Idaho Exposure

Hiking, Climbing, Backpacking, Snowshoeing, Backcountry Skiing. Photos by Thomas Oetzell; idahoexposure.com

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DSCF0491.JPG
 DSCF0491.JPG9 viewsLooking southeast, further up into Bighorn Basin.
DSCF0496.JPG
 DSCF0496.JPG9 viewsFrom the D. O. Lee/WCP-9 saddle, the view northwest beyond Bighorn Basin. Right of center is the entrance to Iron Basin where I came from. Three quarters to left of frame, close to skyline, is summit of Watson Peak. Just right of center, vertically in the center, is the horn I climbed behind. A faint goat trail leads toward the bottom right corner of the frame.
DSCF0499.JPG
 DSCF0499.JPG9 views5 mountain goats, including two lambs, came bolting down from the D. O. Lee/WCP-9 saddle to this spot above the cascading waterfall that leads down to Cirque Lake on the left. One lamb split off from the group, staying high above the tarn. The others gathered just in front of the rock in the center of the photo. I turned around to put the long lens on my camera, but when I turned back, they had vanished. There were tracks in the snow.
DSCF0500.JPG
 DSCF0500.JPG9 viewsThis appears to be the juvenile, high above the tarn, keeping a close eye on me.
DSCF0502.JPG
 DSCF0502.JPG9 viewsI descended the cascading stream to this point above Cirque Lake, seeing one of the group of four goats, but was unable to get a photo before he eluded me, disappearing around a corner. Rather than fish here, I decided to head down to and set up my camp at Cove Lake. It was already 10 after 6, and the weather looked unsettled.
DSCF0504.JPG
 DSCF0504.JPG9 viewsThe spot I had planned to set up camp was occupied. I’ve never seen anybody camped there. This turned out to be a better camp, and far enough from the lake to avoid any hassle from wilderness police. I got to bed at a reasonable hour. This was the first night I set up the tent, due to threatening weather, and mosquitos. I got up early, after a good night’s sleep, to catch some alpenglow on the peaks above Cove Lake.
DSCF0506.JPG
 DSCF0506.JPG9 viewsThe D. O. Lee/WCP-9 saddle above the inlet to Cove Lake.
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 DSCF0507.JPG9 viewsLooking south from the inlet to Cove Lake. This is an area I enjoy fishing. The lake drops off quickly here, and there are not too many trees, beyond those in the foreground, to get my line hung up in while trying to cast.
DSCF0511.JPG
 DSCF0511.JPG9 viewsPeaks southeast of Cove Lake.
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 DSCF0512.JPG9 viewsThe “Cheese Grater”, the route to the more southerly Boulder Chain Lakes can be seen on frame right in this photo. The threatening weather turned to thundershowers an hour or so later, but not before I was able to cook my trout; delicious! It rained for about 45 minutes, but I was able to get outside afterward, and finish preparing for good night’s sleep.The “Cheese Grater”, the route to the more southerly Boulder Chain Lakes can be seen on frame right in this photo. The threatening weather turned to thu
DSCF0521.JPG
 DSCF0521.JPG9 viewsThis tarn is the last convenient water before Hummock Lake. I gained the ridge in the right foreground. The route crosses the ridge in the center of the photo coming down from the skyline at a point roughly one third down from the top of the frame. That point lines up with the top of left most tree on the buttress in the foreground. The route then ascends to the left in the less steep section well above the drainage.
DSCF0523.JPG
 DSCF0523.JPG9 viewsFrom the lower part of the saddle looking north. Reaching this point involves crossing unstable rock. I seek out the most stable sections, even it means climbing higher. This photo and the next are primarily for route documentation.
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