Going to the mountains for me has the distilling effect of centering myself on what's most important. Arriving at Broads Fork Lower Basin is like entering a chamber of judges of the soul. They will judge if you are worthy and prepared well enough to stand on top of them. Each of the towering 11,000'+ peaks that surround you in 3 directions seems to look like through you, interviewing you with their piercing gaze, testing you to see if you are worthy to climb onward and upward toward their lofty summits. It is here where you can lay down your life's trivial challenges and focus your efforts on the singular goal of The Ascent. The goal was to climb every peak along the horseshoe shaped ridge line shown in the picture below. And, as usual, the picture below just doesn't do justice to the size and strength of these peaks.
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| Robinson Ridge, Twin, Sunrise, O'Sullivan, Dromedary, a.k.a. The Judges |
I worked my way up to Robinson Ridge, taking a hard right at the basin, over loose talus and gravel. This cutoff is much more direct than approaching through the upper cirque. I quickly left the vegetation behind for scree and a few wildflowers.
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| The last water for a long time, an unnamed beaver pond. |
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| The final scramble to West Twin |
The view from Twin was a bit hazy this time.
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| A smoggy summer day |
Passing the test of one of the Judges, I then worked my way down towards Sunrise Peak at the back end of Broads Fork. However, in my haste to climb Twin Peaks, I discovered I had nearly depleted my water supply fully. The two small water bottles on the waist belt were pretty much bone dry. And by this time, I was a long ways away from any water source. Also, I had started late so was not where I needed to be with my hiking schedule to take on another peak. So I hesitantly decided to skip Sunrise Peak, scramble across the upper cirque and go for Dromedary Peak instead. I know I need to now get back to Sunrise at some point... On my way over to the chute, I was greeted with a pair of very tame mountain goats scrambling, even frolicking, along the cliff bands. They were so sure and steady, avoiding the loose scree and staying above me at all times. Good climbing instincts for sure to "maintain the high ground" in the face of an unknown intruder.
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| This one showed me the way across the boulder field |
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| Incredibly mellow and observant, I have never been this close to these majestic creatures... |
I worked my way up the chute that leads into Tanner Gulch and enjoyed great views of Broads and West Twin.
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| Reminds me a bit of the pyramid-shaped Everest, (without the snow) |
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| Sweeping talus fields |
I finally summited Dromedary after much boulder hopping and scrambling. I had heard from Wetzel that Ambrose was doing something extra-crazy and uber-ambitious I just learned was called the WURL that next morning (
http://ambroseut.blogspot.com/). So I left him one of my granola bars on top for him to enjoy...or at least feed the high-elevation squirrels.
I was welcomed with great views into Tanner Gulch and the 3 Sisters of Mill B: Lake Blanche, Lake Florence, and Lake Lillian.
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| LCC Road far below |
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| The Three Sisters of Mill B South: not as close as they seem here |
Being incredibly parched at this point, I decided to take a detour and descend via Mill B South so I could re-water myself at Lake Lillian. It was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off I believe, despite the far distance. I was as parched as ever by the time I got down to the lake. I knew it because I just didn't have any more stuff to sweat out of me, I felt.
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| Re-hydrating, with or without iodine pills. |
A nice bonus of descending through Mill B South at dusk is the gorgeous shots of the soft light on The Sundial with fish rising in Lake Lillian. Definitely a nice way to round out a very long journey.
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| The Sundial and a perfect reflection |
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| I wish I could have stayed to let this soak in... |
