Wilderness Trekking III ~ October 2007

Photo documentary of Backpacking Light's Wilderness Trekking III Course, October 9-15, 2007 Montana & Wyoming.

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There is something about going down towards water lit by sunlight that skews your emotional well-being. This inviting ravine led to a jumbled mess of terrain that slowed our progress down dramatically. The day before, we covered twelve miles. Today, we'd cover less than five.
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The Beartooths are infamous for their talus. In the summer, tundra edges among talus fields invite easy routefinding. During the deep snows of winter, talus is covered and easy to navigate. Now, however, massive holes are protected by a thin snowpack, and hip-deep plunges are common, stressful, and ankle-wrenching with our trail running shoes.
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We carried little water, and only a single one-liter bottle each, opting instead to enjoy the fluidity of drinking from the sources, most often, without treatment of any sort.
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The massive flanks of Sky Pilot Mountain beckon our descent into Sierra Creek, where we'd meet up with the other trekking group for a brief moment before separating along different routes once again.
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Sometimes, views were helpful; other times, they just confirmed the nondescript terrain, flat ridgeline, and more slow travel ahead. This was one of the few times - about an hour of travel - that we removed our snowshoes.
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Both groups made a costly mistake - failure to locate critical landmarks on their maps - early in their treks, resulting in the inability to accurately pinpoint their position along their route later on. Here, Don makes valiant attempts to triangulate our position from landmarks on a nearly featureless ridgeline.
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Crystal Lake and the 12,000 foot peaks beyond force us down and out of our slow progress. Leaving the drainage, we'd happen onto a natural fissure of geology that would provide the key to rapid, efficient travel for the next 24 hours.
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Crossing Sierra Creek would prove - in retrospect - the beginning of bliss and the accidental discovery of a natural line of travel that would remain absolutely straight for many more miles.
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Jorgen climbs a bench along a granite wall that revealed our view of the Great Fissure for as far as they eye could see.
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Our group discusses options for navigation before clouds - or a pending storm - obscured our view. Mounting disturbances in the weather was of some concern, since we were thin on gear that could keep us warm and dry in a tempest.
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Mike shares the results of taking a backbearing on Lonesome Peak, which convinced him that the Great Fissure that was visible early yesterda would finally reveal rapid travel for our group. The calculation proved exactly correct.
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We used Atlas Race snowshoes - one pound wonders with titanium crampons that we fell in love with soon enough. A perfect match for our trail running shoes.
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Carbon fiber trekking poles provide outstanding stiffness to weight ratio - a key metric in evaluating pole efficiency when climbing. However, failure can be catastrophic, as Jorgen found out with his Komperdell Nordic Walking Poles, and Mike Martin with his Gossamer Gear Lightrek 3 poles. Wide baskets, careful talus use, and thick-walled carbon are essential ingredients to making poles work in these conditions. Shown: Backpacking Light Stix, 2008 Model.
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Now in full view, we finally had a fix on the entry point to the Great Fissure. With fading daylight and building clouds, we didn't dally. By now, we are once again on a quest for camp, wood, food, and warmth.
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About an hour before dusk, we made the decision to descend to wood. As the sun dropped, so too did temperatures and our metabolism, forcing us into jackets and warm clothes at the end of the day.
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Don identifies a perch rimmed in waist-high subalpine fir that he's convinced would make a scenic campsite.
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Anchor Lake provides little weather protection, but tremendous scenery, with plenty of high benches surrounding the lake for scenic camping.
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The Race snowshoes handled the terrain admirably - the ability to trek across talus, granite slabs, and streams without removing snowshoes was a great timesaver. Don Wilson crosses the inlet creek to Anchor Lake before climbing up to our camping perch.
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An aptly named shelter in an aptly named place.
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Brian and Jorgen enjoy a hot meal on a cold night, a welcome reward for a difficult and inefficient day of trekking.
Photos: Ryan Jordan / Olympus E-400 / Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5