficulties with altitude sickness but pressed on like a trooper to
make high camp, approximately 11,200 feet. From two different locations, we stood by and
watched as two different climbers were air lifted by helicopter from the mountain, as if it were an
ominous warning to be watchful on our climb, but also creating some concern in each of us for
each other while we were not in direct radio contact.
By early evening, an electrical storm began to roll in on the mountain and Jeremy had to turn
back from about 12,500 feet. Unable to regain radio contact with Liesl and with no gear to camp
on the mountain, Jeremy, somewhat dejected, down-climbed all the way back to the car at 6,000
feet to rejoin Jordan. We watched the storm hammer the mountain, thinking about Liesl and her
team at high camp.
Liesl spent a long night on the mountain, working her way through the altitude symptoms, while
Jeremy & Jordan spent a cold night in the car.
View of the Grand Summit Approach
Day Two - August 08
Up early in the morning, and anxious to regain radio contact with Liesl and her team, Jeremy &
Jordan emptied packs and surveyed the gear, ditching everything except for the necessities to
make the summit in a single push.
After three hours on the climb, Jeremy & Jordan encountered some of the same other climbers
we had been with the previous day. They were surprised to find us on a second car-to-car
attempt at the summit, but we felt we had no choice. Shortly afterwards, Liesl hailed us on the
radio.
It was great to hear familiar voices and know that each group was okay. Liesl reported a
difficult evening with lots of lightning strikes, but also that she was feeling a bit better. Jeremy &
Jordan continued an aggressive push to link up with Liesl's group, now about 2,000 feet above
and 2 - 3 hours in front of us at their high camp.
About 1/2 hour later, Liesl reported by radio that they were abandoning their plan to summit on
day three because of dicey reports in the weather and that they were leaving high camp
immediately to go straight for the summit in the daylight. Jeremy & Jordan picked up the pace
and pushed to catch them.
After another hour, Jeremy & Jordan rolled into high camp, to discover that Liesl's team had
departed. We took a few photos and headed out for the lower saddle, elev. 11,600 but requiring
about 400 feet of down-climbing first.
At the base of the saddle, Jordan again decided he could not continue to press on and decided
to head back for the Meadows and await Jeremy's decent. At a fixed line, Jeremy made his way
up onto the lower saddle and into the upper saddle, on approach to the summit route.
Two climbers coming down, Mark & Dave (TOTALLY awesome guys I hope to climb with
someday) reported having seen Liesl's group at the Black Dike, a formation indicating the entry to
the "Enclosure" and subsequent summit climb.
Jeremy climbed on and, approaching a formation called the "Eye of the Needle" made visual
contact with Liesl and her team. While they had broken to the south, Jeremy headed to the
North, linking into another summit team headed for the same summit route. At this point, a new
storm had begun to threaten the mountain, and we had to move fast. Jeremy and his new buddies
made a rapid ascent to the summit, pausing only briefly as lightning was now eminent. Standing at
13,770 feet successfully only for a moment, we sped back down the route in breakneck fashion,
pausing only briefly to see what Liesl's group was doing.
Assuming they had made it, we arrived in the saddle as a lightning bolt struck the mountain
only hundreds of yards from our location. Jeremy's radio was dead and he was unable to raise
Liesl, so, doing what many climbers will do, began sending messages back with other climbers
coming and going, hoping to get word of success to her and learn of her location.
Jeremy down-climbed the entire mountain to 6,000 feet in 1 hour and 45 minutes, having linked
into another group of three guys from Signal Mountain Lodge (Ben, Lee & Sean . . . thanks, guys,
for moving fast). We reported home from the car that Liesl was successful, not knowing that we
would discover the following morning that they had come within only a few hundred feet and had
to turn back, stopping within sight of the peak.
During his decent, Jeremy encountered the husband of one of the climbers who had been air
lifted from the mountain the previous day. Making him aware of his intention to re-climb in the
morning, Jeremy let him know he would assist him with getting his gear off the mountain if
necessary.
Once again, Jeremy & Jordan resumed their position in the car (this time with beer in hand) to
watch and wonder as the storm and lightning pummelled the mountain again. . . . .
Up early in the morning, and anxious to regain radio contact with Liesl and her team, Jeremy &
Jordan emptied packs and surveyed the gear, ditching everything except for the necessities to
make the summit in a single push.
