Solo Hike from Moon Lake to Hayden Pass Trailhead (Day #3)

Considering the altitude, last night was warm.  The temperature barely dropped to 57°.  I was wide awake at 06:00 so I decided to start the day.  The forecast was for rain today, and the morning sky was indeed red.  My third day planned camp was to be in the vicinity of Anderson lake.  According to the GPS I was only about 2.5 miles from Anderson lake. The trail (Ledge Trail) was relatively flat and looked to be lightly used.  There were no foot prints on the trail, and the trail would disappear at times.  Every meadow I would loose the trail, and need to find it once the meadow was crossed. Several times in the trees the trail would disappear.  One time a downed tree, across what I believed to be the trail, hid the actual trail the turned 90° left.  The tree had actually fallen at the turn in the trail, and lay along the trail.  When I went around the root ball, the trail was not on the other side.
he length (height) of the tree left me 'lost' for a bit until I realized the trail actually turned.

Near Anderson and trail came in from Rock Creek and there were horse tracks, and at one point I heard a horse whinny, but I never saw them.  After a few pictures, and it still being early morning, about 09:00 I continued down the trail towards my planned day 4 camp site near Lightening and Helen lakes.

Leaving the Ledge Trail I joined the Highline (#25) for a short distance until I came to my last fork before committing to the trail to Helen and Lightening lakes.  Several hundred yards down the trail to Helen I couldn't shake the feeling that I need to return to the last fork and go to Jack and Jill lakes. Since my original goal really was to get to Helen lake I tried to ignore the feeling, but the feeling would not go away.  I finally reversed course and head towards Jack and Jill lakes.  About a my down the trail I encountered a scout group that stopped me to ask some trail directions and distances.  The scout group was actually headed for Moon Lake, (my point of origin), and were also on their third day.  They had entered at Mirror Lake, my destination, and when I encountered them, they were about 14 miles in from their trailhead, while I was nearly 30 from my entry point.  I decided to take lunch while I chatted with them, and when they found I was carrying a Satellite asked if they could make a call.  Seems they had had some sick scouts that had returned to the trailhead and wanted to make sure someone was aware.

After the Scout encounter, the first humans I had seen on the trip since early the first day, I continued towards Jack and Jill expecting to make and early camp.  When I arrived at Jack and Jill the place was over-run with cattle and I decided I wouldn't be doing that again!  So I got out the GPS and noticed that I was about about 13 miles from my take out point.  Deciding to push on, with plans to camp and Carolyn lake for the night.

Dead Horse Pass from East side base

The climb up out of Jack and Jill over Dead Horse pass is something, and as I sat at the top of Dead Horse Pass to take some pictures, the sky split open with a thunder and light show.  Here I was above the tree line and lightening was striking all around.  As I hurried off the pass, the rain came, then snow and hail, then more rain.  In fact, it rained for the next 4 hours.  The trail ran with water, and by the time I descend the pass, and got to Carolyn I was muddy to my knees, dry feet, pack and body, but I was muddy from the knees down.  Checking the GPS I decided to pass Carolyn and strike for the trailhead.  I called my wife to come meet me at 22:00, leaving what I thought would be a small cushion to allow me to arrive first.  Turns out, the downhill helped and I arrived at the trailhead about 21:00 after a 25 mile day.