4/18/16 - Mt Owen

Andy and I both had a few days free and headed to the Tetons with hopes of skiing off several of the bigger peaks.  Typically the psych is hard to contain but this trip was different.  For whatever reason we both weren't feeling it.  The whole way up we just kept talking about how we shouldn't have left SLC.  I just kept thinking about death.  Either me dying, Andy dying, both of us dying, or Amanda dying.  Normally we're pretty light hearted and make fun of each other and everyone we know but that day was different.  I thought my feelings would change the higher we got and I guess once the climbing was a little more engaging I stopped focusing on my desire to be home but overall desire to get the hell out of there lingered.  After skiing back off the East snowfields on Owen we decided to head back home to our families.  That was the only decision of the day we both felt good about.  

Glacier Gultch

The lower Koven

Turning the corner after the East Snowfield, nearing the summit

We've been here in the summer and were worried the climbing would be a little tricky in ski boots.  Luckily there was enough snow and the rock was featured enough to make it very straight forward.

Andy entering the final chimney

From the summit looking down on Andy bely perch

Rapping towards the skiing

We found pretty good snow in the chimney above the Koven but not so much in the Couloir

Waiting for the Koven to soften

Andy about to lose a ski

Luckily it stuck the landing a couple hundred feet below.  Also lucky that Andy stuck his landing before falling the couple hundred feet.