Tetons part 2 of 6: Meadows & Corkscrew

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Our campsite at the Meadows.
A good point that my partner brought up was how useful hooks (like these or some of these) would have been to keep things out of reach of naughty, kniving, marmots.
Spalding Falls flowing down in top right corner.

Disclaimer: despite this next part, most people who know me well know I have a soft spot for animals... more so than most humans.

Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris

An arrogant, blase, insolent, calculating, chunky little fucker of a rodent who
loves to chew through packs, tents, and gear to pillage and steal stuff.

This one was basking in a spot that I didn't think any marmot could get to... and I had stashed stuff on the exact spot overnight.

I once read an account of some people climbing in the Tetons who, upon returning to their tent, found that a marmot had chewed though their tent & laid a turd on one of their sleeping bags.

My first morning waking up in the Tetons.
For some reason, this picture just doesn't look like me.

Note the rare Pipi Longstocking braids.

The view looking back down the mountain

note for Corkscrew: bring the #3 big blue camalot or equivalent!

A tracing of our objective for the day (from Ortenburger, p 225) and my partner's booze ("have some, it's good! it's Canadian!"). It didn't occur to me that people who are willing to lug 2.5L of whiskey for a 6 day climb might have, well, issues. I was wrapped up in my own substance-related issues (namely, oxygen)

Not that we don't all issues, but, well....

this is what (literature) people call "foreshadowing".

My partner had stashed his booze in the tent when we went climbing. When we got back, he searched for it (another hint of that just dawned on me as I write this) but it was not in the tent.

Minutes later, he found it in the shallow stream next to the tent.

I guess when the rangers cam around to check permits (which is to be displayed on the tent at all times), they also check the inside of tents for improper food storage (?). Perhaps the kind ranger who checked the tent found the booze and put it in the stream to chill.

Speaking of booze, I just noticed the shirt I am wearing complements the previous picture well.

cooling off around Spalding Falls

Even higher up, looking down at the tent

This is Exum's picture of our objective.

Click here for beta from the Ortenburger book.

Is this a picture of the same thing?

A view from the Meadows of the Caves, Spalding Falls,
Disappointment, and Fairshare Tower (Corkscrew).

You know those people who have photographic memories for climbing?
Well, I'm not one of those people and can't remember
which pitch of the Corkscrew this is (2nd?).

I do recall that we began the climb far left
of the start described in the book.

Starting 2nd pitch?

Despite being out of breath in between moves, this climb was awesome.
The way we did it there was a bit of everything...
fingers, chimney, roofiness, goofiness

Ducking from drizzle somewhere towards the end of the climb

weather's coming... better hurry!

I think I was told to wait for a signal/tugs here.
The end of the climb was a simulclimb.

Afterwards, we stashed the gear somewhere near
Disappointment Peak since Irene's Arete was on the menu in a few days!