The Eagle Scout Pillar, a.k.a. Mack-Tyson Pillar, is perhaps the gem of steep waterfall ice in the Teton Range. Tucked into the deep recedes of Teton Canyon, "the pillar" provides a consistent 35M of vertical or overhanging climbing ranging anywhere from WI5- to WI6R. On a fine snowy Sunday, Jorge Hedreen and I both led... Continue Reading →
A reflective article from the winter of 2021/22, my first true season of ice, mixed and technical alpine winter climbing.
The Lake Louise Ice Gully is a 3-4 pitch alpine ice climb situated stunningly above Lake Louise on the eastern flank of Wyoming's Wind River Range, easily accessed from the small town of Dubois. The very wide flow is considered classic for the area and has many variations, ranging from rambling WI3 to firm WI4,... Continue Reading →
After belaying Brian Emory on his first coveted red-point of "The Thrill" just seven days before, I returned with Scott Melin to attempt an "on-sight" lead. We climbed for two days at the Unnamed Wall and Mummy Cooler Areas, ticking ascents on Mummy II, The Matrix, Feeding The Cat, The Fat One and of course, The Thrill Is Gone. A full conditions report and photos are included.
Breaking news: Our Teton snowpack has achieved "grim" status - but luckily it's remained damn cold. Instead of futzing around on skis, Brian Emory and I took off to Bozeman for some mid-week ice climbing. I managed to lead & flash two WI-4's, my first at the grade, and Brian sent his long time project, The Thrill Is Gone (M4, WI-4). Read on for a few anecdotes and a conditions report in the Genesis and Unnamed Wall areas.
The North Face of the Middle Teton holds two classic alpine routes in a commanding setting, the North Ridge (5.6, rock) and the Northwest Ice Couloir (5.6, AI2, steep snow). The two can be linked together to form a fusion technical mountaineering route popular with winter climbers. The East Face is one of the Fifty... Continue Reading →
On March 5th 2021, Sam Johnson and I had one of our wildest ski mountaineering experiences on Mount Owen, the second tallest peak of the Teton Range, which sees very few winter ascents.
Ten Thousand Too Far 