Wednesday, 10 Aug 12.0 miles, 8:30
Chelsea on the way up Glen Pass
After yesterday’s exhausting hike none of us were quick to get going this morning. We rose and packed slowly, chatting over breakfast. It was a bit after 8:00 before Chelsea and I got going. Early on we reached Lower Rae Lake which looked almost artificial in its park-like setting. It was exquisite. I also got a look at Fin Dome here. We continued on past the other Rae lakes, also lovely but not as stunning as the first one. As we walked along their shores we noticed small fishes, probably some sort of trout, darting about. It was easy to see them through the clear water. I was sluggish and easily winded this morning, even on gentle climbs. I worried that I’d caught Chelsea’s bug. We stopped just before the steep climb to make water and I decided to use my inhaler. As we stood here, waiting for medicine and water treatment to take effect, we were surrounded by a flock of delightful little birds: Grey-crowned Rosy Finches (Leucosticte tephrocotis). These little cuties zipped around us busily, chattering about, and one alighted on my head! I could see my shadow on the ground, and the shadow of the bird on my hat. After a rest of thirty seconds or so she darted off and blended in with the rest of the flock. After my own few minutes of rest we pushed on. The climb was slow for me but really very pretty. We zig-zagged up a steep slope along a stream lined with rich plant growth, and with views of the Rae Lakes below us and of snowy mountains above and ahead of us. We gained an upper basin that housed several smaller, snow-choked and turquoise lakes. Here we got a look at the improbably steep headwall of Glen Pass, which towered six hundred feet over our heads. Switchback time! We worked our way up and gradually the lakes grew more distant and the top grew nearer. Finally we had just one long, steep snowfield to traverse. We had to wait for a large scout group to come across as passing on the field would be dangerous. It was our turn at last and we soon were across and on top of the pass. It was a spectacular, narrow, knife-edged pass with excellent views. Indeed, it reminded me very much of Katahdin’s Knife Edge. The exposure felt extreme and a little dizzy-making. Gailynn and A&R were not far behind us. We watched them cross the snowfield and they soon joined us.
Anita and Robert make their way down the switchbacks
The descent was an equally sheer switchback undertaking. Down we went, passing many flowers and frigid lakes. One plant we saw was Ranger Buttons (Phyllodoce breweri) which I recognized as some sort of heath straight off. The flowers looked kind of like Sheep Laurel. Nearby was a patch of something that looked like familiar Bluets except these flowers have five petals. The foliage looks like a phlox but I don’t know who this plant is. We leapfrogged Gailynn a few times before they exited at Kearsarge Pass. We continued down through some barren and depressing terrain but had a wonderful view of Charlotte Lake to our right. Then we arrived at an odd sight: an open area that looked quite like the dried up bed of a small lake, but with a trail junction in the middle of it. Hmm. We scratched our heads as we crossed the lake bed and then entered rich forest again. Our descent ended at the crossing of Bubb’s Creek and here we began a three-and-a-half mile, gentle climb to our campsite at Center Basin Creek. A&R and C&R are camped here and we are fairly well positioned for our climb of Forester Pass tomorrow. I am hoping I can drag myself out of bed for an early start. Three more days to go!
