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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Our camp at Anchor Lake was riddled with dead wood - but wet. Nevertheless, we managed our routine of 8-10 liters of water in the evening and morning quickly and efficiently with the Caldera systems.
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The storm system proved to be a weak one - coating the high country with only a thin layer of snow and rime. The icy conditions brought a chilly feeling as we started out this morning, Day 3.
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Step by step, we began to unlock what would be an efficient day of travel, simply by following a series of subtle fault lines along a compass bearing, that Great Fissure discovered two days ago by Mike near the top of Lonesome Peak.
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As we traveled further West, the snow became deeper. We found drifts in gullies as deep as five or six feet, and avalanche risk was on our mind as we traveled up and down the catchbasins.
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Now knowing that major fractures in the Beartooths are capable of providing easy route travel, we finally enter one of the three largest fractures in the Range: "The Great Fissure". Running at an elevation of 9,500 to 11,000 feet, the Great Fissure runs from Castle Lake in the East to Rough Lake in the West - a distance of nearly 12 miles. Unfortunately, we wouldn't find the fissure until this point - Desolation Lake - and so would only enjoy travel along it for a day.
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Mike confirms the magic bearing - 283 degrees - that reveals our line of desired travel along the Great Fissure.
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Brian Doble stands in the middle of the fissure, with the next pass on our horizon.
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It only required a half day of travel with running shoes, small snowshoes, and deep snow to understand what should have been obvious: morale at any given moment is inversely proportional to elevation gain. Gravity has an incredible power to put a spring in your step.
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Traveling along the fissure was fast but it did not negate the sometimes dramatic changes in elevation that occured regularly. Fortunately, the drops - and climbs - were short. In the summer, this route is a spectacularly fast walk over tundra and easy talus.
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If you draw a straight line intersecting Brian (in back) and Don (3rd), you'll see our line of travel ahead.
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We crossed a lot of creeks in snowshoes. Thankfully, all but a few were less than ankle deep.
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Don and Jorgen discuss route options around the ("I wish this were frozen") Lake of the Winds. To the right: granite slabs leading to an icy plunge. To the left: a long walk through granite talus and slabs. Our choice: the non-swimmer's route, a.k.a., "The Long Way 'Round".
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Scenic and serene, walking around lakes provides some comfort of place in the Beartooths, but at this elevation, these walks are not without their challenges. Both trekking groups would face difficult navigation aroudn high lakes that included steep granite slabs and large talus.
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The essential ingredients of any good wilderness trek: rock, snow, and tundra - Beartooth Majesty.
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Far and away the most distressful ingredient of Wilderness Trekking III was the entrapment of rather inflexible lower legs into VW talus caverns hidden by layers of snow too thin to support out body weight.
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Late on Day 3, we exiting the Great Fissure down a treed slope above a tiny lake, crossed this stream, and intersected a summer trail - the first sign of manmade travel since we left the road three days ago. At this point, with less than a day remaining, we made the decision to keep descending on a bearing to our exit point at Cooke City.
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Trekking above 10,000 feet since leaving the road, we had no opportunity for bushwhacking. Ironically, we scouted this route down a steep ravine littered with talus and deadfall towards Russell Lake, not knowing that there was a summer trail only a quarter mile away. Such is the nature of traveling with maps that don't reveal all the data!
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Our Russell Lake Camp was a welcome comfort and change of pace from the higher, windy camps on the plateau above. We found a hunting camp, complete with fire ring, bear pole, and flat ground for camping.
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On each of my expeditions, I experience emotional turmoil on m last evening in camp. While it affords me the opportunity to reflect on accomplishment and experiences, it signals impending travel through the gate to another domain: civilization. There is something about woodfire cooking, pleasant comrades, and hot meals that ease that pain. Watching Don Wilson practice the art of cooking over wood and traveling out of his element (snow, as opposed to desert) was immensely rewarding to me.
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Packing up on the final morning, Jorgen secures the top of his homemade, 12-ounce pack.
Photos: Ryan Jordan / Olympus E-400 / Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5