Sunday, July 06, 2008
Day 6,7,8
We spent a day in the B&B in Story, and headed to our Trail Head, in the Big Horn Mountains, to the West of Buffalo, WY.
I'd never hiked with a pack before, and I'd never seen mountains until day 5. J and I discussed the best trek we could find that would give us plenty of hiking and mountains for our time.
W. Tensleep Creek was our trailhead, and the plan was to follow the trail from the trailhead to Lake Helen, to Lake Marion and up to Mistymoon Lake, where we'd camp. We'd then do day hikes from there to Lake Solistice and Florence Pass. Sounds adventurous, doesn't it?
Oh, it was.
You see, not 1 mile from the trail head, we ran into rangers, who told us that the bridge was out farther up the trail and we probably wouldn't be able to cross. We went up, being distrustful souls, and sure enough, the water was running fast and deep.
But J wasn't to be daunted. We headed back to near Tensleep Lake, and found a shallow area that looked easy to cross.
So, J stepped in with a stout stick and edged across.
And then I tried it.
As I first stepped in, all that went through my mind was COLD! COLD! COLD! The water was frigid. I stepped carefully on the rocks as I concentrated on not being knocked over by the fast moving current. I edged closer and then J was there and he pulled me up on the opposite bank. I successfully forded my first river!
In a bit of time, we found our way back to the path. And when we first saw our first patch of snow, I even thought it was unique enough to take a picture. But as we inched up the path, we noticed more.
And then we had to climb over and through them.
By the time we reached Lake Helen, we were exhausted, wet from snow, and sick of picking our way around the fields of snow that covered our path.
We set up camp there.
It was beautiful, even if there were rogue sheets of ice floating by.
Our campsite was simple, and we decided to explore the next day, maybe for another campsite nearer Lake Mistymoon, our destination.
And so the next day, we set out to see the lakes north of us.
And the ice fields were larger, the running water to traverse wider and colder, and the sights even more extreme.
And when we reached Lake Mistymoon, we were in for a surprise.
The lake was completely ice.
And the paths that we hoped to explore? Completely snowed over. The icy lake was draining down the valley, feeding the flooded creek and rendering us at a dead end.
Dead tired and at a loss for options, we decided that maybe a different trailhead might hold promise.
After, of course, a trip to Buffalo, WY for a hotel room, a hot shower, and some pizza first. We were both exhausted, and scratched, bitten up, and achy.
And that is how we arrived here. At a Super 8 Hotel in Buffalo, WY with free wifi. Enjoying HBO.
But tomorrow...definitely back to the trail. Maybe an easier one with no snow.
We spent a day in the B&B in Story, and headed to our Trail Head, in the Big Horn Mountains, to the West of Buffalo, WY. I'd never hiked with a pack before, and I'd never seen mountains until day 5. J and I discussed the best trek we could find that would give us plenty of hiking and mountains for our time.
W. Tensleep Creek was our trailhead, and the plan was to follow the trail from the trailhead to Lake Helen, to Lake Marion and up to Mistymoon Lake, where we'd camp. We'd then do day hikes from there to Lake Solistice and Florence Pass. Sounds adventurous, doesn't it?
Oh, it was.
You see, not 1 mile from the trail head, we ran into rangers, who told us that the bridge was out farther up the trail and we probably wouldn't be able to cross. We went up, being distrustful souls, and sure enough, the water was running fast and deep.
But J wasn't to be daunted. We headed back to near Tensleep Lake, and found a shallow area that looked easy to cross.
So, J stepped in with a stout stick and edged across.
And then I tried it.
As I first stepped in, all that went through my mind was COLD! COLD! COLD! The water was frigid. I stepped carefully on the rocks as I concentrated on not being knocked over by the fast moving current. I edged closer and then J was there and he pulled me up on the opposite bank. I successfully forded my first river!
In a bit of time, we found our way back to the path. And when we first saw our first patch of snow, I even thought it was unique enough to take a picture. But as we inched up the path, we noticed more.
And then we had to climb over and through them.
By the time we reached Lake Helen, we were exhausted, wet from snow, and sick of picking our way around the fields of snow that covered our path.
We set up camp there.
It was beautiful, even if there were rogue sheets of ice floating by.
Our campsite was simple, and we decided to explore the next day, maybe for another campsite nearer Lake Mistymoon, our destination.
And so the next day, we set out to see the lakes north of us.
And the ice fields were larger, the running water to traverse wider and colder, and the sights even more extreme.
And when we reached Lake Mistymoon, we were in for a surprise.
The lake was completely ice.
And the paths that we hoped to explore? Completely snowed over. The icy lake was draining down the valley, feeding the flooded creek and rendering us at a dead end.
Dead tired and at a loss for options, we decided that maybe a different trailhead might hold promise.
After, of course, a trip to Buffalo, WY for a hotel room, a hot shower, and some pizza first. We were both exhausted, and scratched, bitten up, and achy.
And that is how we arrived here. At a Super 8 Hotel in Buffalo, WY with free wifi. Enjoying HBO.
But tomorrow...definitely back to the trail. Maybe an easier one with no snow.
Labels: hiking, vacation, wyoming
¶ 6:13 PM
