North America, United States, Wyoming, Tetons, Mount Moran, First Winter Ascent

Publication Year: 1968.

Mount Moran, First Winter Ascent. In recent years several parties have fruitlessly attempted the winter ascent of Mount Moran. During the past winter success finally came to a group from Salt Lake City: Tom Q. Stevenson, George Lowe, Tom Spencer, Bill Conrad, Mike Lowe, Court Richards, Dennis Caldwell, Greg Lowe, George Gerhart, and Dean Johnson. After checking out with the park rangers on December 16, 1966, the group secured the services of a snow-cat to reach String Lake. That evening they skied to a camp on the plain below Skillet Glacier. Their second camp, established the following day, was located about 200 yards above the gendarme on the northeast ridge; some difficulty was experienced in climbing over the gendarme. On the 19th the first party, consisting of Stevenson, Spencer, Richards, Conrad, Caldwell, and George and Mike Lowe, made a pleasant snow climb to a point about 150 feet below the top of the ridge where one pitch of sugar snow on rock was encountered. The north summit was reached after this pitch and the main or south summit was then easily attained after a short traverse. On December 20 the second summit party, consisting of all three Lowes and Gerhart, repeated the climb; after descending they moved their camp down the mountain. The next day the group skied out to String Lake and fortunately caught the snow-cat back to the Beaver Creek area.

The weather throughout the climb was excellent. There was a thin cloud cover and the minimum temperature was —10°F. On the summit, however, winds in the vicinity of 50 mph were experienced. Conditions on the northeast ridge were very good. Since this route does contain many downsloping slabs, it would probably be subject to avalanche hazard later in the season.