At daybreak (we always leave early for our hikes) I was ready to go. Earlier this summer I had missed a great photo of the beavers grooming each other and rubbing noses because I didn't feel like lugging my camera with its fabulous, but heavy, lens that night. That was the last night I saw them. I was not too happy with myself for leaving my camera behind. The image is in my mind but with the number of brain cells I lose each day I wonder how long it will be there. So, I thought of buying a small camera to carry on hikes and off we went to the camera store. The salesperson was very helpful in telling me not to do that but to buy this very cool front camera carrier. Lots of support and now I have my camera ready at a moment's notice but don't have the weight pulling on one shoulder or swinging around. I don't notice it's there when I hike plus it frees my hands to use two hiking sticks (an essential to keeping me upright).
I have my day pack on my back and my camera pack on my front and my Starbuck's coffee thermos to wake me up. Here they come to pick me up and I'm ready! Looking good, wouldn't you say? Yep, those are gloves. The mornings are a bit chilly.
Carol and Ahmad lead the way.
It's a steady climb. The scenery and wildflowers are amazing.
We get lots of rest along the way by needing to take that perfect photo. It's an easy disguise for being a wimp and saying, "Let's rest for a bit." Actually, both Carol and Ahmad are amazing photographers so their stops are legit. You'll never know about mine.
You can see from the trail we just traveled that we're climbing, climbing. So far there hasn't been a level or downhill step since we started.
When our friends visit us I often take them to Taggart Lake and I often post photos of that lake and Bradley Lake on the blog. They are breathtaking at lake level and equally so from this different point of view. That's Taggart in the distance and Bradley closer to the camera. Our campground sits behind that dark butte in the background in front of the mountains.
We follow the wildflowers up the mountain.
These beautiful daisies line up to seek the morning sun.
The hillsides are covered in flowers and I think the air is just a bit thinner up here. I'm sure glad I've been riding my bike or I never would have made it this far.
That last 1.5 miles of steep climb took a bit out of all three of us. That was no speed climb. I think they call this "Surprise" Lake because at this point you're surprised you made it. It is so worth the climb. I can say that now that I am here. A mile or so back those words might not have crossed my lips. Surprise is a spectacular little lake that sits in a cirque carved out by glaciers. It's a beautiful spot to rest and contemplate going on to Amphitheater Lake. You have to climb on since it's so close. Did you hear that legs?
The legs have responded and now we're by the falling water that flows down to Surprise Lake, below us, from Amphitheater Lake.
The glaciers above the lake fill the cirque with chilly glacial water and the overflow works its way down the mountain to Surprise Lake.
I need to carry a tripod or monopod but where or where will I carry it? Ahmad will no doubt have a beautiful photo of the rushing water. This is a photographer's wonderland.
Carol keeps an eye on us from lake level.
Amphitheater Lake is surrounded by high mountain peaks. The steep ridge we climbed seems to go straight to the Grand Teton but it never reaches the summit. It gets cut off about three-fourths of the way up to form Disappointment Peak shown here above the lake.
When you're this close to the mountains you can see the pegmatite showing pink in the granite of the mountains.
We spent an hour just soaking up the beauty of this place (and, yes, resting for the downhill)and then headed back. The sun was moving to the west and the clouds floated over the valley creating wonderful shadows on the floor below. From this point we could see Jenny Lake just north of us and Jackson Lake above that.
The blue of the lakes becomes deep blue in the afternoon light.
About two miles from the bottom this little butterfly begged to be photographed. Okay, I was looking for a moment of rest from the constant banging on the body going down the mountain. I think I'm going to pay for this hike.
Heading home...left, right, left, right...
One last little rest...I mean photo! We're almost there. What a great hike!
The hike to Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes was so great, and I felt so good to have made it all the way, that the next day I met my friend, Stephania, for a hike to Heron Pond. When I rode horses with my friend, Vicki, Stephania often rode with us. She comes to Jackson Hole for a bit each summer and I always meant to get her cell number from Vicki so I could call her when we were here. Procrastination reins, as usual. I was in K-mart earlier and, lo and behold, there's Stephania. They had just arrived the day before.
Her husband, Bruce, is an Orvis fly fishing instructor and a dedicated fly fisherman. We had a fun evening with them here on the ranch (our new name for our summer home - impressed, eh?)...
...and Bruce took Ron on an ambitious hike to one of his favorite fishing holes along Pacific Creek in the park.
Ron had fun watching a master fly fisherman fish. That water was so clear. Do you think the fish saw them coming? Bruce and Stephania had hiked to Amphitheater Lake in a previous year and he told Ron I was really going to be sore the next day. I, of course, being invincible in my own mind, denied the possibility. Ron crashed early that night, after his hiking and fishing, and felt fine the next day. I felt fine when I went to bed but awakened with legs that were screaming. Payback! Yes, I walked a bit funny for a couple of days but I'm ready to do my next hike with Carol and Ahmad to Paintbrush Canyon. It will be a challenge, I'm sure. No pain, no gain!
No comments:
Post a Comment