[edit] Geography

Grand Teton, at 13,775 feet (4,199 m),^[1] is the high point of the Teton Range, and the second highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming. 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.

[edit] History

[edit] Name

Grand Teton's name was first recorded as Mount Hayden by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870. But 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 current name is controversial. 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]

[edit] First ascent

Winter on Grand Teton at center with Mount Owen at right and Middle Teton at left

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. When William O. Owen reached the summit in 1898, he found no trace of prior human passage. In all likelihood, The Enclosure was first climbed by Native Americans as suggested by Langford in 1873.^[8] Supporters of Owen included The Wyoming Legislature and Paul Petzoldt, former pioneer American climber.^[9] Ironically among Langford's supporters was Franklin Spalding, who led the ascent to the of the summit and tossed the rope that allowed Owen and the others to follow.^[7]

[edit] First Descents

• First Male Alpine Descent-Bill Briggs, 1971
• First Female Alpine Descent- Kristen Ulmer, 1997
• First Male Telemark Descent- Rick Wyatt, 1982
• First Female Telemark Descent- AK Cagily, 2004
• First Male Snowboard Descent- Stephen Koch, 1989
• First Female Snowboard Descent- Dani deRuyter, 2010 ^[10]

[edit] Climbing routes

Grand Teton can be climbed via the Owen-Spalding Route (II, 5.4). However, it is highly exposed and experience is recommended. The Owen-Spalding route is named for the climbers who claim to have made the first: William Owen, Franklin Spalding, Frank Peterson, and John Shive. There is some debate as to which person made the first ascent, but many agree this group was the first. Their route begins at the Upper Saddle which is reached by walking from Lupine Meadows Trailhead, up Garnet Canyon, to the Lower Saddle.

• The most popular route up the mountain is via the Upper Exum Ridge Route (II, 5.5) on the Exum Ridge, an exposed route first climbed by Glenn Exum, co-founder of Exum Mountain Guides. Much of the climbing is fourth class, with one wide step from the end of Wall Street Ledge to the Ridge comprising the first stretch of technical climbing. Other notable pitches include the Golden Staircase (immediately following the traverse from Wall Street Ledge), the Friction Pitch (considered the most difficult pitch on the route), and the V-Pitch.^[11] The direct start of the Exum Ridge using the Lower Exum Ridge Route (III, 5.7,) is considered a mountaineering classic and is featured in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.^[12]
• In addition to the Direct Exum Ridge Route, the classic guidebook also features the North Ridge (IV, 5.8) and North Face with Direct Finish (IV, 5.8), both of which ascend the dramatic northern aspect of the peak. The Grand Teton has the most routes listed in the Fifty Classic Climbs of North America of any peak. The only other to have more than one route listed is El Capitan, with The Nose and Salathé Wall. These inclusions have helped maintain the fame of the peak in the climbing community. Since the Tetons' first ascent, 38 routes with 58 variations have been established.

[edit] Ski descent

The Grand Teton has been skied by three routes, each requiring at least one rappel. The first descent on skis was made by Bill Briggs in the spring of 1971 down the Ford Couloir; a route near the Owen-Spalding is now named in his honor. 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.