Grand Sawtooth Loop (Grandjean to Grandjean)
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Drove the two hours from Wichita Falls to the Will Rogers Airport in OKC. Southwest to Denver, 3 hour layover with a microbrewery visit in the Denver Airport. Denver to Boise, arriving 11:30 PM local. Up early next morning we enjoy the festival downtown waiting for out table at Goldy's to open. We then scour Boise for heavy but delicious foil packages of the chunked chicken breasts. Found out we needed parking passes for the trail head, and after a trip to REI and another gear store to find said parking passes we did not need them. Find our map, replace my out of date Aqua Mira, coffee and a scone. It's getting late.
With my Snickers bars, foil packages of chicken and Indian food, we start the 2 1/2 hour drive to Grandjean. Arrive about 6 at Grandjean, last beer at the camp site restaurant, on the trail by 7PM. Only 5 miles uphill to Trail Creek Lake. Luckily the sun is not setting until 9:30, moving very slow the first day. Heading east from Grandjean the trail is a gradual climb, area is completely burned out so good views all around.
Plenty of water everywhere but I'm keeping my water bottles full, mostly out of paranoia. Night has fallen and we are closer. No headlamps yet, rocks on trail and surroundings are still bright white, and there are way to many stars in the sky compared to home. We see the glow of a fire up ahead, friendly unknown voices, and we are at Trail Creek Lake. Cross the log jam bridge, and setup up our shelters for the night. A few mosquitoes, not to bad.
Up by 7AM.
Fresh eggs out of the Nalgene, shelf life bacon, and a cup of percolated coffee. On the trail by 9AM, average movement time with my brother.
Today is Trail Creek Lakes to baron Creek Junction, past McGown Lakes, Sawtooth lake, over a short pass and downhill to our campsite.
Out of the burn areas:
Over the pass with the first view of Sawtooth Lake:
It's hot and crowded here, I've seen at least 5 other people. The water is so cold, all I can manage is a quick pushup in the water, then I'm out. The wind is blowing fairly strong through the gap at the south end of the lake.
Around the lake and through the gap, wind takes my hat off into the scree field. My brother's hat is blown down into one of the small lakes after Sawtooth.
Another stream crossing:
The Descent into the valley is hot, hot, hot. Lots of water to drink but hot. Our biggest fear was near the end of the valley down low there was gonna be a lot of bugs, but hardly any at all. My mid was open wide, up high for ventilation. Temps much not lower than 50 overnight.
Longish day, from valley end up to Baron Lake, past Upper Baron Lake, over the pass to Alpine Lake, down and back up to Cramer Lake.
Baron Creek Falls
Cramer Lake
Long warm day, time for a swim:
And now the carnage begins. MOSQUITOES! Rae Lakes worthy mosquitoes. AUGH! Mosquitos!
Beautiful campsite:
Zipped up all the way in my bivy, mid staked to the ground, fall asleep with the buzzing in my ear.
Lakes are so very still in the morning.
Today is our day off so we take a crack at Mount Cramer from the wrong side. Eat and head out with our packs, its the day off but we will shorten tomorrow's mileage a little bit.
Just to pretty for words:
We head up the obvious chute just short of the Cramer Divide. About 1500 vertical feel up the loose scree, horrible, but gaining altitude fast.
I get up around the bend past the last small section of steep snow. The rock is so loose, makes me nervous. At the top of the last small snow field a teenager size section of rock on the 45 degree slope slides towards me. I'm ankle deep in loose scree and moving to slow. The loose granite slides and catches me right below the knee. I'm thinking Aaron Ralston, but removing my leg below the knee with my very sharp Spyderco. My brother gave up about 100 feet below me. The rock stops sliding, pinning my leg right above my shin. I first try to move it and I can't, it's to heavy. I try again, getting into my Crossfit deadlift mode. I can pick up the left side and slowly shift up and over my right knee, taking some skin with it. My heart if pounding. The rock slide another foot, jamming itself against the top of the snow section. WTF!? I'm gonna head down. OK, I sit for a second, waiting for my knee to stiffen and bruise, but it doesn't.
I'm OK, time to be stupid and give it another go. I have to step across the top of the snow section with the 60 degree slope dropping away from me and get on solid rock. I lunge and I'm there. handholds and footholds are a little debris covered but alright. I move up the Class4 face about 15 feet and spy a great hand hold, almsot a mini chimney. Guess what, at half body weight I pull another teenager size slab about an inch out of position. It stays put after that, and I'm done.
We get a couple 100 vertical feet of glissading done on the way down. Fun, but now are asses are stained pink, like some backpacking baboon and bruised.
Back to the trail and on to Hidden Lake for the night.
Wake to the next day with overcast grey skies. Nice change in temperatures. From Hidden Lake we move down the trail past Virginia Lake, Edna Lake, Vernon Lake, Ardeth Lake, Spangle and Little Spangle Lake. We stop on a rock bluff above Spangle Lake, after a comfortable day of 50 degree drizzle.
We are at a campsite early enought to get some exploring in. I head up to the nearest high point, still pretty nervous about the loose scree so I'm moving pretty slow.
And the dramatic selfie of contemplation.
Next morning clouds clear but cool temps remain. Time to head back to Grandjean, some 25 miles or so remain, but it's going to be a nice 2 day downhill walk.
2 days of downhill, past waterfalls, and still lakes, and more waterfalls and more still lakes.
Vince and I:
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