Page 3
Day
Three
All we had to do this day was hike back out the 6 3/4 miles to the trailhead. David was having some leg pain the day before and was uncertain of joining Barry, Suzanne, and Gusto on the much longer exit route via Windy Peak. They all started off together with Janet first and me a few minutes later. I caught up with Janet and David just after Horseshoe Pass. David decided the blistering pace of the others was not a good idea with some lingering leg pain. The three of us settled into a slow paced hike out with lots of photo stops. We met up at Sunny Pass for a last look at Horseshoe Basin. We had seen a few folks camping on the first two days and a few more below Sunny Pass. It's still a mystery why so few hikers were in the area.
With a much slower pace than when coming in we had time to take in the aftermath of the burn. The bright yellows and blues set against jet black trees and logs were outstanding. We left camp at 7:30 and took a full hour longer coming down than we did coming in. The afternoon clouds came in earlier and provided some shade and sun for photographs. The green underbrush was much more photogenic than the black burned ground on my previous visit. There was a lot of fireweed that is about to explode in bloom. That should really be something in a week or two.
The trail ends with an uphill stretch from Clutch Creek but we were so close it didn't matter. By 12:00 noon we were cleaned up and on the road. David decided to wait for Suzanne and Barry rather than ride back with us. He had another two hours to wait as it turned out. By the time we drove down to Omak for lunch it was 95 degrees. Going through Twisp a sign read 105. Back on the west side it was still in the low 80s. With two stops Janet was home by 6:30 and I was home by 7:05.
Although I felt that three days was not enough time for such a long drive and it was likely to be too hot it all worked out well. I had one very hard day of fun scrambling and two days of easier photo hiking. The flowers were very good. The weather was a little hot but okay. The bugs were as bad as the last time but far form bad enough to ruin a great trip. I'd like to return soon for a golden larch trip in the fall. Totals for the three days were 36 miles with 6,300' of elevation gain.
All we had to do this day was hike back out the 6 3/4 miles to the trailhead. David was having some leg pain the day before and was uncertain of joining Barry, Suzanne, and Gusto on the much longer exit route via Windy Peak. They all started off together with Janet first and me a few minutes later. I caught up with Janet and David just after Horseshoe Pass. David decided the blistering pace of the others was not a good idea with some lingering leg pain. The three of us settled into a slow paced hike out with lots of photo stops. We met up at Sunny Pass for a last look at Horseshoe Basin. We had seen a few folks camping on the first two days and a few more below Sunny Pass. It's still a mystery why so few hikers were in the area.
With a much slower pace than when coming in we had time to take in the aftermath of the burn. The bright yellows and blues set against jet black trees and logs were outstanding. We left camp at 7:30 and took a full hour longer coming down than we did coming in. The afternoon clouds came in earlier and provided some shade and sun for photographs. The green underbrush was much more photogenic than the black burned ground on my previous visit. There was a lot of fireweed that is about to explode in bloom. That should really be something in a week or two.
The trail ends with an uphill stretch from Clutch Creek but we were so close it didn't matter. By 12:00 noon we were cleaned up and on the road. David decided to wait for Suzanne and Barry rather than ride back with us. He had another two hours to wait as it turned out. By the time we drove down to Omak for lunch it was 95 degrees. Going through Twisp a sign read 105. Back on the west side it was still in the low 80s. With two stops Janet was home by 6:30 and I was home by 7:05.
Although I felt that three days was not enough time for such a long drive and it was likely to be too hot it all worked out well. I had one very hard day of fun scrambling and two days of easier photo hiking. The flowers were very good. The weather was a little hot but okay. The bugs were as bad as the last time but far form bad enough to ruin a great trip. I'd like to return soon for a golden larch trip in the fall. Totals for the three days were 36 miles with 6,300' of elevation gain.
 Leaving Camp |
 Pick Peak & Burn |
 Haig & Teapot Dome |
 Purple & White Lupine |
 Basin From Sunny Pass |
 Filled With Flowers |
 Mostly Lupine |
 Bog Orchid? |
 Lavender |
 Another White Flower |
 Windy Through Burn |
 Lupine & Paintbrush |
 Flower Girl |
 Forget-Me-Nots |
 Forget-Me-Not Forest |
 David At Work |
 More Lupine |
 Lots Of Arnica |
 Lupine Surrounded |
 Good Lighting |
 Black Background |
 White Lupine |
 Mushroom |
 Asters |
 Scralet Gilia |
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Horseshoe Basin Report
Trips - 2009
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