Climbers ranch, Tetons

Looking for approach info for climbing in the Tetons from the Climbers Ranch!  Planning on a week in the Teton in August but back country permits are limited.  Wondering if it is possible to climb the Grand Teton in a day staying at the Ranch.  Approach info mileage and elevation gain would be awesome!  Thanks

I stayed at the ranch two years ago and climbed it in a day. I drove to the Lupine Meadows trail head though which would shave off mileage as opposed to hiking straight from the ranch. 

You can approach Garnet Canyon directly from the ranch via the unofficial trail through Burnt Wagon Gulch.  Time/Distance/Effort is equivalent to going from Lupine Meadow,

Patrick Mcfadden wrote:

Looking for approach info for climbing in the Tetons from the Climbers Ranch!  Planning on a week in the Teton in August but back country permits are limited.  Wondering if it is possible to climb the Grand Teton in a day staying at the Ranch.  Approach info mileage and elevation gain would be awesome!  Thanks

I'm interested in this as well. Is it possible to do the North Ridge in a day starting from the Ranch?

As noted above, similar through burnt wagon gulch, maybe a bit longer distance. Vert is basically the same. Taking the official trail from Taggart Lake would probably add about 2+ miles.

As for the North Ridge, the first question is probably how you plan to approach it more generally. It can certainly be done in a day from the ranch or Lupine Meadows, but then again, so can the entire grand traverse, so a lot depends on fitness and technical skill. Shoot me a PM/email if you want more precise beta.

Adam Beck wrote:

I'm interested in this as well. Is it possible to do the North Ridge in a day starting from the Ranch?

Yes. All standard approaches are accessed via the Garnet canyon/Amphitheater lake trail starting from Lupine or from the Ranch. But as you may know, the North Ridge alone is relatively remote and a light bivy at the lower Saddle or Grandstand might make it more enjoyable if you're not extremely fit.         

Patrick Mcfadden wrote:

Looking for approach info for climbing in the Tetons from the Climbers Ranch!  Planning on a week in the Teton in August but back country permits are limited.  Wondering if it is possible to climb the Grand Teton in a day staying at the Ranch.  Approach info mileage and elevation gain would be awesome!  Thanks

Two-thirds of all backcountry permits in the Tetons are reserved for first come/first serve (only 33% are reservable online).  If you're planning on a weekday climb, you will probably be able to get a permit if you get up early the day before your climb and wait in line at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station at 7 am. The lower Saddle and Meadow are popular, but you might get lucky at the platforms, moraine or caves. Weekend are busy but still possible. If all else fails or you don't have the time to get in line, do it in a day but be super fit and keep moving.  

EDIT: ???  Permits are available for both caves and moraine for the first week in Aug..         

Here's info on the Burnt Wagon Gulch trail. http://wyomingwhiskey.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_91.html.  If you are doing the Grand in a day, you'll probably be starting by headlamp unless you are very fast.  That being the case, it is far easier to get lost on the BWG approach, and you should either scout it out ahead of time or drive over to Lupine Meadows and start from there.  Assuming you have a car and can drive to Lupine Meadows, the only advantage of the BWG trail is that Lupine Meadows parking becomes a nightmare later in the day, so for later starts the BWG trail is better. Distances are comparable.  But if you are getting going before sunrise, Lupine Meadows will not be a parking problem and you can't possibly lose that trail.

The North Ridge is pretty remote.  Doing it in a day from the ranch is for very experienced parties who can move fast on complex terrain.   

You can walk from the climber's ranch and intersect the Garnett Canyon Trail.  From the Ranch, walk down the road, and turn left just before the bridge. Folks at the climbers' ranch could direct you there with ease. It is possible to climb the grand from the ranch in the day via OS, Exum, or Petzoldt. North Ridge from the car would be a significant undertaking especially if you are new to the Tetons.

It is not hard to get walk-in permits. Just get to the backcountry office early, a couple days in advance.  I wouldn't book them months out as the weather is unpredictable. 

Note that parking is not available at the Climbers' Ranch except for registered guests.   There's a bit of parking available at the creek where the BWG takes off.

Did this hike from the Climbers Ranch to Lupine Meadows trail last year.  Staff was super helpful in showing us where the trail was. According to my watch it was an extra mile or so one way.  

4 plus year old thread...bump...ha ha.