When the
workweek finally comes to an end, Henry and the Forks are always excited for
the adventures that the weekend is sure to hold. Some recent escapades have
included floating the Warm River and Henry’s Fork, hiking around by Sawtelle
Mountain, backpacking in the Caribou Range, and exploring the towns and cities
around Ashton (and of course a bundle of fishing). This past weekend, Bess and I
went for a hike to the very popular Table Mountain in the Teton Range. Little
did we know, this trip would prove to be far more exciting than we thought.
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| A lovely day for a hike! |
With
daypacks slung over our shoulders, we left the Teton Camp Ground around 10:00AM
for the ~6 mile trek to the summit of Table Mountain. We talked with a number
of people on the way up, and all assured us that the views of the Tetons from
the peak would be marvelous. Talking with folks was wonderful, until one guy
coming down the trail warned us “watch out, there’s a big storm up ahead.” This
wasn’t exactly what we’d hoped to hear. As we ascended some final switchbacks
to reach a plateau 1.5 miles from the summit, we saw the dark grey and purple
thunderheads heading straight for us. After discussing our situation with an
awesome man sporting a “Fear Grandpa” tee shirt, we decided to press on and see
if we could make it to the top before the storm unleashed its fury. And boy oh
boy, did things get interesting.
A mile from
the peak, the storm set in. We were more or less above tree line, standing in
the open at 10,000 feet. If I were a bolt of lightening, I would have loved to
strike us. Accordingly, we flew down the trail as fast as we could and took
shelter from the hail and lightening in a small grove of trees, layering up as
the temperature dropped 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. We were a bit discouraged,
but even more determined to make it to the summit. Forty-five minutes later,
the storm had passed and we set out once again.
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| ...not as lovely of a day... |
Of course,
another storm decided to mosey on in and say hello. Now past the point of no
return, we went off trail to a stunted copse of trees and sat out this storm,
the hail not reaching us through a thatched roof of pine. A half hour later, we
opted to make another dash for the summit, passing a few groups that were up
there hiding in rocks when the storms hit (they could feel the static
electricity building up around them).
This
attempt was rather short lived. Almost completely above tree line, a third
storm rolled in and forced us to hide under some gnarled tree/shrubs. The
temperature dropped even more, and we didn’t have nearly as much protection
from the storm as we huddled together for warmth. But deterred we were not! We
emerged from our lair and stared defiantly at the peak, perhaps a quarter mile
away, beckoning for us to climb to its precipice. Then we glanced across the
mountains.
Storm
numero quatro was also staring at the peak. It decided to make itself known by
sending down from the heavens a fiery stab of electricity, right to the top of
the mountain. A moment later, a repeat strike had Bess and I turning our backs
on that fine looking mountain. After nearly three hours of playing cat and
mouse with storms that shouldn’t be reckoned with, we decided it wasn’t worth
it. We made our way down trail (a mighty steep trail, might I add), stoked to
have made it out alive (we had our doubts at some points), and even happier to
have seen some wonderful scenery and met a number of rad people (we had a nice
chat with “Fear Grandpa” man again at the trailhead). This hike may not have
been what we were expecting, but it was still a great time!
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| Still alive! (yay) |
Checking the weather is for squares,
Jeff
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