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For those of you with experience going up from the Lower Saddle, can you guys give me help in locating where I was, for the sake of my own sanity and prehaps a future climb?

This was June 16, 2013. I was at the Lupine Meadows trailhead at 8:04. I had light/midweight hikers, an ice axe, extra clothing, 3 liters of water, food, and was going to try to get as high as possible. I initally breezed past some causual hikers, thinking I was making good progress. Things got really bogged down when I was in the snow fields. Trying to climb the snow headwalls was very tedious for me, with a combination of kick stepping and herringboning. My toebox didn't have enough rigidity to consistently create a foothold for me on the kick and slipping was not uncommon. I didn't reach the Lower Saddle until 2:22. At 11600 ft, that's 5000 ft travelled and about 2200 feet from the summit.

I continued furthur until 4:11, and by my estimation, I climbed 900 feet from the Lower Saddle. I was below the peak of the Middle Teton and about even or slightly lower than the South Teton. But I wasn't quite sure where I was. I was using Wyoming Whiskey.net's briefing for the route (http://www.wyomingwhiskey.net/), but my view didn't seem to match the route map. If I there wasn't anyone expecting me at the trailhead at 9:00, I might have continued on (I suspect I might have been about 2 hours from the summit?). As it was, I abandoned the climb. With several glissades sortening the descent, I made it back to the trailhead by 8:35.

Can you guys take a look at the pictures and if possible tell me which section I was climbing [I am not sure if it was 1) the Central Rib or 2) between the Dartmouth Couloir and the Owen-Spalding Couloir]? Did I pass the Needle? I wasn't able to identify this feature.

Looking up from the Lower Saddle:


I was climbing the snow until about 1/2 up the picture. The slope got spookly steep for me, and lacking crampons, I was climbing the rocky spline until I abandoned the climb.

Looking west along my route, where there were footsteps from other climbers, but seemed a bit steep for me for comfort:


View looking up the mountain at the point where I abandoned the climb:


Looking east from the same point:


Looking south at the Middle Teton and Lower Saddle:



Thanks in advance.

Doesn't appear you were too far off route..if at all. I specifically remember your third photo is exactly where I went when I made the climb last August. Maybe next time try the climb with stiffer mountaineering boots? Or go when the snow is gone and you should have enough time in the day.

The Teton is a stiff day climb...I was pretty exhausted after doing the OS in a day.

Thanks Matt. Both the Upper Saddle and the summit were blocked from view. For me, not seeing the objective was somewhat disconcerting.

Yes, I really will have to consider getting more appropriate footwear. Getting soaked by the snow due to the low cut hikers was also not pleasant. I probably should have brought crampons along (and would also have benefited from some snowshoes even). I may make this my Mt Whitney kit.