After three hours on the climb, Jeremy & Jordan encountered some of the same other climbers
we had been with the previous day. They were surprised to find us on a second car-to-car
attempt at the summit, but we felt we had no choice. Shortly afterwards, Liesl hailed us on the
radio.
It was great to hear familiar voices and know that each group was okay. Liesl reported a
difficult evening with lots of lightning strikes, but also that she was feeling a bit better. Jeremy &
Jordan continued an aggressive push to link up with Liesl's group, now about 2,000 feet above
and 2 - 3 hours in front of us at their high camp.
About 1/2 hour later, Liesl reported by radio that they were abandoning their plan to summit on
day three because of dicey reports in the weather and that they were leaving high camp
immediately to go straight for the summit in the daylight. Jeremy & Jordan picked up the pace
and pushed to catch them.
After another hour, Jeremy & Jordan rolled into high camp, to discover that Liesl's team had
departed. We took a few photos and headed out for the lower saddle, elev. 11,600 but requiring
about 400 feet of down-climbing first.
At the base of the saddle, Jordan again decided he could not continue to press on and decided
to head back for the Meadows and await Jeremy's decent. At a fixed line, Jeremy made his way
up onto the lower saddle and into the upper saddle, on approach to the summit route.
Two climbers coming down, Mark & Dave (TOTALLY awesome guys I hope to climb with
someday) reported having seen Liesl's group at the Black Dike, a formation indicating the entry to
the "Enclosure" and subsequent summit climb.
Jeremy climbed on and, approaching a formation called the "Eye of the Needle" made visual
contact with Liesl and her team. While they had broken to the south, Jeremy headed to the
North, linking into another summit team headed for the same summit route. At this point, a new
storm had begun to threaten the mountain, and we had to move fast. Jeremy and his new buddies
made a rapid ascent to the summit, pausing only briefly as lightning was now eminent. Standing at
13,770 feet successfully only for a moment, we sped back down the route in breakneck fashion,
pausing only briefly to see what Liesl's group was doing.
Assuming they had made it, we arrived in the saddle as a lightning bolt struck the mountain
only hundreds of yards from our location. Jeremy's radio was dead and he was unable to raise
Liesl, so, doing what many climbers will do, began sending messages back with other climbers
coming and going, hoping to get word of success to her and learn of her location.
Jeremy down-climbed the entire mountain to 6,000 feet in 1 hour and 45 minutes, having linked
into another group of three guys from Signal Mountain Lodge (Ben, Lee & Sean . . . thanks, guys,
for moving fast). We reported home from the car that Liesl was successful, not knowing that we
would discover the following morning that they had come within only a few hundred feet and had
to turn back, stopping within sight of the peak.
During his decent, Jeremy encountered the husband of one of the climbers who had been air
lifted from the mountain the previous day. Making him aware of his intention to re-climb in the
morning, Jeremy let him know he would assist him with getting his gear off the mountain if
necessary.
Once again, Jeremy & Jordan resumed their position in the car (this time with beer in hand) to
watch and wonder as the storm and lightning pummelled the mountain again. . . . .
Summits For Kids
Grand Teton Summit Climb
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| © 2008 Summits For Kids 14920 SW Ruby Street Beaverton, OR 97007 tel: 971-226-9373 |
The Climb - August 07-09, 2008
Home Again - August 10, 2008
Long Road Home
After a long, successful climb, we took the leisurely route home, stopping
at Crater's of the Moon National Monument to see some more landscape.
We debated some climbing at City of Rocks, ID, but the soreness was
punishing, and we headed back. Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice meal at
Portland's South Park Bar & Grill, happily rejoined with Ashton & Connor.
After a long, successful climb, we took the leisurely route home, stopping
at Crater's of the Moon National Monument to see some more landscape.
We debated some climbing at City of Rocks, ID, but the soreness was
punishing, and we headed back. Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice meal at
Portland's South Park Bar & Grill, happily rejoined with Ashton & Connor.
| Click on any photo to view |
Day Three - August 09
Having successfully summitted the previous day, and assuming that Liesl and her team had done
the same, Jeremy set off solo early in the morning with no gear, excited to meet Liesl and her
team, and very eager to hug her and carry her pack down the mountain for her.
Having successfully summitted the previous day, and assuming that Liesl and her team had done
the same, Jeremy set off solo early in the morning with no gear, excited to meet Liesl and her
team, and very eager to hug her and carry her pack down the mountain for her.
Captivating Training - June 28, 2008
Two Birds with One Treadmill, Goodell P.T. & Fitness Training
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