Start date 20200801
End date 20200809
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Elephant's Perch - Mountaineer's Route 2020

Due to COVID, we chose to skip taking the boat and hike all the way in. But we first started off our morning with baked goods from the bakery, the fresh warm chocolate croissant was soooo good! The hike in is loooooong. Once you get near the end of the lake, the views start to…

August 2, 2020 to August 4, 2020 By andrewleader

Itinerary with Irene’s + Cragging

  • Saturday, Aug 1st
    • 9:00 AM – Drive to Redfish Lake (10:20 hrs)
    • 9:00 PM – Arrive?
    • Drive to Redfish Lake (10:20 hrs), camp somewhere?
      • Salmon River Campground
        • 15 mins to Redfish Trailhead, passes along bakery, so leave by 7:30
      • Mountain View Campground (no reservations, only a few spots, probably full)
      • Chinook Bay Campground (also only 13 spots, no reservations, probably full, popular)
      • Sunny Gulch Campground (45 spots, only first-come-first-served spots left)
      • $97 – The Buck (yurt), 1:10 hr drive to trailhead
        • No sheets included on mattress, no toilet but an outdoor port-a-potty, no electricity
  • Sunday, Aug 2nd
    • 8:00 AM – Arrive at Redfish Trailhead (could try bakery at 7am)
    • 8:20 AM – Backpack into Elephant’s Perch (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft gain, 5 hrs)
    • 1:20 PM – At lake, set up camp
  • Monday, Aug 3rd
    • Climb Elephant’s Perch
      • Weather: Sunny, with a starting low of 52 and high near 72, southeast wind 6 to 9 mph (approx at base)
      • Sunrise: 6:30 AM, sunset: 9:00 PM (probably doesn’t get sun till 1pm)
      • 5:30 AM start hiking
      • 6:30 AM – Base
      • 6:45 AM – Climbing (5.9, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 11:45 AM – Summit
      • 12:15 PM – Scramble down (3 hrs)
      • 3:15 PM – At camp
    • Camp another night
    • Or we could hike out…
      • 4:00 PM – Hike out (4:30 hrs)
      • 8:30 PM – At car
      • Find an AirBnB? Log Cabin further south for $135?
  • Option A: Backpacking for Irene’s
    • Tuesday, Aug 4th
      • 6:00 AM – Backpack out (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft descent, 4:30 hrs)
      • 10:30 AM – At car, visit bakery
      • 10:45 AM – Drive to Tetons (5:50 hr)
      • 4:35 PM – Arrive at Jenny Lake Ranger Station (9am-5pm), obtain backcountry permit
        • We would need bear canister too
      • 5:00 PM – Hike in (3.8 miles, 2,500 ft gain, 3 hrs) (temps starting at low 80’s but starts to cool off at 5pm)
      • 8:00 PM – At camp (Platforms)
    • Wednesday, Aug 5th: Day climb Irene’s Arete, back to camp
      • 7:00 AM – Hike from camp (1.1 miles, 900 ft gain, 2 hrs)
      • 9:00 AM – Base of climb
      • 9:15 AM – Climbing (5.8, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 2:15 PM – Summit
      • 2:45 PM – Descend to camp (3.5 miles, 2,600 ft descent, 760 ft gain, 3 hrs)
      • 5:45 PM – Back at camp
    • Thurs, Aug 6th: Hike out, drive to cragging (4hr), climb one crag, stay at AirBnB
  • Option B: Camping for Irene’s
    • Tuesday, Aug 4th
      • 7:00 AM – Backpack out (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft descent, 4:30 hrs)
      • 11:30 AM – At car, visit bakery (closes 2pm)
      • 11:45 AM – Drive to Tetons (5:50 hr)
      • 5:35 PM – Arrive at Gross Venture Campground (largest campsite, typically fills by noon, so maybe can get a spot)
    • Wednesday, Aug 5th: Day climb Irene’s Arete, back to camp
      • 3:20 AM – Drive to trailhead (30 min)
      • 3:50 AM – Trailhead
      • Weather: Sunny, high near 64 at 9,500 ft, typically 6-10 mph winds)
      • Sunrise: 6:18 AM, sunset: 8:39 PM
      • 4:00 AM – Hiking (5 miles, 3,300 ft gain, 5 hours)
      • 9:00 AM – Base of climb
      • 9:15 AM – Climbing (5.8, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 2:15 PM – Summit
      • 2:45 PM – Descend to car (A little 3rd class, maybe one rappel, 5.5 miles, ~3,500 ft descent, 4 hrs)
      • 6:45 PM – At car
      • 7:30 PM – Back at camp
    • Thurs, Aug 6th: Drive to cragging (4hr), climb one crag, stay at AirBnB
  • Option C: One night AirBnB for Irene’s
    • Tuesday, Aug 4th
      • 7:00 AM – Backpack out (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft descent, 4:30 hrs)
      • 11:30 AM – At car, visit bakery
      • 11:45 AM – Drive to Feather’s Guest House (4:40 hr)
      • 4:25 PM – Arrive at AirBnB (only one night)
    • Wednesday, Aug 5th: Day climb Irene’s Arete, drive to cragging
      • 2:40 AM – Drive to trailhead (1:10 hr)
      • 3:50 AM – Trailhead
      • Weather: Sunny, high 60’s at 9,500 ft, 6-10 mph winds)
      • 4:00 AM – Hiking (5 miles, 3,300 ft gain, 5 hours)
      • 9:00 AM – Base of climb
      • 9:15 AM – Climbing (5.8, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 2:15 PM – Summit
      • 2:45 PM – Descend to car (A little 3rd class, maybe one rappel, 5.5 miles, ~3,500 ft descent, 4 hrs)
      • 6:45 PM – At car
      • 7:00 PM – Drive to cragging AirBnB (4hr)
      • 11:00 PM – At AirBnB (5th)
    • Thurs, Aug 6th: Cragging
  • Friday, Aug 7th: Climb two more crags
  • Saturday, Aug 8th: Climb more crags?
  • Sunday, Aug 9th: Drive home (10:30 hr drive)

