A Little Brown Discovery

While I am still staying in the Tetons for the rest of August before morning to Laramie, I decided to get some extra spending cash in during my stay-cation. So, I am going to be teaching some programs, organizing the Outreach Closet, cleaning the Resource Room, and cleaning out the graduate student cabins for the Teton Science Schools on the Kelly Campus to get some extra cash. While cleaning Blacktail Butte, Mandy's old cabin, guess what I discovered in one of the windows!?!?!?!?

An Upside Down Animal That Can Fly!

A Little Brown Bat!

Do not worry, I did not touch him or harm him while trying to get him out of her cabin - just simply removed the screen and convinced him to un-cling himself from the screen to another overhang of another cabin! Thanks to Joe! He's safe now!

Saving animals, one little bat at a time!

TheChristyBel

A Day Outside - Climbing Blacktail Butte

Today was the first day in a little more than three weeks, where I was able to sleep in, embrace the outdoors, and not worry about school or teaching! With yesterday being many of the grad students' last day with their summer capstone program, today was the first day that I could dedicate the entire day to ME! So can you guess what I did?!?! 

Well, one, I slept in until like 9:00am (you may think this is early, but since I've been getting up at 6:45am the past three weeks, 9:00am is a great sleeping in achievement). Then it was about time I embraced the outdoors - without students! So many options: I wanted to hike Specimen Ridge, but that fell through based on scheduling of things (this is postponed for mid-August). Then there was this offer to hike and climb up the Middle Teton, but that also fell through. Then it was decided to that the today was the day to finally start using my climbing gear to the test and go a little smaller than the Middle - Blacktail Butte!

Not going to lie, I enjoy and prefer bouldering over top-rope and lead climbing since I am not used to those two activities on the rock, but overall, had a really great time learning something new. Climbing up onto the rock was not the challenging part - it was the confidence and trust of being belayed down. Not quite sure why, but all these scary thoughts of the rope giving out or my knots coming undone - really freak me out and give me so much hesitation to actually lean back into my harness and let someone lower me down...But, I did it - up and down the Lower Blacktail Butte wall! Andafter a few times of getting used to the rock and being belayed down, my worries are slowly declining. It will take some time, but I have a feeling I'm going to like this activity! 

Today was amazing! Being able to sleep in, play outside, and participate in activities on your own time was beyond anything I could ask for after straight teaching for three-weeks! Literally - the best day ever! Enjoy some photos that were captured!

TheChristyBel

Marc & I at the Top of the Upper Blacktail Butte!
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

Of Course There Was a Summit Pose Involved!
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

A Well Deserved Lunch & Soak in the Sun at the Shores of Jenny Lake!
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

Then the Evening was Topped with Home-Made Paleo Chocolate-Hazelnut Ice Cream!

Snowshoeing Blacktail Butte, 7,410 ft

Spring Break has been such a great opportunity to do all things that are outside and hikes/adventures that I have been dying to do since I got to the Tetons.  For instance, you know that huge mound that lies east of the Teton Range, Blacktail Butte?  I wanted to hike it in the fall, but was a little too nervous I would run into Grizzly #399.  Haha.

But Kevin, one of our chefs, has hiked, well snow-shoed Blacktail before and so we decided to pick his brain on this adventure.  He said that since it had snowed a few days ago, we would be braking our own trail and well, there is no designated trail marked, so we would also be making our own.  Haha!

The Topographic Map - To Show Us Our 'Trail'

He recommended walking along the butte on the western side where the climber's portion is and then finding the first drainage canyon and start going on up.  The adventurous crew included: Luke, myself, Mary Beth, Eddie, and Leah.  We grabbed our snowshoes, lunch, and packs, and headed to Blacktail.

Let me say that I am not at all conditioned to be hiking yet...totally huffed and puffed my way up to the top of the butte.  Give me a cross-country ski or downhill any day!  Hiking and snowshoeing up something is really hard!  Not to mention, snowshoeing in your muck boots when the snow is way over your rim is challenging.  I had to put on rain pants to prevent the snow that was kicked up from my snowshoes from going into my boots.  It was such a scene!  Good thing I had Leah and Mary Beth there to help! Totally felt like one of our students when they are having some trouble when we are all out in the field.

Having Snow-Shoe/Boot Problems
Good Thing We Are All Field Instructors Who Deal with These Issues With Our Students

Oh Look, A Moose on the Butte!

The views and scenes we passed through and saw were pretty magical.  When you were hiking up the butte in the conifer forests, you totally felt like you were in Narnia!! No joke! You just needed the lantern and the 'spare oom' and you were in legit Narnia.

We're in Narnia!

It was a pretty steady-paced trek up the butte.  Taking some rest stops to browse the snow, at least for Leah.  Not to mention we saw a moose just hanging out under the trees.  As we traveled back on our way out, the moose had only moved a few feet from where we originally saw her.  Just hanging out escaping the sun and browsing...Leah-style!

Leah, Moose-Snow Browser!

We left the trailhead around 10am and we got up to a nice view around 12:30pm.  Lunch was totally worth it!  There were some steep areas that we had to trek up on in the drainage canyon to get up.

Snow-Shoeing Up a Drainage Canyon

Of course, you cannot get to the top of a beautiful view without getting a 'summit pose' picture to capture the moment.

More Panoramas of Narnia

Summit-Posing, Of Course

No Words. Just Excited.

Top of the Blacktail Butte, 7410 ft.

Another View From the Top of B. Butte!

It was such a beautiful view from the 'summit' of Blacktail Butte.  One of the top parts of the butte and I think we were at the highest part.  It was really cool since we were able to see Moose, the highway, and Kelly Campus.

Momma Bear & Papa Bear!

Cloudy, But Beautiful Views

Jumping Pose - Part I

Jumping Pose - Part II

Group Photo at the Top of Blacktail Butte

Adventuring Down a Steep Part...

Then we had to make the decision on it we should back-track or just keep braking trail and find our way back to the parking lot on our own.  So it was decided that we would keep adventuring on, and going down a steep slope was a little scary, but really fun since the snow was all powder.  You were just flying through fresh 'pow'!  Although, it did put some strain on my poor knees, totally worth it!

We Were Right There!

Such a great idea to snowshoe Blacktail Butte this spring break and the company was pretty awesome!  I definitely want to come back to the butte and hike it up and over when the snow melts!  I am starting to grow a huge Teton Summer Bucket List....and well, Blacktail Butte - Part II is on it!

Momma Bear & I at the Top of Blacktail Butte!
Xoxo

More spring break adventures to come!  Hope you're having some fun wherever you are!

TheChristyBel