Monday, August 15, 2016

Day 3, mind blowing scenery

Everyone was on the trail by 7.  I trailed the Scout Troop until the border of Desolation Wilderness then I lost them.  I made miles, my focus get over Dick's Pass, 12 miles away.
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Just inside the wilderness area I spied some large red granite mountains and pondered will I cross them?  As I write I have one to my Northeast.
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The trail went up and down, mostly up.  I rounded the Velma Lakes, originally one of my planned stops in the rough drafts.  Before long I rounded a few more lakes and stopped short of Dick's Lake.  Where I ate first luch of two side candy bars.
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I refilled a little water at the lake, leaving my pack at the junction.  When I returned i struck up a conversation with two day hikers.  I trailed behind them but saw them sitting at the pass.  More on that in a moment.  The trail made some long easy switchbacks 1380 feet over 2 milrs.  The Wasatch grade is 1,000 per 1 miles.  Wow, what a sight.  At the top it leveled out.  I asked the day hikers if I could join them for second lunch.  A few minutes late the guy jumped up, checked nature's fridge, and came back with 2 beers.  She wanted to split  one so he offered me the other.  If you see a beer show up in my social media feed, that's why.  We chatted a bit longer before they took off for a work function, locals.  This is their backyard and I a visitor.
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I stood I'm awe for a few more minutes then started down into another mind blow of scenery.  This is why I am crazy and love to hike, these rewards are amazing, the IPA helped a little, too.  These mountains have no pattern, just everywhere.  The Wasatch and the Uinta's have main canyons and side canyons with bowls at the top.  These look like wave blown by confused winds.
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I pushed miles and went beyond my goal of the day.  I'm thankful for this season without bugs, a little chilly but so.  I chatted with a bloke from North London, uk.  Gave hike some water tips for going into Tahoe City.  I did the ups and downs over another shallow pass to drop into the huge alpine lake I spied from on top the Pass.  Walking right into glare around Heater Lake, a beauty to see. And into Aloha.
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I looked for a sheltered spot dorm the wind, few and far between as this lake is surrounded by white granite and the red granite mountain to my northeast.
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I set camp, washed up but, not the socks.  Hips hurt from carrying  6 days of food.  I am not eating everything but, am making sure breakfast and dinner get consumed every day.  The SoBo section hiker will join later at this campsite.  He arrived just after sunset and ran up to Mosquito Pass the the north.  Clear skies and a big moon, delightful for a night hike.  This guy is getting his trails worth of extra views.
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The tea's getting cold and the phone is showing more light on me than day is. The stars are soon to show through the light of a near full moon.
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Hike on!

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