Thursday, August 26, 2004
Snow and Fast Miles
08/26/04
Nibbling near my ear wakened me the last time at 4:15 AM. I took the package from my midnight snack out of reach of the nibbler. I awoke at my normal time, 5:30-ish and decided to sleep a little more. I hadn't slept too well because so much of my stuff was wet, including my bag. I had a limited number of positions so that I wasn't touching wet down. At 7, I had a look around. It was snowing, with no doubt about what it was. The snow was coming down and sticking.
I got out of camp at 9, and it was still coming down. I walked about an hour with the floating white surrounding me. I was not too cold, especially compared to yesterday, and I was grateful for the snow rather than rain. The snow didn't get me as wet as the rain had.
The rolling, glaciated landscape, punctuated with granite and lakes, was lovely in the muted morning light with the snow. It's as if I was walking through a black and white landscape, with a little of the dark green from the conifers slipping through. I decided, based mostly on the weather of recent days, to skip the Cirque of the Towers since I was alone, my food would be very tight, and most everything with me was wet. I had too narrow a margin to feel comfortable. Plus there's an opportunity to hike up to the south end, Jackass Pass (WY 19) on my way out of Big Sandy. Given I wasn't doing the Cirque of the Towers, I decided on the purple route, the Highline Trail, the most direct path into Big Sandy Lodge. The purple route was easier to follow than yesterday, but I still managed to wander a bit.
I continued my unplanned and unwelcome exploration of the Wind River Range's widest wet crossings. The snow let up before too long, and I even had some direct, warm sunlight. During the transition, I looked for a “snowbow”, the snow equivalent of a rainbow, but didn't see one. The sun lit the back side of what I think is the Cirque of the Towers, and I got some good shots.
My hike eventually took me into a river canyon where I followed some deer trails until I discovered the trail on the opposite bank. I thought I'd follow the river all the way to the lodge, but the quick glance that gave me that impression was soon dismissed with some climbing, then more climbing. Eventually, I settled into a gentle downhill that led me to Mud Lake (WY19) and Big Sandy Lodge.
Big Sandy Lodge has a near-ring of cabins, the main lodge, and some outbuildings including a bath house. I walked into the lodge to a group of six or seven people sitting around the fire and no one at the front desk-looking area. I announced my needs to the whole room, and everyone seemed interested. Finally someone stepped forward, Tim, I think, who took charge. I could get dinner. They had one cabin left, number ten, which had two doubles and a single, for $85. He went to find my resupply package while I decided what I wanted to do. While he was gone, a guy in wet hiking gear drove up looking for a room. I offered to share mine, but he didn't even respond. Tim came back with my package, and I told him I would take the cabin and dinner. With my $25 package fee, I ended up writing a check for $130 for a night. Ugh. But at least I'd be warm and dry for a night.
In the room, I got a fire going in the wood-burning stove, spread out my wet stuff, and got in a shower before dinner. Dinner was advertised as roast beef but it was really boiled beef. Served with boiled potatoes and carrots in a family-style buffet, dinner was better that I would have imagined just because it was there, hot, and inside.
Halfway through dinner, Apple Pie and Spur walked in, soaking wet. I was actually happy to see them. Apple Pie had given me the impression when I last saw them on Green River, that she was already low of food, so I was worried. Plus, I wondered what I should do if they didn't come in tonight or by the time I was ready to leave tomorrow.
With three now in the cabin, I had to contract my drying, but Spur put up a clothes line that helped all of us dry our smaller stuff. I couldn't get the cabin hot enough to get my sleeping bag fully dry by checkout time, so my plan is to move to the lodge fireplace tomorrow after checkout. I was ready to sleep not too long after dinner, so I put in earplugs and got to sleep in flannel sheets.
