Late Sunday night and just sorted through the pictures from the last few days and posted a few of the trip to the Tetons (http://www.clegg.org/photos/080705_Grand_Teton/index.html). Great trip! A little sore today in the quads but it went well. Total height--13,770 feet and about the last 700 feet were technical climbs. Thank goodness for our awesome guide Eddie!!! We hiked to 11,000 feet and camped on Wednesday and then spent all day Thursday training on climbing techniques (bouldering, ropes, holds, rock climbing, rappelling, short pitches, short loops, glissading, crampons, self arrests and more. It was a full day but we used every skill on Friday as we climbed to the summit. We left at 3:30 in the morning and made it on top by 10 a.m.. Lots of just putting one foot above the other and not looking down!!! We were only on top for a few minutes when a squall came in and although it didn't look electrical.... it was! There were two groups of us (5 climbers) and three guides--two of the guides got zapped as electricity arced from the ice axes in their packs to their helmets. Painful but not lethal and there was a mad scramble to get down and out of the storm. It soon passed and we moved on down to a rappel that included about 70 feet of free fall from an overhang. Eddie said save 50% for getting back down which I thought was a little over kill. Going down didn't take as hard breathing energy but it seemed a lot longer so I agreed with him at days end. Were back by 4 p.m. to high camp where we stayed for another night and then worked our way back to the trail head on Saturday morning. The trip was definitely out of my "comfort zone" but always feels good to get up and away and really work all those muscles. The stars were absolutely brilliant! For those of you who want to attempt the Grand, I recommend an experienced guide! We learned so much and felt really safe. It could be done without one if you have good climbing experience and some rope skills but only if you know the weather is completely predictable which it often is not. While there, we watched a helicopter rescue of someone on the next peak over who had an accident glissading (sliding on your seat) down a couloir (slope) with crampons (pointy metal things on your feet) and broke his leg with a compound fracture (bone sticking out).Back here on the ranch, things are going well. Spent a little time with Kent surveying the Hale Nature Preserve and all the projects that are going on there under his supervision. It appears that all the cousins that spent time in the pond over the weekend have been infected with Swimmers Itch (a parasite from water with prevalent snails and ducks that causes bad itching for a few days but is harmless). Diagnosis prognostications ranged from Chick Pox from the pools in Lava, to spider bites, to reaction to the foam from the July 4th sudsing in the park in Soda.
Mom and Dad are doing well and it's great to have warmer weather where they can both get outside in the air and sun. We've had family and friends and it's been great to have them here. Still working on the house... electrical is done and sub floors at this point. Next is the bathroom fixtures and the more dry wall. I think we'll be ready for mudders and tapers next round in a couple of weeks. I'd like to nominate Steve for landscape design and management--we need a Turff Doctor...as well as a driveway doctor, tree doctor, shrub, annuals, etc. Anyone want to second it? That will probably be the next big thing we can all work on.
Several discussions on EFCY over the weekend. We're thinking a Friday/Saturday (maybe come in Thursday night) camp out somewhere in August. Maybe City of Rocks, or Webb Farms (during the Temple open house), or a hike into Alaska Basin near Driggs, or .... other ideas here. Let us know what you think....
OK...it's 1 a.m. and I gotta hit the sack....if I can get up the stairs with my sore legs!
Love to all,
Peter
