Grand Teton

Grand Teton

Grand Teton from the southeast
Highest point
Elevation 13,775 ft (4,199 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence 6,530 ft (1,990 m)[2]
Parent peak Gannett Peak [3]
Listing
Coordinates 43°44′28″N 110°48′09″W / 43.741207756°N 110.802413942°W / 43.741207756; -110.802413942Coordinates: 43°44′28″N 110°48′09″W / 43.741207756°N 110.802413942°W / 43.741207756; -110.802413942[1]
Geography
Grand Teton

Wyoming

Location Grand Teton National Park, Teton County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent range Teton Range
Topo map USGS Grand Teton, WY
Climbing
First ascent 1872 or 1898. See First ascent
Easiest route Climb, class 5.4.

Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Grand Teton National Park,[2] in Northwest Wyoming, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.

Geography

Grand Teton, at 13,775 feet (4,199 m),[1] is the highest point of the Teton Range, and the second highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming after Gannett Peak. The mountain is entirely within the Snake River drainage basin, which it feeds by several local creeks and glaciers.[2] The Teton Range is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains, which extend from southern Alaska to northern New Mexico.

History

Name

Grand Teton's name was first recorded as Mount Hayden by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870. However, the name "the Grand Teton" had early currency. The Edition of April, 1901 of the USGS 1:125,000 quadrangle map of the area shows "Grand Teton" as the name of the peak. A United States National Park named "Grand Teton National Park" was established by law in 1929. By 1931, the name Grand Teton Peak was in such common usage that it was recognized by the USGS Board on Geographic Names. Another shift in usage led the Board to shorten the name on maps to Grand Teton in 1970.[4]

The origin of the name is disputed. The most common explanation is that "Grand Teton" means "large teat" in French, named by either French-Canadian or Iroquois members of an expedition led by Donald McKenzie of the North West Company.[5] However, other historians disagree, and claim that the mountain was named after the Teton Sioux tribe of Native Americans.[6]

First ascent

Winter on Grand Teton at center with Mount Owen at right and Nez Perce at left. The Middle and South Teton peaks lie west of Nez Perce, out of view.

There is a disagreement over who first climbed Grand Teton. Nathaniel P. Langford and James Stevenson claimed to have reached the summit on July 29, 1872.[7] However, some believe their description and sketches match the summit of The Enclosure, a side peak of Grand Teton. The Enclosure is named after a man-made palisade of rocks on its summit, probably constructed by Native Americans. Mountaineer and author Fred Beckey believes that the two climbed the Enclosure because their description matches it, because their description does not accurately describe the true summit, because their account does not mention the formidable difficulties found just above the Upper Saddle, and finally, because it was traditional with members of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 to build a cairn in such a place, but no such cairn was found when William O. Owen reached the summit in 1898.[8] In all likelihood, The Enclosure was first climbed by Native Americans as suggested by Langford in 1873.[9] Supporters of Owen included The Wyoming Legislature and Paul Petzoldt, former pioneer American climber.[10] Ironically among Langford's supporters was Franklin Spalding, who led the ascent to the summit and tossed the rope that allowed Owen and the others to follow.[7]

Mountaineer and author Leigh Ortenburger researched the controversy in depth, using original source material, for his 1965 climber's guidebook. Ortenburger concluded: "Since historical 'proof' is extremely unlikely to be forthcoming for either side of the argument, perhaps the best way of regarding the problem, short of a detailed analysis of the probabilities, is to state that in 1872 Langford and Stevenson may have climbed the Grand Teton, in 1893 Kieffer, Newell, and Rhyan may have climbed it, and in 1898 Spalding, Owen, Peterson, and Shive definitely did succeed in reaching the summit."[11]

First Ski / Snowboard Descents

Records

Bryce Thatcher had set a long-standing record for the combined ascend and descent of the Grand Teton in 1983. Thatcher managed the feat in 3 hours and 6 minutes. The record was broken by the Spanish runner Kilian Jornet on August 12, 2012. Jornet controversially cut switchbacks to achieve a new record time of 2 hours 54 minutes and 1 second. The record was short-lived, and was broken by climbing ranger Andy Anderson on August 22, 2012. Anderson did stay on the trail and achieved a time of 2 hours 53 minutes 2 seconds. None of the runners used the same route.[15]

Climbing routes

Grand Teton can be climbed via the Owen-Spalding route (II, 5.4). A short section of the route is highly exposed and previous alpine climbing experience is recommended before attempting an ascent; nonetheless, athletes with no prior climbing experience regularly reach the summit. The Owen-Spalding route is named for the climbers who claim to have made the first ascent: William Owen, Franklin Spalding, Frank Peterson, and John Shive. There is some debate as to which group made the first ascent; see that discussion. Notwithstanding the first-ascent controversy, this climbing route has been firmly named after William Owen and Franklin Spalding. The Owen-Spalding route begins at the Lower Saddle[16] which is reached by walking from the Lupine Meadows Trailhead to Garnet Canyon and then up to the Lower Saddle on a trail that's fairly well defined. The more technical & exposed part of the climb begins at the Upper Saddle.

Ski descent

The Grand Teton has been skied by five routes, each requiring at least one rappel. The first descent on skis was made by Bill Briggs in the spring of 1971 down the East Face and Stettner Couloir, it has since been renamed the Briggs Route. This descent required a free rappel, which was completed with skis on. More casually, skiing is possible from the crest of the saddle between the Grand and the Middle Teton, continuously into the valley floor.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Grand Teton". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  2. 1 2 3 "Grand Teton, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  3. "America's 57: The Ultras". Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  4. "Grand Teton". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  5. Mattes, Merrill J. (1962). ""Le Trois Tetons": The Golden Age of Discovery, 1810-1824". Colter's Hell and Jackson's Hole. Yellowstone Library and Museum Association.
  6. Macdonald Jr., James S. "Historical Origins of Mountain Names in Yellowstone". The Magic of Yellowstone.
  7. 1 2 Grand Tetons - Wyoming Tales and Trails
  8. Beckey, Fred (1982). Mountains of North America. San Francisco: Sierra Club Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-87156-320-7.
  9. Jackson, Reynold G. (1999). "Park of the Matterhorns". In John Daugherty. A Place Called Jackson Hole. Grand Teton Natural History Association.
  10. "The Grand Question: Who climbed it first?". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  11. Ortenburger, Leigh (1965 rev.ed.). A Climber's Guide to the Teton Range. San Francisco: Sierra Club. p. 108. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. No Zen on a Powder Day | Skiing Magazine
  13. "Tele Like You Mean It with A. J. Cargill". Skiing Magazine.
  14. Vert Tracker
  15. Green, Steward (August 23, 2012). "Grand Teton Ascent & Descent Record Broken and Rebroken in 10 Days". About.com. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  16. Teton Classics: 50 Selected Climbs in Grand Teton National Park - Richard Rossiter - Google Boeken
  17. A Climber's Guide to the Teton Range, 3rd Ed.
  18. Roper, Steve; Steck, Allen (1979). Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books. ISBN 0-87156-292-8.
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