Today's itinerary is incredibly ambitious once again. First on the list: climb Mount Washburn.
The peak of Mount Washburn is 10,243 feet above sea level. The trail I will use starts 1,491 feet below that. To reach the trail, we must drive up the treacherous, gravel-covered Chittenden Road.
I'm all set with water, snacks, raincoat, hood, and sunglasses. You never know what the weather will be like at the top. See you in a few hours, Ma!
Yellow-bellied marmots were abundant. They practically posed for me.
Then I'd walk by them and they'd scurry for cover, usually into a culvert like this one.
You'd usually hear these birds before you saw them. Yes, there's a bird in this picture. Can't you see him?
See him now? They had excellent camouflage.
As I made the ascent, the trees thinned and eventually disappeared altogether. I was entering an alpine tundra.
The lupines here were deeper purple and tall.
Is this a chrysanthemum?
This was an interesting shrub. It reminded me of the millet we saw in the Badlands.
See the building way up there? That's my destination.
Oh, and that's snow on the side of the road. The air is getting thin. I'm working hard enough and the sun is warm enough for me to take off my jacket. Then the clouds would roll in and I'd put it back on again.
Getting really high now. Creeping phlox pokes out from the rocks.
More alpine plants. I've never seen anything like this.
Almost there! This last little bit was also the steepest. My ankles were begging for relief.
This building is used as a communication tower, a fire lookout, a warming hut, and a residence for the ranger who lives here during the summer months. I was just happy it had a bathroom.
The view was amazing. You can see for miles and miles. If you look hard in the distance, just right-of-center, you'll see the Grand Tetons. They're 75 miles away. The peak left-of-center is Mount Sheridan, 37 miles away.
It took an hour and thirty-three minutes to get to this spot. It was totally worth it.
I'll have a snack, relax, and wander around the summit for about twenty minutes.
It will take me just fifty minutes to make the return trip.
The peak of Mount Washburn is 10,243 feet above sea level. The trail I will use starts 1,491 feet below that. To reach the trail, we must drive up the treacherous, gravel-covered Chittenden Road.
I'm all set with water, snacks, raincoat, hood, and sunglasses. You never know what the weather will be like at the top. See you in a few hours, Ma!
Yellow-bellied marmots were abundant. They practically posed for me.
Then I'd walk by them and they'd scurry for cover, usually into a culvert like this one.
You'd usually hear these birds before you saw them. Yes, there's a bird in this picture. Can't you see him?
See him now? They had excellent camouflage.As I made the ascent, the trees thinned and eventually disappeared altogether. I was entering an alpine tundra.
The lupines here were deeper purple and tall.
Is this a chrysanthemum?
This was an interesting shrub. It reminded me of the millet we saw in the Badlands.
See the building way up there? That's my destination.Oh, and that's snow on the side of the road. The air is getting thin. I'm working hard enough and the sun is warm enough for me to take off my jacket. Then the clouds would roll in and I'd put it back on again.
Getting really high now. Creeping phlox pokes out from the rocks.
More alpine plants. I've never seen anything like this.
Almost there! This last little bit was also the steepest. My ankles were begging for relief.This building is used as a communication tower, a fire lookout, a warming hut, and a residence for the ranger who lives here during the summer months. I was just happy it had a bathroom.
The view was amazing. You can see for miles and miles. If you look hard in the distance, just right-of-center, you'll see the Grand Tetons. They're 75 miles away. The peak left-of-center is Mount Sheridan, 37 miles away.
It took an hour and thirty-three minutes to get to this spot. It was totally worth it.I'll have a snack, relax, and wander around the summit for about twenty minutes.
It will take me just fifty minutes to make the return trip.
