Since I am recovering from foot surgery, it seemed a good time to slow down and get to some tasks that have piled up on my to-do list. Editing photos is one of them.
I didn't take a lot of stunners in 2021, in terms of photographs, but there were a few photos and a few adventures that might be at least a little bit interesting.
A trip to the Lost Creek Wilderness:
I seem to trip and lose my balance about once every... uh, trip. This trip had the distinction of being the first time I fell face-first into mud. It was the softest thing ever. Yes, it took some time to wash off, but given the hard landings I've made on granite and sandstone, I might take the mud.
There was another first on this trip. I have long wondered when the time might come that I hear an animal getting into my food at night. If a bear comes, of course, you're supposed to get up and chase them off. (Yes, really.) Well, the first night of the trip, I was lying in my tent trying to sleep when I heard metal clanking. I'd left my pot beneath where my food was hung, and now, apparently, something was interested in it.
Before getting up to check, I listened a while longer. No more noise came. So I said "screw it" and went to sleep. In the morning, I found my pot had rolled downhill, probably hitting some rocks along the way. Had an animal knocked it there? Who knows? My ursack with the food appeared untouched.
So, first false alarm. Still waiting for the next time I hear noise coming from my food at night...
A trip to Rogers Pass Lake:
I climbed up to the ridge between Rogers Pass and Heart lakes and camped there, since the weather was very fine. Within a few hours, the very fine weather turned to a clattering and booming thunderstorm. As it headed toward me, I finally made the decision to unstake my tent and carry it down to the ridge to a rare flat spot on the slope, in the trees. I think it's the first time I've ever pulled up stakes due to weather in my long backpacking history.
A pair of women were also camped on the ridge further down. They did not move their tent. They did not get struck by lightning.
The weather cleared toward sunset, allowing these photos:
I had planned a group backpacking trip to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming for August, but unfortunately, one by one all the members of the group had to drop out. Then, a day before the trip, I got sick. I stayed home for 3 days, then made a 3-day trip to see the Wheeler Geologic Area.
The Sawatch Range, on the way out
Wheeler Geologic Area
On the way back, I drove past a bighorn sheep standing quite close to the road. It showed absolutely no interest in me as I took a picture.
Stay tuned for more!
