Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Day 2--into Ershim Lake
Wow. Great pics Julie! Keep them coming.
The second day started well. All the rigs started in 1-2 cranks despite the altitude. Leaving camp, we passed a 4 Runner parked right in the middle of the trail??? WTF??? Anyway, I've seen this 4 runner with everything swapped and changed at 4x4 Labs. The guy is a total dog freak and travels the back country looking for lost souls to rescue with his dogs. He still can't pick a parking spot. We worked around him and off down the trail.
Every second of day 2 is moderately hard. It's never really hard, but then it's never really easy either. For hours is rocks, boulders, trees, more rocks and boulders with and without trees. It just keeps coming......for hours.
Finally, we turn left up hill, go over some big rocks and crags, and then level out. Ali plants Rick's 80 on top of a huge boulder and so we get out the hi-lift and winch to get clear. That takes awhile. Everyone who poo-poos a hi-lift has to run this trail once to change their opinion. It has saved us several times here, and remains the only reason I carry one.
Eventually we turn uphill again and crest over a divide at 9500 feet. It's a traditional lunch stop and so we stop and eat. It's a relief form the constant onslaught of rocks, boulders and trees. the day is not quite as hard as Thompson Hill, but it's nearly endless, and requires 100% concentration from end to end. Seriously, it takes all day to go 12 miles or so, and the only break is the lunch stop.
After lunch we descend off the divide through some cool off camber and slightly dangerous rock gardens and back into the trees. There are trees everywhere, including places you don't want them to be.
After hours of rock work, the trail gets level but way off camber. We can see Ershim lake to the extreme right. After working down an off camber slope we arrive to find a group or two already there, but there is enough room for us and we set up camp. swim, bathe, and then use Tom's chainsaw to cut up a tree and haul it back to camp. Dusty then impresses us with his axe skills and chops everything up into burnable bits. We had a great dinner of home made family recipe Chili, a great fire, and then again, went to bed early. This trail is a mission, and everyone was tired. 12 miles in 12 hours, with 12 gallons of gas. Damn.
Wow. Great pics Julie! Keep them coming.
The second day started well. All the rigs started in 1-2 cranks despite the altitude. Leaving camp, we passed a 4 Runner parked right in the middle of the trail??? WTF??? Anyway, I've seen this 4 runner with everything swapped and changed at 4x4 Labs. The guy is a total dog freak and travels the back country looking for lost souls to rescue with his dogs. He still can't pick a parking spot. We worked around him and off down the trail.
Every second of day 2 is moderately hard. It's never really hard, but then it's never really easy either. For hours is rocks, boulders, trees, more rocks and boulders with and without trees. It just keeps coming......for hours.
Finally, we turn left up hill, go over some big rocks and crags, and then level out. Ali plants Rick's 80 on top of a huge boulder and so we get out the hi-lift and winch to get clear. That takes awhile. Everyone who poo-poos a hi-lift has to run this trail once to change their opinion. It has saved us several times here, and remains the only reason I carry one.
Eventually we turn uphill again and crest over a divide at 9500 feet. It's a traditional lunch stop and so we stop and eat. It's a relief form the constant onslaught of rocks, boulders and trees. the day is not quite as hard as Thompson Hill, but it's nearly endless, and requires 100% concentration from end to end. Seriously, it takes all day to go 12 miles or so, and the only break is the lunch stop.
After lunch we descend off the divide through some cool off camber and slightly dangerous rock gardens and back into the trees. There are trees everywhere, including places you don't want them to be.
After hours of rock work, the trail gets level but way off camber. We can see Ershim lake to the extreme right. After working down an off camber slope we arrive to find a group or two already there, but there is enough room for us and we set up camp. swim, bathe, and then use Tom's chainsaw to cut up a tree and haul it back to camp. Dusty then impresses us with his axe skills and chops everything up into burnable bits. We had a great dinner of home made family recipe Chili, a great fire, and then again, went to bed early. This trail is a mission, and everyone was tired. 12 miles in 12 hours, with 12 gallons of gas. Damn.
You know your son quite well it seems!
