Bugaboos vs Tetons?

I have been planning a week long trip to the Bugaboos since the start of the summer. Girlfriend and myself both got the time off of work for middle of August. Then today I learned that a friend of a friend had an emergency and left their car at an airport in Wyoming and needs someone to fly out and drive it back. So I have an opportunity for a free plane ride to the Tetons, but it would mean skipping the Bugaboos trip and cancelling plane tickets and other arrangements. And several days of driving back east.

Which would you choose if you had a week in August to be at either place? Can anyone who's been to both offer up some general comparisons?

Though I don't know about the Bugs, the Tetons are a month or two behind in terms of their snowpack. I am under the impression (as of last week) that most of the classic alpine rock routes are not yet in optimal condition, and will require abnormal movement over mixed terrain.

I had a buddy who was warned off the East Ridge of Cube Point by Exum Guides because of unpredictable conditions (I climbed that route in great conditions the second week of June 2001 for example)

This past winter was a special one for snow. That being said, if you've never been to the Tetons, you need to go. I'm sure by August everything will be as expected.

Maybe someone closer to the park can advise?

Both places are real gems and should not be missed.
I've climbed in both areas quite a bit, but don't know any specifics about this season's conditions in either.

The one piece of info I can give you is this: the weather in the bugs is extremely unpredictable; your chances of hitting climbable weather if you only have one week are a toss-up at best. I know vacation time is limited but this area is best approached with plenty of extra time to wait for the right weather window. These can be a few days longs, but can be separated by days/weeks of bad weather.

IMO the Tetons are a less fickle weather-wise and you have many options for one-day (yes, in some cases very long day!) climbs from the valley floor, which is not the case in the bugs.

My advice would be to consider the Tetons. Given the amount of snow in CO this winter, I'd go prepared for snow & ice travel, although I would guess that conditions should be pretty good for long rock routes by mid-August, even in a heavy snow year like this one...

Have fun! Either one of these areas is unforgettable.

They are not comparable, apples to oranges. The Bugs have long sustained pure rock climbs, the Tetons do not.

The Tetons are great, but the Bugs are definitely more spectacular. Car to car days are pretty attainable in The Bugaboos too if you are doing the moderate routes. Not harder than a Car to Car day in The Sierra or RMNP.

All that said, The Tetons are fun too.

Bugs are far more spectacular. The rock produces obvious crack climbing lines, which are relatively rare in the Tetons. While there are certainly great rock routes in the Tetons, the rock quality is more variable. Bugs will require you to travel on snow, Tetons won't generally, though there is a lot of snow this year.

Car to car in the Bugs would be a stretch for most people. I certainly would not compare that option to routes in RMNP.

Car to car in the Tetons offers tons of options including low elevation routes. Commitment level is generally much less. You can car camp and eat pizza at Dornan's. You have to get bivy permits but there are lots of options for bivy sites and routes.