THE APOGEE

This was the second time I’d been on the Jenny Lake boat this season, and I can now say that I am indeed a fan. Still traumatized by the long and punishing walk-ins while living in New Zealand, if I can cut out some walking, I will.

The last few days had been boiling hot. So hot, in fact, that Idaho Falls recorded its hottest temperature ever. The National Weather Service was telling people to stay indoors. We opted to do the opposite. Our plan was to climb the shady west face of Disappointment Peak. With an early start, we knew we’d stay out of the sun until the afternoon. Better yet, we’d finish the day with a swim in Amphitheater Lake.

After watching the USMNT disgrace themselves during the World Cup, Charlie and I needed something to lift our spirits. So, naturally...we went climbing. The forecast looked beautiful, and I had never climbed at Rock Springs before. Most of the routes there are still a little above my leading ability, but Right Dihedrals has a reputation as a classic, so we decided to give it a go.

The Yeti hunters are back! When I was growing up, my cousin Chris Mo had a small patch of forest behind his house. And I don’t mean some vast reserve of wilderness — I’m talking about a cluster of trees separating a few suburban homes. To us, it might as well have been the Siberian wilderness.