Cynthia St. Charles Store

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Beartooth Backpacking Day 1

Joe and I were able to get away for a much anticipated backpacking trip into the Beartooth Wilderness area. Usually, early September is the best time for such trips. Usually, there has been a frost and the bugs are dead. At the same time, the weather is usually still fairly mild.

Not so this year! As we drove up the Beartooth Highway, we were greeted by a wintry sight.



The snow at the summit was probably 10" deep and drifted. The snowplow was out and a jeep had run off the road.

"Are we crazy?" we asked each other.

As we passed over the summit from the east, we saw that the snow had not fallen on the west side of the range. Whew!

Long Lake view - the snow and the reflection - what a lovely sight!

Departing from the Island Lake trailhead, we hiked via the trail to Beauty Lake and then left the trail at Claw Lake. We bushwhacked as far as Lonesome Lake, where we camped the first night.

We set up camp in the shadow of Lonesome Peak. I caught lots of nice pan sized Brook trout in Lonesome Lake. Fun fishing! We kept four, which we cooked for dinner. It was a very peaceful night with a half moon and lots of stars. The sky was clear and there was no wind!

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