GRAND TETON NATURE NOTES

MOUNTAINEERING, 1940

by
Bennett T. Gale

Although the total ascents made in the Tetons during the 1940 climbing season were approximately 100 below that of the record year of 1959 it is felt that the season just past was very successful. Almost as many parties gained major summits this year as last, many new routes were established and one mountain, Cleaver Peak, was climbed for the first time.

In 1959 the Mountaineers, Inc., of Seattle spent their annual outing in Grand Teton National Park and were responsible for the large number of individuals making successful climbs. No such organized group visited the Tetons this year but throughout the summer much interest in climbing activities was noted among the experienced and inexperienced climbers.

Paul Petzoldt was the official mountaineering guide assisted during part of the season by Glen Exum. Guided parties made many difficult ascents this year indicating an acceptance of the idea that mountain climbing is a sport and not a mere method of gaining some high elevation.

It is worthy of note that four members of the two K2 expeditions of the American Alpine Club were climbing in the Tetons the past summer. They were William House, Robert Bates, Jack Durrance and Paul Petzoldt.

Brief accounts of the more interesting events of the 1940 season in Grand Teton National Park follows:

June 1 — The climbing season opened today with an ascent of the Grand Teton by way of the Owen Route. This was done by Paul Petzoldt and A. Delmarsh and is the earliest ascent the climbing guide has made. He notes that "the crawl was filled with snow and there was some ice sheeting on the rocks. There were 'frost feathers' four feet in diameter on perpendicular faces near the top."

July 4 — Elizabeth Cowles and Paul Petzoldt established a new route on Middle Teton today. Mrs. Cowles led this ascent from the lower saddle up the north ridge of Middle Teton keeping well above the snow couloir to the north summit and then over the main summit. Return was made to the saddle between Middle and South Tetons.

July 4 and 5 — Several first ascents were accomplished by R. Bear and W. Plumley. These were on the pinnacles of Mount Saint John lying west of Symmetry Spire.

July 9 — Another pinnacle of Saint John, the last large one on the ridge east of the "keyhole" was climbed for the first time by E. Cowles, D. Cowles, A. Willamore and Paul Petzoldt.

July 11 — Interesting variations of the southwest ridge and the Exum Route on the Grand Teton were made today by Jack Durrance, Dr. B. Howorth, Margaret Smith, Charles Webb and Henry Coulter.

July 16 — The north face of Buck Mountain was climbed for the first time by Elizabeth Cowles and Paul Petzoldt.

July 19 — Additional variations of the Exum Route on the Grand Teton wore made by Paul Petzoldt, Clermont DeSelvis, Bernard Nobel and John Farrar.

July 20 — Margaret Smith, Joseph Hawkes and Jack Durrance climbed the dike of the Middle Teton to the east summit.

July 24 — An east ridge climb of the Grand Teton was accomplished by Paul Petzoldt, H. Plumley, W. Plumley and J. Fralick. On this climb the first gendarme was traversed to the south and the summit rocks were gained from the east. The Owen Route was taken to the lower saddle and the dike route followed to Amphitheater Lake on the return.

July 30 — B. G. Ferris Jr., and W. Shand, Jr., climbed to the east summit of Middle Teton by a new route. They utilized the northeast ridge and face from the lower snow field and then traversed to the east ridge and along it to the east summit.

August 1 — A new route was established on Storm Point by Thomson Edwards and Grove McGown. Their route left Cascade Canyon and proceeded up the south face with a difficult traverse to the main south couloir and thence to the saddle and up the regular route. They state that this is a long, hard climb and not to be recommended.

August 9 — On their second attempt a first ascent of Nez Perce via the north face was made by Jack Durrance and Henry Coulter. Their route started at the center of the hourglass and continued straight up the north face. A new descent was also made by using the entire east ridge, climbing the second pinnacle and traversing the first pinnacle on the north flank.

August 9 — Cleaver Peak, 11,062 foot, was ascended for the first time by John McCown, Grove McCown, Edward McNeill and Thomson Edwards. They started in the left fork of Moran Canyon climbing the northwest couloir to the saddle then up the north ridge gaining the summit by chimneys in the north face. The descent was made by the same route to the saddle and thence to the northeast to Cirque Lake.

August 10 — The Underhill-Fryxell Route of the north ridge of the Grand Teton was climbed today by Paul Petzoldt, W. Shand, Jr., B. G. Ferris, Jr., and Victor Fritz. Twelve hours were taken for the ascent. The chock stone was gained by spread eagling facing in and thence onto a crack on the north.

August 10 — Henry Coulter and Jack Durrance climbed the south ridge of Middle Teton from the base of the lowest pinnacle to make a new route on this peak. All the pinnacles along this ridge were climbed. Durrance calls this "the most difficult climb yet encountered in the Tetons."

August 14 — The Durrance-Coulter Route on Nez Perce established August 9 was used as a start by Charles Webb, John McCown, Thomson Edwards, Edward McNeill and Tom Johnston in making an additional ascent of Nez Perce. This party left the previous route at the split rocks on the north face and took the couloir to the right. A traverse was made to the east and the summit gained by the north face.

August 14 — Another route on the Grand Teton was made by Jack Durrance and Henry Coulter. They climbed up the west face to the west chimney and thence directly to the summit. Fifteen and a half hours were consumed on this ascent.

August 22 — John B. and Elizabeth M. Buck climbed the east face of Storm Point today.

August 28 — Paul Petzoldt, Elizabeth Cowles, McAully Smith, William House, Robert Bates and Glen Exum climbed the Underhill-Fryxell Route of the north ridge of the Grand Teton. Mrs. Cowles is the first woman to make this difficult climb.

August 29 — Buck Mountain was climbed today by its namesakes John B. Buck and Elizabeth M. Buck. Their route from the Skyline Trail to the divide between Buck Mountain and Static Peak and up the narrow south couloir just east of the divide with a traverse to the east face appears to be a new one.

Undated — The third pinnacle north of Rock of Ages was first ascended by John Oberlin, Mr. Bonnie, Margaret Smith and Fred Ayres.

Undated — Mrs. Elizabeth Cowles led the entire north ridge climb of Mount Moran. Others in the party were Paul Petzoldt, Glen Exum, McAully Smith, William House and Robert Bates.

There follows a summary of the ascents in the Tetons during the 1940 season: