August
6, 2006
Day 5 – Arrowhead Lake
to Trailhead
Distance:
7.9 miles
Elevation Change:
+500, -1,600
Images:
4
Trail -
Cirque of Towers to Big Sandy TH
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Day 5 – 6:30 am
Strong winds kept me
awake for much of the night, and so I ignored the alarm when it went off
at 5:15. My
ankle was feeling tender when I went to bed and I didn’t
anticipate trying to backpack into the Cirque, so I figured I’d sleep-in
and rest up for the hike out. I got up shortly before sunrise. Sunrise
over the Deep Lake
basin didn’t materialize into much, though it looked
much better for Jack and Scott in the Cirque. I did shoot a few sunrise pics with the digital before heading off to Arrowhead Lake to filter
water. I enjoyed a leisurely, relaxing morning around camp eating a hot
breakfast and taking in the views.
Day 5 – 9:15 am
I started to hike out
around 9:15, contemplating whether to stop back at V Lake or Diamond Lake,
or hike all the way out to the trailhead. The hike down to North
Lake was uneventful,
and the hike above the eastern side of the lake was slow as that section
isn’t easy coming or going.
Once past North Lake,
the rest was literally downhill and went quickly. I stopped at Big
Sandy Lake for a break around 11:30.
The weather was warm
and the sun intense. I found a nice shady spot by the Lake where I kicked
off my pack and boots. I ate a lite lunch, filtered water and tended to
my ankle which was feeling the effects of the steep trail. I soaked it in
the lake while taking in the views for 15 minutes or so, then bandaged it
up and got ready to go again around 12:30 pm.
The remainder of the
trail would be flat, which was good since my ankle seemed to be more sore
after stopping than before. A ˝ mile or so down the trail, it seemed to
be settling into the rhythm of the hike and I didn’t notice it as much.
In the trees, the air was cool and refreshing, but the dusty stretches of
trail though open meadow were hot and tiring. I got into a rhythm of
hiking quickly through the open sections, and more slowly through the
cooler sections.
Day 5 – 2:00 pm
I arrived at the
turnoff to Diamond and V Lake around 2. I rested on a rock while deciding
whether or not to spend another night out, or head back to the TH and
spend the night in the truck before meeting up with Scott and Jack. I
wanted to shoot V Lake at sunset, but the lure of a comfortable bed in the
back of the truck was pretty nice, too. I opted for the latter and
resumed the hike out.
There was a lot of
traffic on the trail as many people were heading out of the area on a
Sunday afternoon. The hike went quickly as shady and sunny sections of
the trail flew by. The section of the trail that follows the Big Sandy
River is a beautiful section and I planned to come back for sunset and/or
sunrise the following morning. At this point, I was “locked on” to the
trailhead and kept hiking until I reached the TH around 4:00pm.
The 8-mile hike out had
me feeling good and feeling very tired. I kicked off my boots, put my
pack in the backseat and made up the bed of the truck for sleeping. I
slipped into the front seat with a Gatorade, turned on the radio and
listed to Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion as I scrolled through
the images on my digital camera and took a short nap.
Day 5 – 7:00 pm
After resting up a
little, getting a bit to eat and filtering water, I packed up my camera
gear and headed back up the trail along the Big Sandy River for sunset. I
reached an open meadow with views of Schiestler Peak and set up the 4x5.
As I waited for sunset to unfold, I watched as something large – most
likely a moose – lumbered through willows 50 yards or so away, down by the
river. Sunset light never really developed, and I headed back to the TH
around 8:30 pm.
Intro
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Day 1
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Day 2
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Day 3
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Day 4
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Day 5
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Day 6
