Wyoming 13er finishers

[John Kirk]

Congrats to Teresa Gergen and Sarah Meiser for (I'm pretty sure being the first in history) co-finishing Wyoming's 35 ranked 13ers August 7th 2015. That's a tough list!

[mikeofferman]

Great job!! Black Tooth looks like a fun peak. I am surprised that you found a class 2 route!

[lukePlumley]

Congratulations Teresa and Sarah! Awesome first known completion and great you could finish together!
Which of the 35 is the toughest?
lp

[TeresaGergen]

Thanks! It is a tough list, with several of the peaks requiring a rope, and almost all a backpack in. And a good leader! A huge thank you to Sarah for going in alone with me both this year and in 2013. She did a beautiful lead on Woolsey that didn't appear to tax her skills in the slightest. Sarah could have finished the list in any of the past few years, but waited for me to get my act together and catch up. I would not have been able to finish without her help, and also without the leadership of Dominic, Jim Rickard, Adam McFarren, Jean Aschenbrenner, and Ken Nolan over the years. Thanks very much to all of you, and also to Kirk, without whose patience with nursing me back to health 5 years ago, I wouldn't still be climbing. This list meant a great deal to me.

Mike - the Bonney guidebook mentions a Class 3 route from Penrose Canyon based on the report of the first ascent (or, actually, descent) of Black Tooth, by the Willcox party in the 1930s. That party also mentioned that it looked like there might be a walk-up route on the south side. I think their report was published in the AAJ, long ago. The approach into Wilderness Basin on the west side appears to be much easier than the reports of the approach via Penrose Canyon/Sawtooth Lakes on the east side, and really wasn't that bad. It's a pretty area.

I have no idea what the odds are of us being the first to complete the list. The Bonneys climbed in both the Winds and the Bighorns, and wrote guidebooks for both, but often just report on the ascents of others. No idea how active Joe Kelsey was in the Bighorns, or if he just focused on the Winds; same with Finish Mitchell. There are a lot of WY climbers and peakbaggers, and they tend to keep their accomplishments quiet and guard their beta carefully.

Luke, the hardest peak was Turret. Spearhead Pinnacle and Henderson, as well as the Grand, were also difficult. We used a rope on a number of the peaks LOJ has listed as Class 4.

[kirkmallory]

Congratulations Teresa & Sarah! Wish I could have been there. Looking forward to seeing you both accomplish more great things.

[Ryan Kowalski]

WOW! That is a great list to finish. Proof that quality always trumps quantity. Loved hearing the stories of many of the ascents too. Congratulations to you both Teresa and Sarah.

[SarahT]

Thanks guys! Its been a lot of fun. Here's a link to my trip report on Black Tooth & Woolsey if anyone cares to read about them: http://www.13ergirl.com/BlackToothWoolsey/BlackTooth&Woolsey.html

[Brian Kalet]

Nice work, ladies!

[RyanSchilling]

Incredible! Congratulations, you two, and what a finish!

[John Paul]

Great job Sarah and Teresa!

[ChrisinAZ]

Congrats to both of you! Looks to have been quite the endeavor...you should both be proud.

[bobpackard]

Congrats to Sarah and Teresa. I am SO impressed. Wyoming has some very tough 13ers. I know. Mount Warren (in Wyoming) is the 178th highest summit in the lower 49 states. I've tried it 3 times and failed.
I've done the highest 210 except for that one. Turret, which Teresa mentions as being the toughest 13er in Wyoming is # 237. If Warren stopped me in the quest for highest 200, Turret would have
stopped me for the highest 250. Hats off to 2 very good climbers. I recognize superiority when I see it.

[BobBolton]

I am SO impressed...

Impressive indeed -- especially in light of Teresa's challenges, WOW! And to think that she's also working on the 51 remaining ranked 13ers in California so as to complete all of the CONUS ranked 13ers, meaning that she's already completed all of the other states!

Go Teresa!!

[TeresaGergen]

Y'all are too kind : -)

I may be a die-hard peakbagger, but I've never been a great climber. I'm so happy that Sarah and I could do this together, and so thankful for everyone's help over the years.

[Jeremy Hakes]

Wow. That is freakin' impressive. Great congratulations to you two! Well done!