On Thursday June 19th, 2025, I climbed Irene's Arete with new-to-the-Tetons desert coworker Kenzi Stemp, including a two pitch direct start which has surely been climbed before, but is undocumented and often skipped. Higher, we explored a few harder variations with pleasant rewards. This article will focus solely on the variations we climbed, and others I've climbed over the years, which add tremendous value to this already great route.
REPOST: “Live To Ski”—Steve Romeo, TetonAT, and the Power of Shared Information (from the-high-route.com)
I recently had an article published by The High Route, focusing on TetonAT.com founder and local legend, Steve Romeo, my personal journey to ski mountaineering, and how Steve and I's world intertwined.
Peanut Swings Leads on the Buckingham Ridge (5.7, III) – Middle Teton – Grand Teton Nat. Park, WY (09.08.24)
On September 8th, 2024, Bobbi Clemmer and I climbed the classic Southeast "Buckingham" Ridge on the 12,809 foot Middle Teton via an overnight camp in the South Fork of Garnet Canyon. It was Bobbi's first time swinging leads on an alpine climb, at pretty darn high elevation no less.
Florida vs. Alpine – A Two-Day Journey to Cube Point (5.5, II) – GTNP, WY (08.09/08.10, 24)
On August 10th, 2024, Bobbi Clemmer, myself and my visiting-from-Florida sister Lauren climbed the classic Cube Point, a 9,800 foot tower on the East Ridge of Symmetry Spire, via an overnight camp in the lovely Hanging Canyon. The East Ridge of Cube is a popular Teton classic, offering five pitches of rock up to 5.5 in difficulty, covering some truly unique and stimulating terrain.
Dipping My Toes – Chouinard Ridge Free Solo (5.5, II) – Middle Teton – GTNP, WY (07.21.24)
I've been battling a partial rotator cuff tear this summer, so I've been dipping my toes into the dark arts of rope-less climbing as a way to score significant mileage on easy terrain. The Chouinard Ridge provides a 1,600' vertical adventure on clean-as-a-whistle Middle Teton granite.
West Side Steeps – North Face of Mount Bannon – Jedediah Smith Wilderness, WY (05.31.24)
On Friday May 31st I skied the North and South Faces of Mount Bannon in a pleasant eight hour yo-yo tour from Darby Canyon. The 1,000 foot North Face is a loose West Teton "classic" with some steeper than expected pitches and a free-ride feel.
A Quickie from Mount Woodring – Southwest Couloir Ski Descent – Grand Teton Nat. Park, WY (05.16.24)
On May 16th I spontaneously skied the relatively unknown Southwest Couloir on Mount Woodring after bailing from a different objective. What I found was top quality moderate ski mountaineering adventure on par with the Banana Couloir, Static Peak and Rockchuck Peak. Here's a quick trip report.
Another Spontaneous Link-Up – Dike Pinnacle South Couloir, South Teton SE Face and Wanda Pinnacale NE Couloir (04.24.24)
On April 24th, 2024 I rose early and kept an open solo itinerary that resulted in a link-up of routes on the Dike Pinnacle, South Teton and Wanda Pinnacle. All three routes had been on my radar for years, and it was especially meaningful to link them in a single logical push.
Threading The Needle – A Stormy Descent of the Bubble Fun Couloir – Buck Mountain – GTNP, WY (03.25.24)
The Bubble Fun Couloir is on the short list of most demanding steep ski descents in the Teton Range - an 1,100 foot masterpiece that holds 50 degrees for hundreds of feet, pushes 60 degrees in hallway width chokes, and hangs dramatically above Avalanche Canyon with an eerie 200+ foot exit cliff. The stuff of dreams - or nightmares.
Transcendence – Northeast Snowfields – Mount Owen – GTNP, WY (05.12.23)
Mount Owen's Northeast Snowfields are a coveted and seminal tick for Teton ski mountaineers - a serious, exposed and committing 2,500 foot descent requiring at least one rappel - a line I've chased for years, and finally had the chance to bag with Vinny Gwinn on May 12th, 2023.