YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Chet6.7.....It seems as though I'm spending a lot of time in bear country this year but honestly, I never get too concerned.....I just stay aware of my surroundings.....
Riversdad.....we're headed back out shortly.....I've got some new ideas.....back into bear country possibly.....
The answer to my question was obvious.....we should go on. And go onwards is exactly what we did. We made our way back through the pine forest, returned to the Sylvan Lake Trail, and passed over the saddle and hiked down into the next canyon. We were darn near at the bottom of that canyon when we took a side trail and headed back up the mountain. Our goal.....Sylvan Lake.....
This remote mountain lake.....situated at approximately 9,180' above sea level.....was out of this world beautiful.....
When Sylvan Lake finally came into our view.....well, the dogs nearly dragged me all the way to the lake (they're both always on leash when hiking in bear country).....they dove right in and were rewarded with an ice cold bath.....
Me.....I stood on the shoreline and took it all in.....I don't think that I could have been any happier at that very moment. Everything was spectacular. We were tired.....had probably hiked 7 or 8 miles at this point.....
Clouds were forming in the west.....and thunder was heard.....late thunderstorms were in the forecast. So we hit the trail.....hoping to beat the upcoming storm.....so we hiked back down into the canyon, back up onto the saddle.....
Just as we reached the saddle.....the downpour began.....
It got ugly real quick and we put it into high gear, descended down the mountainside, as we tried to gain cover in the tall pines which were not too far away from the saddle.....
Pretty quickly that downpour turned into a hail storm.....
I'd guess it was a 14 or 15 mile day of hiking in the mountains.....maybe 5,000' or so of elevation gain.....and we loved every second of that beautiful day.....even hiking in the hail storm.....
Riversdad.....we're headed back out shortly.....I've got some new ideas.....back into bear country possibly.....
The answer to my question was obvious.....we should go on. And go onwards is exactly what we did. We made our way back through the pine forest, returned to the Sylvan Lake Trail, and passed over the saddle and hiked down into the next canyon. We were darn near at the bottom of that canyon when we took a side trail and headed back up the mountain. Our goal.....Sylvan Lake.....
This remote mountain lake.....situated at approximately 9,180' above sea level.....was out of this world beautiful.....
When Sylvan Lake finally came into our view.....well, the dogs nearly dragged me all the way to the lake (they're both always on leash when hiking in bear country).....they dove right in and were rewarded with an ice cold bath.....
Me.....I stood on the shoreline and took it all in.....I don't think that I could have been any happier at that very moment. Everything was spectacular. We were tired.....had probably hiked 7 or 8 miles at this point.....
Clouds were forming in the west.....and thunder was heard.....late thunderstorms were in the forecast. So we hit the trail.....hoping to beat the upcoming storm.....so we hiked back down into the canyon, back up onto the saddle.....
Just as we reached the saddle.....the downpour began.....
It got ugly real quick and we put it into high gear, descended down the mountainside, as we tried to gain cover in the tall pines which were not too far away from the saddle.....
Pretty quickly that downpour turned into a hail storm.....
I'd guess it was a 14 or 15 mile day of hiking in the mountains.....maybe 5,000' or so of elevation gain.....and we loved every second of that beautiful day.....even hiking in the hail storm.....
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