Backpacking Day 4 (Tuesday)
Most of the day was climbing, which was tiring but it was really pretty. Even if I thought I wouldn't make it up the last part before the pass. But when we did make it up there, the view was pretty incredible.
We went over Washakie Pass.
We started out slow again due to the frost. Actually, it was even slower, because we were camping in the shade of the hill we were on, so it was a long time before the sun came up high enough that we could get our tent dried out. Once the sun hit it it dried fast, thanks to the dry mountain air, though.
And then we went the wrong way again. This time even when we doubled back we didn't find the correct path and end up cutting across to reach it where we could see it below us.
Looking at maps when we got back onto the right path.
These lakes look like they're at similar elevation, but the one on the left was actually much higher. We ended up camping on the shore of the one to the right.
Most of the day was climbing, which was tiring but it was really pretty. Even if I thought I wouldn't make it up the last part before the pass. But when we did make it up there, the view was pretty incredible.
There was some snow and scree on the other side of the pass. The path went through the snow.. maybe when the CCC built it, you could go that way. There were apparently a few people who had gone down the snow, but we didn't do that, and instead went down a path on these rocks. It was precarious, but then it just got tedious. Not my favorite thing.
But as I said, the view was pretty great (but it was cold up there). You can kind of see behind me a windbreak that someone had built -- there were a few of those and they were really nice to sit in and get out of the wind.
The benchmark. I guess I'd have to write in to the director of the US Geological Survey to find out the elevation. (Or just look it up online, where it says 11,611 ft).
We camped that evening along the shores of the lake we'd seen from the top.
Making dinner.
There was a little bit of a rainstorm that moved in while we were setting things up and hanging up the food, which proved to be a problem, because in the rush no one paid attention to the shove, where we were heating water for washing dishes. It was sitting on pine needles and they caught on fire, and then part of the line to the stove melted so then we had... no stove.
So we decided that intead of continuing our loop, we'd need to go back over the pass, and then go out from there. That would only take a day and a half, so we'd be out two days early. So then we could eat our lunch foods for breakfast and dinner, since we wouldn't be able to boil water for oatmeal or dinners.
Steps: 31,638
Floors: 231