Timberline Trail-Day 3

Had a bit of a restless night, but eventually dozed off. Woke up at 3:30 AM and decided to go for an early start. Broke down and packed up my camp by headlamp, at which point nature called. So I walked up the hill and slight left looking for good spot.

Once I was done, I headed back down to my campsite by headlamp. Only my camp wasn’t where it should be. So I backtracked and tried again, but still couldn’t find camp. I decided I just needed to go a little farther down hill, but things were even less recognizable. When I tried to backtrack, I couldn’t figure out where I had come from. All of this was confounded by the darkness. I was lost.

So what do you do when you’re lost in the dark in the wilderness with just a headlamp, a roll of toilet paper, and a trowel? Easy, you pull out your phone and use it to fine your way back, which is what I did. Turns out I had gone farther left than I thought, so I ended up way downhill and to the left of my campsite. Once reunited with my gear, I shouldered my pack and headed up the trail by headlamp.

The nearly full moon was casting shadows, but not quite bright enough to navigate by. The first few miles today would be a climb over a moonscape of rock and sand that makes up part of the east side of the mountain. Well above the 6,000 ft timberline, I would be climbing to over 7,300 ft. High enough to encounter the remnants of the once vast Eliot and Newton Clark Glaciers. There is no shade for miles on this section, thus my early start to beat the sun.

The night was clear, the stars and moon were bright, and Venus and Jupiter were brilliant in the eastern sky. The tiny lights of scattered houses were visible far to the east. All was silent except for the sound of the occasional light breeze and the crunch of my footsteps.

Soon enough I was crossing a football field sized piece of ice. The first of seven pieces of glacier traversed by the trail. Hard as rock and blueish-white in color, the ice was surprisingly grippy. I didn’t slip or slide at all.

I made good time and put the climb, descent, and the moonscape behind me by sunrise, at which point I stopped for a trail breakfast. A copse of ancient trees offered a nice spot for a meal.

After breakfast I started a long walk down the eastern ridge above Newton Creek, some 700 feet below. Offering impressive views, it would take over an hour and a couple of trail miles to get down to the water. A laughably wispy log offered one option for crossing and rock hopping was fraught, so I found a split in the course and waded across each branch of the creek to get to the other side.

Then it was up, up, up out of the valley and down, down, down to the next creek which offered a better log bridge. Then up again, although there were some great waterfalls along this climb. And so my morning went. Up and down, cross, repeat until I got to the White River.

The White was notable only because it was the last big crossing before I got back to Timberline Lodge, my starting point. After wading the White I started my final climb of 1,150 ft in two miles. It was 11:15AM and I topped out at 12:05. I walked away from another one.

I dumped my pack in the car and walked over to the Wy’East Day Lodge. I got a burger, fries, and drink for a mere $24 and inhaled them. Then hopped in the car and headed for home.

Short post script tomorrow…