Buck Mountain proved to be a beautiful climb. Gorgeous sights, dry, crisp air, and that deep blue Wyoming sky. It was a tiring day but we still planned on climbing Teewinot the following day. People visiting the area often confuse Teewinot with the Grand Teton, for when you stop at pristine Jenny Lake it is Teewinot you see, not the Grand Teton. When we were satiated and resting, we tuned in to the local weather report. Not promising. The following day was suppose to start with light rain followed by a mix bag of God’s droppings. Jim was a fair weather climber and stated he didn’t want to climb in adverse conditions. My life was an adverse condition. So a plan was hatched, if it was raining in the morning, Jim would drop me off at the trail head, and if the weather was promising he would come join me up one of the best climbs in the Tetons.

Five o’clock and it’s, gray, cold and dizzyingly outside. Tall, thin, gangly Jim packs his bag just in case things improve by the time we get to the trail head. It doesn’t. As I’ve spent most of my trip getting soaked on the motorcycle, this is not going to deter me. Before we part ways, and this is before the advent of cell phones, I tell Jim not to worry if I don’t get home to the cabin that night. My backpack doubles as a bivouac bag ( an ultra thin sleeping bag), and I had enough clothes and food to carry me through the night. We part company fully expecting everything will be fine.

The parking lot was small and the trail head overgrown. As visibility was poor I had a tough time negotiating the very first part of the hike. It wasn’t long before I could no longer make out the parking area, where there was only a solitary car. At the very start I felt lonely and wondered if I had made the right choice. Then peaceful sound of a waterfall could be heard and I was reassured. As I emerged out of the dripping trees a wondrous sight welcomed me. A patch of sky opened and a bright ray of light illuminated the tall wet grass. A screech. Looking above me I see an eagle lazily circling overhead. The ray of light was cutting through the mist on the ground and the sight was so intensely beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. No artist could capture this, it is beyond the imagination of most: so beautiful the sight. With fully charged batteries I was ready for anything now, or so I thought.