Grand Ascents

Grand Ascents Update #2

Well here we are again in the historic cowboy town of Jackson, Wyoming, soaking up some much needed front-country time after our 10-day extended backcountry section. We are sore, bruised, exhausted and bonded together like one big Moondance family. We took the best shower of our lives today at the Jackson Rec Center and finished up the afternoon with a swim in the community pool.

Our backcountry vacation began when we met our fearless guide, Mark Pearson, in Pinedale. Mark was accompanied by his 12-year old rockstar of a son, Andy, and their amazing dog Tag. After a short drive to the trailhead, we waved good-bye to our home away from home (the van and u-haul) and took off into the great wild open. Everyone did an amazing job that first day, particularly considering that some of our packs weighed somewhere around 60 pounds! I don’t think I heard one complaint. Parker set the tone for the entire section with his helpfulness. For 10 days, Parker was always the first to offer to pump water, clean dishes or carry extra weight. Other Moondance leaders should be jealous that Parker Haren isn’t on their trip!

The next day we began to gain some altitude and got our first real look at what the Wind River Range had to offer. Beautiful rocky vistas, snow-capped peaks and crystal clear mountain lakes full of hopping fish. Our second campsite bordered a beautiful lake where Claire and Sutton were the first to jump in to wash the dust off. Mark told us that it hadn’t rained in about 3 weeks, so the trail was incredibly dusty and after one day of hiking, we were covered in a thin film of dirt from in between our toes to our nostrils. Of course, the dirtiness only added to the fun factor of the experience.

The next day we hiked past the tree line to Twin Lakes where we set up camp for a couple days. We took a great day hike to a lake where Sutton and Wil spent the day fishing in order to catch us dinner! They caught 3 fish that Mark cooked over the fire and served with our delicious pasta alfredo dinner that Sara and Hannah helped make. I know it was a great feeling for the boys to help provide dinner for the entire group. While the boys fished, Chris and I taught the group their new favorite game, “Dip Dip Dip,” which Jay took no time learning and perfecting with the best tactic I’ve ever seen. And of course we played the old favorite, “Big Booty.” The next morning Claudia and Hannah helped cook the perfect backcountry pancakes to keep the entire group stuffed until the afternoon. Mark led us up to Vista Peak for our summit hike where we were able=2 0to take in a wide panorama of mountains and lakes. We relaxed at the summit before descending down to our campsite at Summit Lake.

Mark woke us up early the next morning (actually Tag licked my face to wake me up!) and led us for 6 miles to a beautiful canyon in the middle of the wilderness where we played several intense games of Mafia with Jerry and Claire being the best narrators I’ve heard in a while. It was hilarious. On the hike back to camp we ended up at a huge snowfield where the entire group sled down over and over. We took a great video of the group screaming and sliding down together and I have to say, this was my favorite part of the trip. Even Tag chased everyone up to the top of the hill and slid down. (We have a picture of that too!)

The next day we woke to a huge thunderstorm, which was a welcome change since it allowed us to sleep in for the first time! As soon as the clouds parted, I burst into the tent where Page was sleeping and threw streamers all over her! Happy 17^th Birthday Page! For dinner, we made delicious mac and cheese with summer sausage. Claudia helped me make 2 Jello No-Bake cheesecakes which we “cooked” in the snow. Everyone wore party hats and sang “Happy Birthday” to Page as we presented her with the 2 cakes which the group devoured20in no time, particularly with the storm looming in the sky. We quickly ducked into the safe shelter of our tents for the night and listened to the rain and hail bouncing off our sturdy homes. Although the party was a little rushed because of the weather, Page said she had a wonderful birthday, which is all that matters!

For our final day in the backcountry, we decided to challenge ourselves with a 16 mile hike back to civilization (well, the van and u-haul). Every single member of our tough group hiked with amazing speed and smiles, particularly Hannah who was dealing with a double dosage of severe blisters. I think we are more than ready to tackle climbing school and the Grand Teton! Here we come! Until next time…