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Under The Spell of the Grand

A story from the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch

June in the Tetons is the perfect practice ground for the Alps or Canada. Mixed terrain and conditions prepare climbers for any outcome in the mountains. Snow rests in shadowed pockets on high mountain passes. And down in the glacially carved valley sits the Climbers' Ranch. Yellow summer flowers bloom all around the rustic coed bunkhouse. For $30 a night (for non-AAC members), guests get to wake up in their off-the-grid cabins, walk outside, breathe the fresh air, and watch the sun illuminate the Tetons.

Below dive deep into work week at the Grand Teton Climbers Ranch. If you would like to deepen your support for the American Alpine Club and the Grand Tetons Climbers’ Ranch consider donating below.

Under the Spell of the Grand

History of the Grand Teton Climbers Ranch

The Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch opened in 1970 under a Special Use Permit granted by the National Park Service to the American Alpine Club for the establishment of a "Mountain Climbing Center" in Grand Teton National Park. That original Special Use Permit specifically recognized that "mountain climbing is one of the principal visitor recreational uses in Grand Teton." The Climbers’ Ranch thus became the successor to the famous Jenny Lake climbers’ camp, which had been used by Tetons climbers from the 1950s until its closure in 1966.

The Climbers’ Ranch is located four miles inside the entrance to Grand Teton National Park at Moose, Wyoming, about 20 miles north of the town of Jackson. The ranch occupies a sanctuary at the end of a winding lane off Teton Park Road, across a bridge spanning Cottonwood Creek, and nestled against the high glacial moraine impounding Taggart and Bradley Lakes. Base altitude at the ranch is nearly 6,700 feet. Three miles north is Jenny Lake, the epicenter of the Park for both climbers and tourists, and the location of the Jenny Lake Ranger Station, at which expert information about technical climbing routes throughout the Park can be secured. The central peaks of the Teton Range, including the Grand, Middle, and South Tetons, Cloudveil Dome, Nez Perce, Mt. Owen, Teewinot, and other high alpine peaks can be approached on trails directly from the ranch. There are 10 peaks and multiple pinnacles in the Teton Range over 12,000 feet high.

In it’s original life, the Climbers’ Ranch was known as the Double Diamond Dude Ranch, which opened in 1924 and remained in operation either as a dude ranch or tourist camp through 1964, when Grand Teton National Park acquired the property. In 1985 the Taggart Lake/Beaver Creek Fire destroyed half of the original structures on the property. The ranch was resurrected through the cooperation of the Park Service and the American Alpine Club. The Ortenburger Cabin is so-­named since it is the first cabin brought to the property after the fire, through the efforts of Leigh Ortenburger, a prominent member of the AAC and author of A Climber’s Guide to the Teton Range. The Historic Lodge, constructed in the late 1920s and enlarged in 1945, originally served as the Double Diamond dining hall, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Nick Clinch to be Celebrated at Memorial this June 16

Nick Clinch in his library. 

Nick Clinch in his library. 

A memorial will be held for Nicholas B. Clinch on Friday, June 16 at 8:00 P.M. at the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch. 

Nick Clinch (1930–2016) was president of the American Alpine Club from 1968–1970, and was the founder of the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch, which first opened in 1970. Mr. Clinch last visited Grand Teton National Park in August, 2010, when he was the guest of honor and principal speaker at the 40 anniversary celebration of the the Climbers’ Ranch. 

You are welcome to come join us; learn more about Nick and the event here. 

Nick Clinch (center, standing) and team at McMurdo, 1966. 

Nick Clinch (center, standing) and team at McMurdo, 1966. 

A Season at the Climbers’ Ranch: Reservations Open

Photo: AAC staff member Whitney Bradberry

Photo: AAC staff member Whitney Bradberry

The Climbers’ Ranch will be open in 2017 from June 10 through September 12.

Each month of the summer is unique in the Tetons, always providing a perfect time to stay at the Climbers’ Ranch and explore Grand Teton National Park!

In early season, from opening to mid-July, the meadows surrounding the Climbers’ Ranch become daily more resplendent with a pageant of wildflowers. Temperatures are moderate, with sunny days in the 70s or low 80s, and cool evenings perfect for relaxing by the warmth of the woodstove in the Climbers’ Ranch library. The classic Teton climbing routes are in condition for every preference, from long, continuous snow climbs, to routes of mixed rock and snow, to dry rock routes along the canyon walls or in the valley at nearby sites such as Blacktail Butte. During an entire day of hiking or climbing you may encounter only a handful of people, or, in more remote areas, none at all.

The height of summer in the Tetons is from mid-July to late August. The vitality of the Climbers’ Ranch is at its peak, with guests arriving from throughout the United States and many foreign countries. Every day provides an opportunity to meet climbers and other guests who love the Tetons. The hiking trails are all nearly dry, even while Paintbrush Divide, at 10,720 feet, may still bear remnant snow. On the major peaks, snow-climbing routes gradually diminish until even the highest summits may be reached by routes free of ice or snow. Thundershowers arrive and depart quickly in quarters of the afternoon sky. Wildflowers, fading in the valley, still bloom high above the ranch.

Late August and early September are blissful, with crystalline days becoming pleasantly cooler. As the close of the ranch approaches, night-time temperatures fall toward freezing, a reminder that autumn arrives early in the mountains. Cottonwood Creek, which roared in June, murmurs in September, with long reaches of river rock exposed where rapids earlier ran. Aspen turn golden on the Taggart Lake Moraine, and in the brown meadows surrounding the ranch, bugling elk announce the end of the season.

The Climbers’ Ranch constitutes one of the most historically important communities of climbers in the United States. The American Alpine Club has sustained this community since 1970. If you have never stayed at the Climbers’ Ranch, we welcome you to join us for a wonderful experience. If you have stayed at the Climbers’ Ranch before, we will be happy to welcome you again.

The Climbers’ Ranch provides the lowest-priced cabin accommodations in Grand Teton National Park or anywhere in Jackson Hole. Our lodging rates are still $16 per night for AAC members and $25 per night for non-members. Make your reservations now on the AAC website for the 2017 season at the Climbers’ Ranch!