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The western spur of the Grand Teton, the second highest point in the Teton
Range, holds a curious man-made structure within a few feet of its summit.
Discovered in the course of the controversial attempt to climb the Grand Teton
on July 29,1872, it was originally described as an "enclosure" by Nathaniel P. Langford in
his now-famous 1873 article in Scribner's Monthly. It consists of
an elliptical arrangement of flat rocks placed on edge, 7 by 9 feet across and 3
feet high. This "enclosure" was most likely built by Native
Americans at a time ancient or recent (19th century), perhaps as a part of a "visionquest" or
other ceremony. Today, the Enclosure not only offers the non-technical climber
a summit second only to the Grand Teton, but dozens of multi-pitch alpine and
mixed routes for the seasoned alpinist.
