Matt and Megan Do Jackson
Symmetry Spire
The rest day set us up to wake up early for Symmetry Spire.
Back in the day, Symmetry was my first-ever alpine adventure. It was beyond cool to repeat the route as a different human being, and very fun to get up high with my Megs.
The spire, left skyline of peak on the right.
Summit Selfie!
We were posted up in Jeremy's driveway. The night before the Spire we pulled the climbing gear out of the van and got packed.
Approaching the approach
We're actually on a trail, though you'd never known
4th class approach
The approach continues
At the top!
The uh, descent
Happy Hour
Sam Singer met Megan and I at Phil Baux Park to throw a frisbee and cook dinner in the parking lot. By chance, Wesley Gooch was there doing a little event advertising a new crag he and friends had worked on over the summer.
Megan and I took his pamphlet sized guide and went to check it out late one night, taking the gondola up at five and back down at ten.
When the subject of your photo isn't in focus but it's your blog and you can do what you want
The climbing was steep but with huge jugs. Pretty darn fun, and a magical place to be as the world slowly got darker in the height of the summer.
Exxum Arete
Our final Jackson hit! Megan and I did the classic arete by walking up from the resort, then topping out and continuing up all the way to the tram. We got a free ride down packed in with stinky tourists, but I suppose that's fair when we were stinky climbers. Megs continued her wildlife safari, seeing moose for the first time ever when we flushed a momma and her child further up the valley.
Bye June! Be good!
Megan leading p2
Following p4
Clearing the talus above the buttress
Pika!
Phelps Lake
One of the reasons we had put off Jackson until the end of the trip was that my friends Wade and Alicia were getting married over in Victor the day before Megan had to head south. After we got back to the car from the tram I had text message missives waiting from the betrothed. They and a gaggle of friends were up at Phelps Lake, leaping off the jumping rock.
After a lunch consisting mainly of fried pickles, Megan and I headed that way. A mile gently uphill got us to the lake, and we gave in to our tired limbs and decided to not go the rest of the way.
Sassy face
I had been trying to meet up with Matt while we were still in the village, then gave him the update re: Phelps Lake. Managed to catch him as he was literally running by to go to the diving rock. Gave that guy a good strong hug, I did.
We spent the evening having pizza on the deck at Dornan's in Moose with the wedding party. The next day was the big one for them.
Wade And Alicia's Wedding
My fourth and final wedding of the summer. Megan's third. We started celebrating well before most everyone else. Beers around noon, switching to wine around the same time I put on my pants (say, 2pm). More drinks disappearing as we played Polish Horseshoes of Death. The ice cubes clinking in our G&Ts throughout the ceremony itself. We tucked ourselves into bed at 10pm, having already partied all our partying out.
Megan drove away from the ranch towards Flagstaff the next morning; me, towards Laramie. My ultimate goal was the same, but I had to take the long way down to get goodies for the van.