Wy-Omin

sleeping bags
four wheel drive
chainsaws
waking up in the cold
swimming in glacial lakes
snow on top of mountains
wildflowers
shoveling shit
splitting wood
getting paid to hike
hay in all pockets
three amazing meals a day
classic rock accompanying all possible activities
tents
falling asleep before sundown
afternoon naps
weekend saunters
solitude
dogs on the back of pickup trucks
headlamps
horseflys
talking and singing to horses
cribbage
chicks driving pickup trucks
giant mustaches driving pickup trucks
open space
elk
eating leftovers all weekend
albertsons
bear claw ice cream
mosquitos buzzing in my ear as i write
french press
expenssive coffee
cheap coffee at sinclairs
yelling "The Virginian" every time we pass it
seeing the same strangers in town
rodeos
the fat creek joke
sarcastic swearing making beds
who put this towel here?
cribbage, yes again
throwing rocks at a stump
the matt cave
blazing trail
dumptrucks
katadain and rowdy dog
death canyon
the bench
hiking
wyoming
a short drive home.

12,804

Early this morning as the sun rose above the mountains turning the rocks that special morning rose color, thats what crayola would call it, we began our ascent. By 6:30 we were passing the sign for the lupin meadows trailhead. hiking up to the meadows we ascended a ridge and just as i thought we were in the middle of nowhere the crowds came into view. As a jump off point for most hikes and climbs up any of the tetons the meadows are a busy place. we passed the climbers still crawling out of tents and scrambled up talus slopes. we followed a couple who were most likely as lost as we were across a snow field and up to the saddle between the southern and middle tetons. it was there matt decided to nap and i continued my ascent up the middle teton. Its interesting the way sound plays off the rocks in the wind. you can hear conversations hundreds of yards away one moment and nothing the next. pulling myself over a ledge or slipping on loose rocks i, for just a second, wondered what i had gotten myself into. an hour later i was clinging to the highest rock i could find. two inches from my face a metal disc bolted to the rock by the USGS named my summit the middle teton. Bagging summits is more of a competitive sport than simply enjoying walking up and down in the mountains, but the view is uncomparable and occasionally it feels pretty good to ascend a well known name. one feels totally in control and entirely helpless standing atop the rocks. W.W. is receited in a whisper. For a few moments i clung to the rock like a cat up a tree contemplating my climb down.
descending back to the saddle it began to rain and matt and i slid and climbed as quickly as we could down the wet rocks and snow. luckily the rain didn't last and we survived our hike down with only sore bones.

first frost

august second marked the date of the very first morning frost on flat creek.
early tomorrow morning we hike the middle teton.
kyle and stan leave for wy-omin this thursday.
good times to follow.