Most viewed - So-called "Epic White Cloud Backpacking Loop", August 24, 2020
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DSCF0304.JPG32 viewsA rare shot of the author holding the one that didn’t get away. A rainbow about the same size broke the line where the tippet met the leader in a few inches of water, and headed for deep water, taking my grasshopper dry fly with him! After tying on a new leader, adding tippet, and tying another grasshopper to the end of the tippet—a project which takes me much longer than it should—I hooked into this rainbow on the first or second cast. Needless to say, I was extremely careful about landing the fish.
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DSCF0274.JPG31 viewsMy goal for today is to cross the saddle between WCP9 and D. O. Lee Peak, the second saddle to the right in the frame, due east of Bighorn Basin. Ocalkens Lake is in the lower left. In the interest of saving some time, I decide not to descend to the lake, contouring south at an elevation of 9300’ directly into Bighorn Basin. I still am carrying enough water to get over the saddle.
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DSCF0303.JPG31 viewsWest form the inlet of Cove Lake to the saddle between D. O. Lee Peak (left) and WCP9. I never tire of watching the shadows of clouds traverse these peaks. It’s only 11:15 am, and already clouds are building. The weather report, already three days old, indicated a 50% chance of thunderstorms yesterday (which did not disappoint), with a 20% chance today. The smoke and haze has vacated for the time being; Hooray!
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DSCF0226.JPG29 viewsLooking east, southeast toward Fourth of July Lake, haze resulting from smoke blown in from fires in neighboring Oregon and California is very apparent. On the ridge to the North, Castle Peak is barely visible through the haze.
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DSCF0225.JPG29 viewsBlackman Peak above the saddle between it and peak 9655 to the WSW, reached by climbing cross country, NW through the burned area from Fourth of July Trailhead. The trail always seems to appear at points of constriction, where the choices become fewer.
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DSCF0295.JPG29 viewsThe perennial snowfield at the most westerly part of Cove Lake. Note the fish ring on the right!
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DSCF0246.JPG28 viewsThe trail is sketchy at best.
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DSCF0293.JPG27 viewsMy tent in morning light; Zpacks Duplex 2. At 2 ¾ lbs, with the stronger spruce fabric option, a ground cloth, stakes, and using trekking poles for support, this is the lightest shelter I have used, easily withstanding the driving hail of last night’s thunderstorm. Yes, I had trouble trying hurriedly to drive all 8 stakes to the hilt in the cramped space with a thunderstorm bearing down. Fortunately, there were enough rocks to back up the less secure placements. The tent made me a fan of trekking poles!
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DSCF0307.JPG27 viewsThis is largest trout I have taken in an alpine lake; 15”. I caught the smaller one earlier, and kept it because I really wanted to be certain I had some high quality protein to supplement the backpack meals I carried in (and out, as luck would have it).
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DSCF0309.JPG27 viewsClouds continue to build over WCP9; inlet, Cove Lake.
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DSCF0310.JPG27 viewsD. O. Lee Peak, 1:35 pm-- photographed same time as previous shot.
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DSCF0275.JPG26 viewsThe plan is to ascend the ridge in the foreground to where it meets the rock (left of frame horizontally, middle of frame vertically), then climb up and right to the black rock outcrop (at the edge of the shadow. There is supposed to be a sheep trail that leads up to the saddle from the top of the outcrop (trail follows the line of the shadow to a point left of and higher than the low point of the saddle). The weather still looks good!
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