North America, United States, Wyoming, Wyoming Rockies, Teton Range

Publication Year: 1935.

Wyoming Rockies Teton Range

With each season the Teton Range of Wyoming becomes more firmly established as a climbing center. In 1934 there were accomplished in these mountains 103 ascents as against the previous maximum of 73 (for 1933). As usual many of the climbs were made by visiting mountaineers from foreign countries. A solo ascent of the Grand Teton on June 2nd by Whipple Andrews began the climbing almost two weeks earlier than ever before, but the season closed on the same date as did the 1933 season, September 17th, on which date Felix Block and Floyd Wilson climbed Buck Mtn. The peak of the climbing season came in July, rather than in August as usual, the ascents being distributed as follows: June, 19; July, 40; August, 39 ; and September, 5. The Grand Teton retained its preeminence, with 25 ascents, but Teewinot, growing yearly in popularity, nearly equalled it with a record of 22 ascents. Nineteen other peaks account for the remaining 56 climbs. The guiding concession for the season was held by Glenn Exum. An otherwise exceptionally fine season was shadowed as a result of a double tragedy on the Grand Teton, reported in this Journal.

First ascent of Rock of Ages, a square-topped monolith in the Mount St. John Group, was accomplished (from the west, on August 14th) by Irene and Fred Ayres. Miss Ayres and her brother likewise attained, by traverse westward from Bivouac Peak, an unclimbed summit which they named Traverse Peak (August 23rd). A number of the peaks climbed by Miss Ayres had not previously been scaled by a woman.

In June, Alfred E. Roovers, with Hans Fuhrer, guide, made a series of ascents that included two new routes : an east-to-west traverse of the summit gendarmes of Mt. St. John and an ascent of Nez Perce from the south. Other new routes of the season include Storm Point from the east by Whipple Andrews and Reynold Holmen (August 1st), and Buck Mtn. from the east and south by Felix Block and Floyd Wilson (September 17th). Macauley Smith. James Cooley, and Glenn Exum (August 5th) climbed the South Teton from the cone-shaped pinnacle just east of it, reversing Fred Ayres’ route of 1932. In climbing Mt. Owen (August 27th) Geo. E. Goldtlhwaite reached the main peak by crossing over from East Prong, a new traverse.

The Glacier Canyon-Death Canyon loop trail, completed in 1934. skirts the west base of the Three Tetons, and thus affords a new approach of great directness and scenic grandeur to these peaks. It has already brought new importance to the South and Middle Tetons, and in all probability this westerly approach will soon be used for the Grand Teton.

A resurvey of the 150 square miles that comprise the Grand Teton National Park was begun in 1934 by a U. S. Geological Survey party under chief topographer T. F. Murphy. The new altitude determinations announced by Mr. Murphy thus far are in every case higher than the corresponding earlier ones. Thus the Grand Teton has been revised from 13,747 to 13,766 ft. The survey will be completed in 1935.

In bringing a bench mark to the summit of the Grand Teton on August 21st, Fred Ayres and the writer scaled the peak by the east ridge, the second ascent by this magnificent route.

Fritiof Fryxell

(Grand Teton National Park).