Irene’s AirBnB options

Itinerary with Sky Pilot + Cragging

  • Saturday, Aug 1st
    • Drive to Redfish Lake (10:20 hrs), camp somewhere?
  • Sunday, Aug 2nd
    • Backpack into Elephant’s Perch (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft gain)
  • Monday, Aug 3rd
    • Climb Elephant’s Perch
      • 4:30 AM start hiking
      • 5:30 AM – Base
      • 5:45 AM – Climbing (5.9, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 10:45 AM – Summit
      • 11:15 AM – Scramble down (3 hrs)
      • 2:15 PM – At camp
    • Camp another night
  • Tuesday, Aug 4th
    • 7:00 AM – Backpack out (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft descent, 4:30 hrs)
    • 11:30 AM – At car
    • 11:45 AM – Drive to Ketchum AirBnB (1hr)
    • 12:45 PM – Ketchum AirBnB
  • Wednesday, Aug 5th: Day climb Sky Pilot, return to Ketchum AirBnB
  • Thurs: Drive to cragging, climb one crag
  • Friday: Climb two more crags
  • Saturday: Climb more crags?
  • Sunday: Drive home

Itinerary with all three?

  • Saturday, Aug 1st
    • Drive to Redfish Lake (10:20 hrs), camp somewhere?
  • Sunday, Aug 2nd
    • Backpack into Elephant’s Perch (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft gain)
  • Monday, Aug 3rd
    • Climb Elephant’s Perch
      • 4:30 AM start hiking
      • 5:30 AM – Base
      • 5:45 AM – Climbing (5.9, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 10:45 AM – Summit
      • 11:15 AM – Scramble down (3 hrs)
      • 2:15 PM – At camp
    • Camp another night
  • Tuesday, Aug 4th
    • 7:00 AM – Backpack out (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft descent, 4:30 hrs)
    • 11:30 AM – At car
    • 11:45 AM – Drive to Ketchum AirBnB (1hr)
    • 12:45 PM – Ketchum AirBnB
  • Wednesday, Aug 5th: Day climb Sky Pilot, return to Ketchum AirBnB
  • Thurs: Drive to Teton
  • Friday: Climb Teton, back to AirBnB
  • Saturday: Drive to crag, climb one crag
  • Sunday: Climb another crag in morning, drive home

Old Itinerary (too intense)

  • Saturday, Aug 1st
    • Drive to Redfish Lake (10:20 hrs), camp somewhere?
  • Sunday, Aug 2nd
    • Backpack into Elephant’s Perch (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft gain)
  • Monday, Aug 3rd
    • Climb Elephant’s Perch
      • 4:30 AM start hiking
      • 5:30 AM – Base
      • 5:45 AM – Climbing (5.9, 7 pitches, 5 hrs)
      • 10:45 AM – Summit
      • 11:15 AM – Scramble down (3 hrs)
      • 2:15 PM – At camp
    • 3:00 PM – Backpack out (8.3 miles, 2,900 ft descent, 4:30 hrs)
    • 7:30 PM – At car
    • 7:45 PM – Drive to Ketchum AirBnB (1hr)
    • 8:45 PM – Ketchum AirBnB
  • Tuesday, Aug 4th: Day climb Sky Pilot, return to Ketchum AirBnB
  • Wednesday, Aug 5th: Drive to Teton
  • Thurs: Climb Irene’s Arene, back to AirBnB
  • Friday: Drive to cragging, climb one crag
  • Saturday: Climb one more crag
  • Sunday: Drive home