BLAST FROM THE PAST … 1987 routes with Michael Franklin

Recently, going through an old box of memorabilia, I discovered a few log books from the years I guided camp and school teenagers in the Winds and Tetons. As we were going fly out of Denver in August 1987; I arranged to meet Franklin and climb for a week, while my two assistants escorted our 12 kids back east.

I discovered in the log book, that I had recorded all the routes we did in Rocky Mountain National Park that week. The highlight was the Petite Grepon, one of the 50 classics in Roper and Steck's guidebook.

On our first attempt, we did the approach and arrived at 6:30 am, only to find about six parties on the route. We hiked back out, and climbed another route on the way out. Later that day, in the early evening we hiked back in, did a cold bivy, and got on the route by 4am. We were first party on top, of the tiny summit.

FOND MEMORIES; A SHAME HE WAS TAKEN FROM US SO YOUNG.