Is this really a good life decision for me to be out here?
~from the documentary “A Sense of Direction – A 1200 mile wold on the Pacific Northwest Trail”
July 24
Saddle below Wind River Peak to Big Sandy Lake – 8.2 miles
Route: Saddle below Wind River Peak * top of Wind River Peak * down the west gully * Black Joe Lake * Big Sandy Lake
Photo journal:
Sunrise on Ridge before the climb up Wind River Peak ~ Why Not and Wired
Walking on the alpine tundra
Boulder Hopping up Wind River Peak ~ Why Not
First glimpse of Wind River Peak
Heading to the top on boulders and snow
Rockin’ on the summit of Wind River Peak
First peak of the route ~ Why Not, Rockin’ and Wired
Why Not on Summit of Wind River Peak
Northern view from the top
Wired heading down toward our goal ~ descending the west gully off Wind River Peak
First view of the west gully
Route down ~ Technically not difficult, but the amount of loose rock and big boulders over the entire route was very risky
We avoided class 3 ledges on the lower half by straddling snow and rock ~ Here is Wired using the technique
Why Not and Wired coming down off the ledges
Why Not negotiating down icy snow, loose rocks, and steep terrain
At the bottom of the gully ~ The route off West Wind Peak, as Andrew Skurka describes IS difficult and the most formidable on the route. I agree. The descent was not one I would repeat. Not worth the risk.
Descending down on grassy ramps, our favorite!
Tarn on the way to Black Joe Lake
Haystack Mountain (left) where Jacob and Kit are climbing today
Sunset from our camp ~ Big Sandy Lake
GEAR OF THE DAY
Outdoor Research Chroma Full Sun Gloves
I usually wear fingerless sun gloves, but for our trips this summer I needed more protection on my fingertips when hiking through granite boulders. Just touching the rough granite a few times will rub the skin right off the tips of the fingers, cause cracks, and just plain old pain. The OR gloves have protected my hands from the sun and rough rocks and they have lasted without getting holes in the fingertips thanks to the leather palms.
Top of glove ~ I bought a medium so the gloves would be easy to take off and on and would be a bit cooler.
Hardly any wear after grabbing many boulders
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