Teton Thunderstorms (compared to RMNP and/or Sierra Nevada)

Skeeter Westgate wrote:This has been my experience with the Tetons in late summer: YMMV. This is a fun read on some climbers I know who got caught on the Grand in a storm. Anneka is an Exum guide now.

Brian Scoggins wrote: Is she a full guide now, or still an apprentice?

I think even my dog could get a job guiding for exum mt guides.

I've climbed a lot in the Tetons and RMNP and a little bit in the Winds. With the Winds, if it rains, it can rain for 3 days straight with no breaks (kinda like the Bugs). I've been told that these storms are predictable, however, so you could divert to cragging in Lander or Jackson.

With RMNP and the Tetons, I've found that you can climb almost any day you want, but you can rarely climb all day long. So, you get up early, usually have bomber weather until noon, then after that it's a crap shoot. Luckily, most of the routes are very do-able from the car in that amount of time if you are fit. Most of my ascents in the Tetons involved waking at 1:00 or 2:00 and hiking in the dark, then enjoying sunrise from a chossy granite ridge, summitting around noon, then hiking down through a thunderstorm, or if you get down quick enough, you avoid it. RMNP is similar, but you can sleep a little longer because the hikes aren't as bad...unless you're doing the Diamond.

Except for the Winds, bivying in any of these places involve heinous bureaucracy and outrageaous, excessive fees. So if you're fit, you're best to do stuff car-to-car, and in that case, it seems RMNP and the Tetons would be better than the Sierra. Oh, and the Tetons have great free camping nearby in the NF. I'm not sure about RMNP...I've never had to do it, I always bivied at my in-law's in Longmont.

I lived in Estes for 4 years then moved to Jackson for 4. In my opinion the rock climbing in Estes (RMNP) is far, far, far better than the Tetons in quality and quantity. Not even close. Don't get me wrong, I love the Tetons, but I'd rather be in Estes anay time during the summer (vice versa in the winter). In my experience, the weather is significantly more stable in the Tetons. I remember near daily afternoon storms in RMNP, and a lot of 3 a.m. starts to get off routes before them. I was kind of shocked when I moved to Jackson and most people I knew didn't really start very early for a lot of the alpine routes (other than things like the Grand of course). Sure it storms there, but I don't think they are nearly as regular.

awesomejacksonhole wrote:I think even my dog could get a job guiding for exum mt guides.

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