On the plane ride to Jackson Hole, WY, to climb the Grand Teton (where American mountaineering was born), a commercial for the airline said, "You don’t find balance. You create it!" On this climb, I did just that!
I began writing this post before I even summited, sitting at 9,500 feet at Surprise Lake gazing up in amazement at the Grand Teton. It was a day to shake out the legs, decompress, get focused and get some altitude in the legs and lungs before my three days on the Grand.
On my seven-mile trek up to the lake, I noted how time slows down in the alpine wilderness and how the beauty always amazes me. The clear mountain air makes the colors of the mountains and sky seem deeper, bolder and crisper as you soak in the views in total peace and quiet. It reminded me to stop and take the time to truly enjoy the views and the journey. Doing so made it easy to reach that inner quiet and balance, providing me with the right mindset and focus for the big climb.
I'm convinced this is why I had one of my best climbs ever. It was an all-around great three days on the Grand Teton, as I was in the right space. I felt mentally and physically strong, experienced no negative impacts from the altitude, had perfect weather, stopped and enjoyed the views and just had plain old fun climbing and hanging out at high camp.
The Grand Teton experience was different in many ways from my other climbs--in how I felt physically, how this climb didn’t include glacier and ice travel, and how I relaxed and had fun, which I know made the experience that much better. During the three days, including on the summit, my guide Michael and I joked and laughed the entire time. We also had the Grand Teton to ourselves on the entire route to the summit, eliminating any distractions. In fact, there were only two other people hanging out on top when we got there, which is rare. What a day!
The Grand is also different in how it looks like no other mountain in the U.S., which provides a unique mountaineering experience as well. It is absolutely beautiful, with waterfalls, wildflowers and deep canyons towering thousands of feet over you. Plus, it's a technical mountain, as you’re climbing 2,000 vertical feet of 5.8 rock, setting protection and literally hanging off of the face of the earth at 13,000+ feet.
With the experience being unique compared to my other summits, along with the fun and comaraderie that Michael and I built throughout the expedition, it not only allowed me to maintain that balance, but it made me realize how lucky I am. To see the views from the summit, to have the great experience that I did, to have met the people that I met, I realized that I have an infinite amount of good fortune, and I am grateful for that. It's pretty awesome how I continue to have unique experiences and meet cool and interesting people on all of my climbs, which makes for a great journey in and of itself every time.
It's been more than three weeks since I summited, and I'm still smiling thinking about it. Everything about this climb was great. It goes to show that no matter how difficult or scary something is, you have the power to make it a great experience, but I have to admit...having a little luck every now and then definitely helps!
Honestly, I was really lucky with the weather, my guide and feeling unstoppable. These things helped to influence my attitude and overall experience. Yes, I still left everything I had on the mountain...literally blood, sweat and even skin. And although life is all about perspective and balance, sometimes the stars and the moon align and make the experience that much better. This was my climb on the Grand.
Sometimes things just work out so well there is no real life lesson. Sometimes things just end up being perfect. Like when I began my journey, I was reminded to stop and enjoy the views and the peace and quiet...well, this was one of those experiences where I just need to stop and enjoy what a great experience it was and how lucky I am to have everything align in the manner that it did.
The icing on the cake of this perfect climb was that after the summit, Lauren joined me to continue the experience in Teton and Yellowstone National parks. We toured downtown Jackson Hole (and had some adult beverages at Snake River Brewery), hiked every day, took in the views and experienced new things together, such as too-close-for-comfort run-ins with grizzly bears, black bears, elk and antelope. I'm glad she was able to join in on the great escape, to decompress and reset mentally and physically. After this trip, I know we're both anxious for the next journey!
Hopefully, you have the ability to escape in some capacity, whether it be on a run or bike ride, in the garden, at a local park, or maybe on a your own getaway. Regardless of what, hopefully you're able to regain some balance, find that positive perspective, and stop and enjoy the views.
Don't forget to check out the Gallery to see updated photos of my climb and more!
Climb On!