Idaho Exposure

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

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IMG_4338.JPG13 viewsIn the middle of the slot is the Rabbit Hole, a tunnel under the house-size boulders. We are fortunate in that the passage is not blocked by debris, and scurry through.
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IMG_6614.JPG13 viewsAnts Basin, draining into Warm Springs Creek to the northwest.
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IMG_6615.JPG13 viewsWhite Cloud Peaks northwest of Ants Basin.
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IMG_6650.JPG13 viewsAscending the gully to the saddle above Four Lakes Basin. The higher of the Born Lakes can be seen in the valley below.
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IMG_6659.JPG13 viewsCastle Peak above Four Lakes Basin. A rather conspicuous cairn puts the minds of those who don't realize they are in the correct saddle at ease.
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IMG_6654.JPG13 viewsLooking north into Ants Basin from the saddle between Born Lakes and Four Lakes Basin.
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IMG_7974.JPG13 viewsThe following morning, alpenglow filters through the smoke in the east to light Thompson Peak from the opposite side.
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IMG_8016.JPG13 viewsRushing water has undercut the snow above to form a snow bridge. The top of the snow couloir above Goat Lake is just ahead.
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IMG_8019.JPG13 viewsBy the time I put the 1.4 extender on the zoom lens, the plume is darker, and has lost the mushroom shape.
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DSCF0282.JPG13 viewsAt 5:50 pm, just a few minutes from Cirque Lake, I feel a sense of both relief and accomplishment safely crossing into the Big Boulder Lakes basin. The light is fabulous with the passing storm.
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DSCF0321.JPG13 viewsHalf an hour later, I encounter the upper of the two tarns alternating my path between the ridge and the drainage. Once again, I move right (N) to re-gain the ridge, avoiding boulder-hopping. The saddle is above and left (E) of the highest snow in the couloir. The route crosses under the buttress (in shadow) in the upper right of the frame. The route unfolds as one progresses, working its way up through the broken rock buttress, well above the tarn, toward the higher snowfield.
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