The moon was in full eclipse as it rose over the mountains while I watched from my camp 1500 meters above my starting point that morning. Most of this trip is beyond the trail and over the years I have tried to find an easier way up to the high lake. Still haven't found it but the nasty stuff is easier to take, knowing how open it is above the tree line.
The old growth forest is great to pass through on the way up with that cool air and the greenery. There was this mushroom about the size of a plate that looked like a painting.
I like to get up as high as I can above the tree line, where the bears don't go................... very often.
This is the first time that I didn't see any bears in the mid-elevation valley and only saw scat once. A few times in the past I have been cooking in a dense forest area when a bear has crept up to have a sniff. It always amazes me how this big animal can walk along without even snapping a twig. Usually I notice them because I see a shadow move from the corner of my eye. After dozens of encounters with those critters over the years I continue to treat them with greatest respect. You never know if the next one will be injured or cranky. It always makes me nervous when the food is out, so it feels a lot more comfortable to be looking down over the valley.
Keeping watch over Glacier melt.
Sept 28/2015 |