When I pulled out of my garage the thunder storms that had been predicted for two weeks now finally hit. Driving east eventually I got ahead of the storm. I parked at Van Vleck trail head under clear and sunny skies. 6pm, time to make a few miles and camp before the storm arrives. After crossing numerous downed trees and passing the Bassi ranch I made camp at 8pm, shy of four miles in.
Lower elevation wild flowers.
Not long after bed the storm hit but it was pretty mild using up it's energy at lower elevations. Mild rain and thunder thru the night although as I was breaking camp in the morning the winds were really picking up.
When I planned out this itinerary I came up with a very lofty goal of a 27 mile loop, all but three on trail.
Day two would have me realize that it's not quite summer in the high country! About 4 miles from last nights camp and at an elevation of 7,200 ft on a north facing slope the trail all but disappeared in the snow drifts. When lucky I'd find a tree blaze within a few hundred yards but eventually by 7,500 ft it was all snow and blazing trail. Eventually I crossed a dry dirt Barrett Lake trail in the exact spot I needed to to continue onto the Red Peak trail. The lack of snow lasted a few hundred yards. I hiked east until 5pm reaching Rockbound Pass at 9,200ft and decided, while I could continue breaking trail there would be no way of completing the loop with the amount of food or time I had so the only answer was to retreat. Slogging up to Rockbound Pass area and looking down: 
The view south east from the pass
Time and pressure makes wood do interesting things…
I backtracked about 6 miles quite quickly with foot prints to follow and made camp next to a meadow with a babbling brook. Friday morning I packed up and hiked off trail between Two Peaks and tied in to an un-named trail that would take me back out to my car. Navigating the brush between Two Peaks.
By afternoon I had mosquito clouds following me and it was some thirty degrees warmer than when I began the hike just two days ago. This guy watched me put my pants and long sleeves on with a different perspective of the mosquitos, I'm sure.
More random pictures.
Two Peaks viewed from the west.
Cirque surrounding Barrett lake.
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