Francs Peak, Tetons. Fall, 2009October 7

At the Buffalo Bill Show in Cody,  I am here doing a quickdraw of the Matterhorn in the space of an hour while people look on.

After the auction Alison and I went to Meteetsee to climb Franc’s Peak, 13,153 feet,  with Lili Turnell and her friend Lynn. Franc’s is one of only three Wyoming thirteeners outside of the Windriver Range. It’s a volcanic peak with sparse vegetation but with a commanding view of the Absorokas, the Gros Ventres, clear to Gannett Peak.

Then it was over to the Tetons to paint some fall colors. However the weather moved in…

We decide to take a hike into Garnet Canyon and go up the south flank below Nez Perce. We left at 3:30 AM. The snow was loose and slid off of the grass as we tried to go up the mountain. It was like trying to go uphill on roller skates.

So we stopped at dawn and Alison pulled out the Jetboil to fire up some tea; very comforting since at was 16 degrees F when we left the cabin at 2:30 AM.

However the Alpenglow made all our efforts seem worthwhile…

After tea and photos we decide to keep going up, grabbing tree limbs and bushes to pull our selves along. As we ascended a fog was rolling in from the valley below.

This was an answer to prayer, since I thought of how a bit of fog at the base of the mountains would improve the composition tremendously. I have no imagination to invent such things, so God is always having to help me out.

At a flat shoulder of the mountain Alison cooked up something nourishing. The Jetboil is her secret weapon for being able to linger in the mountains in style and comfort.

Alison got a watercolor done by using hot water, and I got a pastel done. Both were rather hasty sketches. We will need to rely mostly on photos as references, but what photos!

On the way down we decided to explore the trail-less canyon east of Nez Perce.

Again, we had to rely on grabbing limbs and branches to get down the steep parts. We invented a new sport called ‘bush surfing’.

Finally we came out onto the dry hills where the snow had melted off.

All in all a marvelous trip with exquisite scenes of rare beauty.

October 7, 2009 at 1:54 pm | General | No comment