The Summer Fling (part 2)

Looking back down the North Ridge. 

My second date with the Tetons involved the range's less-acclaimed peaks: The Middle and South Teton. Familiar with the trail from Lupine Meadows, I raced up the switchbacks, legs churning and heart beating with  the anticipation and desire to be back on the rocky ridges and snowy notches of these mountains. The North Ridge of the Middle Teton proved shorter and far more friendly than I had expected, with only a few moves of 5.6 climbing. 

Looking up the Black Dike notch. 

After navigating several gendarmes on the ridge, I was deposited into a notch created by an eroding black dike. From here, blocky 5.5 terrain led to the final summit ridge and my second major high-point in the region.

Summit of Middle Teton!

I snapped some photos, accidentally tagged the south summit in an attempt to find the descent, and eventually made my way to the southwest couloir where a lot of slippery scree sliding brought me to the saddle between Middle Teton and South Teton.

Looking north to the Grand from Middle Teton. 

A look at the route up South Teton. Basically, just a huge Class 2 slog. 

Looking back at the Middle Teton from South Teton. 

Standard-summit-stoked-selfie. 

A nice panorama, looking north, with Idaho on the left and Wyoming on the right!

Idaho's got some nice lakes.

On the summit of the South Teton, I watched two guys head east, embarking on the final leg of the Grand Traverse. Sitting there on the summit, I thought, "You've still got some energy left, maybe you should just, ya know, tag-a-along...". It took everything I had to resist the urge, but the seed was planted and my summertime fling was evolving into a bit of an obsession. The gears were turning: could I link-up all of these peaks? Could (and should) I go for the Grand Traverse!?!

I debated my next move and went out for a different kind of date. This time, without the Tetons to keep me company... 

Arguably the best Pad Thai in Wyoming? I'd say so.