Grand Tetons, part 2

I spent Sunday recovering from the climbing I had done the day before by sitting in the lounge area of the Jackson Lake Lodge where they had free wi-fi. I then went to Moose Junction where I could rent my climbing shoes for tomorrow. Sunday evening I had dinner at the Signal Mountain Lodge, just up the road from my campsite, where I met Heather who was one of the breakfast chefs at the lodge. It turns out she is from the Seattle area so I go some good tips of things to do and see when I make it out that way. After eating and having a few local beers, I followed Heather up to the staff housing area to enjoy the companionship of some other people near my age...it has been tough finding people my age in the campsites I have been staying in where they have largely been dominated by families with small children.

I woke early on Monday in order to get to the climbing office by 6:30am. While it was a little cool, the day look promising with just a few clouds in the otherwise bright blue sky. After taking the 7am ferry across Jenny Lake, Peter (my guide) and I hiked about 45 minutes until we reached the base of Baxter's Pinnacle. We strapped on our harnesses and helmets and started up the first pitch. While very challenging, the first few climbs up the different faces were conquered. However, after climbing up about 400 vertical feet, the last pitch I faced before reaching the summit was one that I was not prepared for. It required that I place my left foot on a triangular piece of rock with my left hand precariously wedged in a tiny crack far up to my left. With that body placement, I then had to basically swing myself out over the cliff and strain to reach a rock well beyond my reach with my right hand. Thank goodness for Peter. There was no way I would have made it up that face without his steady hand securing me from above through his belay system. But, I reached the summit. It had taken nearly 3.5 hours and we had climbed over 500 vertical feet. I can't begin to tell you the respect I have gained for climbers and how humbled I have been over the past few days. All that being said, this was an experience of a lifetime. I just hope I can get my heart to stop racing by tonight so I can get some sleep.