Sweetwater Canyon Bike and Fish

Sweetwater Canyon Bike and Fish
April 29th, 2007

The bike.

Looking out across the high praire towards the Wind Rivers, from where we parked.

Tandem single track.

Mountain biker, complete with fly rod.

Chuck and Karla attack Rocky Ridge on their tandem mountain bike.

With Rocky Ridge cleared, it was on to the canyon.

Entering the BLM Sweetwater Canyon special management/ wilderness study area.

A Kona's eye view of Sweetwater canyon.

Without the bike.

Chuck and Karla hiking down into the canyon.

The Sweetwater River.

Cross training at it's finest. Ha!

Chuck says good bye to a fishy friend. Little did he know, it would be the only one fishy friend he'd shake hands with all day.

I flung my fare share of flies, to no avail though. The water was pretty high (run-off starting), plus I don't really know what I'm doing.

A look up at the way back.

After a few hours of fishing, it was time to head back. Hard to leave stuff like this.

Chuck and Karla climb up out of Sweetwater canyon.

One last look out an over parts of the Canyon. Fun day!

You know it's gonna be a good day when it starts out with trying to figure out how to haul your fishing gear on a mountain bike.

Last week Tallulah helped me with some yard work.

Though yard work is really not her thing yet, she put up with it.

East Fork Riding

Hangin' at Ma and Pa's
East Fork Country
April 14th/ 15th, 2007

After climbing the Middle Teton, I headed back down the hill (Togwotee) to visit my folks up the East Fork. When I rolled in, dad was busy giving exercising Tugboat.

I scored some Tug time too.

The folks ride tandem on Tugboat.

The following day, dad and I took Tugboat and Baxter on a ride in the NF kind of up by the East Trailhead. I was hoping to scout some single track for my mountain bike, for later this year. It wasn't as blue bird as the day before, but it was fun to get out. Especially on someone else's legs.

Dad negotiates some snow drifts.

Baxter takes in the scenery (East Fork Drainage).

On the trail, Dad snoops for a route up and out of the creek drainage we were in.

The view from the road after climbing up and out of the creek (maybe Pole Creek?).

Tugboat eventually made it up and out of there too. Baxter gets a little more exercise than Tugboat.

A look down the drainage we rode up (Pole Creek?). It was fun ride, can't wait to plunge into it on a mountain bike after the snow drifts dissappear. Should be some great riding!

The guy Baxter had to put up with for the day. Ha! Fun ride- great day! Thanks folks!

The Middle Teton

The Middle Teton
(Via the Middle Teton Glacier and Dike Couloir)
Grand Teton National Park
April 14th, 2007

The Middle Teton

From a distance.

The approximate route I took from the Bradley/ Taggart Lake TH. The dashed portion of the route is actually the Middle Teton Glacier, hidden behind the ridge.

I left Jackson around 5:00am. Started hiking about 5:45am. After a slight detour to Taggart Lake I made it over to Bradley Lake about sunrise. After climbing up out of Bradley Lake I was able to start skinning.

Going up through Garnet Canyon.

My first look at the Middle Teton through Garnet Canyon.

A view of The Middle from just before the Meadows.

A look up my first coulior for the day, the North Fork of Garnet Canyon.

A look down Garnet canyon from about half way up the North Fork of Garnet Canyon.

Time to boot again...

and again.

Finally, a look at the lower saddle.

Further up the saddle I gaze up the Middle Teton Glacier and Dike couloir.

It started to get a little steeper going up the glacier, but the snow was pretty soft- good powder actually. As I approached the Dike Couloir wet slides from south facing slopes above it (looker's right) began to poor into it. At one point I had to scramble like hell to get out of the path of some nifty wet slides that had some pretty good momentum by the time they reached the glacier. Two guys ahead of me, already in the Dike Couloir, hugged the shaded (looker's left) side of the coulior and climbed up it. By the time I reached to shaded entrance into the couloir wet slides were ripping into it pretty regular like. Since I was by myself, I decided I'd better scratch the Dike Couloir. Guess I should have gotten up earlier. Bummer. Oh well.

A look up the Dike Couloir and the wet slide paths that were pooring off the slopes above it.

A look across the saddle at the Grand.

A look at Teewinot.

Perched to ride the Middle Teton Glacier.

Looking down the glacier, at almost a thousand feet of April powder.

My line down the glacier. The blue arrow is where I dropped from. The red is where the Dike Couloir starts.

I enjoyed great turns and huge lines that went from powder to corn all the way down Garnet Canyon.

A look down Garnett Canyon, before dropping into another couloir.

A look back on my line coming out of the North Fork of Garnet Canyon.

Another look from a little further away.

Lots more turns were had on the way out of the Canyon.

A look back at the Grand over a frozen Bradley Lake.

What a day!! My first solo venture into the Tetons and Garnet Canyon. Though I didn't summit, I learned alot. Can't wait to get up there again!

Another look back at the Tetons as I get a little closer to the trailhead.

The Middle Teton

The South, The Middle and The Grand

The Tetons.