29 July 2017, 20:00
Location: Yellowstone Creek - N40.76590° W110.41489°
Elevation: 11,011'
Ascent: 2893' (Total: 12238')
Descent: 2694' (Total: 9394')
Day Distance: 15.45 miles (Total: 76.07 miles)
I started a little late today. It rained for hours last night and as I had picked a East facing camp I was hoping the sun would dry somethings out before packing them up. Also my GPS needed some back up batteries charged. My watch had also died sometime during the night. Not sure why the watch died, when I went to bed it had plenty of battery. Now since it died, it lost some more time, so now it is about another 40 minutes off. So with the sun up I charged my watch and my batteries. Both were done by the time I had struck camp. To start the day my GPS only had about 50% life left in the batteries. So I knew I would be needing the batteries. Sure enough, around noon I needed to change them out. I then put the solar panel on my pack and charged the depleted batteries. This is the first day that I did not have bad weather move in during the day.
As I left Kidney Lakes, I went down the wrong side. I had looked at the map and thought I could connect to the trail by crossing over and going down the west side. Didn't really work out, got pinned by terrain and water, and I ended up back-tracking to the lakes. Seems the output from both lakes converged, and there was no way to cross. Looking at the map the trail curved away from where I was, and if I did not cross I would be descending into the wrong drainage. So I went back to the lakes crossed both streams individually, and then reverse followed the horse tracks that I had encountered the night before, back to the HighLine trail. Turns out that there is a sign, I was just a little impatient, about 100 yards.
With a 09:00 start, the extra for the 'tour of the area' really put be behind. It was almost 10:00 before I regained the trail.
The descent from Kidney Lakes was brutal. Steep, rocky, downed trees, water crossings, and water running down the trail for large sections. When I finally made painter basin, at the base of Anderson Pass I had four miles left to go, including a 1400' climb over the pass and it was 14:00. I had been worried about the pass because of the almost daily afternoon thunder storms. Luck was with me, because there was not a storm to be seen/heard. By the time I had reached the top of the pass, a short two mile distance, it was 16:00. Nice 'speed' climbing the pass with a loaded pack. If I never do Anderson Pass with a pack on, it will be too soon! At the pass I ran into two couples. They asked where I was going and if I was going to summit. When I told them where I was going and how far, I got interrogated about what I was eating, about the solar panel, and just about everything else non-experience backpacker would ask someone that was backpacking. When I explained my food, I got questions on 'how good it was' and how could I fit it in my pack. When I explained about the vacuum packed food, and my bear bag. They wanted to know what a bear bag or vault was. Thankfully, at the point, another couple arrived up the trail from the Yellowstone side and I was able to changed the conversation to trail conditions down the western side of the pass. I never did explain what a bear vault was...
The descent into the Yellowstone drainage is a little daunting. The trail, while steep is also along a very sheer wall. A stumble would send you falling hundreds of feet. Going down hill, with pack, tired from a long day, is not something I would recommend. At the base of the trail from the pass, there is a small basin. I bumped into a gentleman from Moab that was here to hit all the 13,000' plus peaks. He was going to camp in the small basin and hit it all in the morning. He just could find any water, which was everywhere. He said that he and his wife were considering doing the Highline Trail in September, but couldn't figure out the shuttle thing. I offered to help. He was talking about doing only the Chepeta trail head west.
I finally made it down to the Yellowstone Creek where I had planned to camp at about 18:30. I got my phone out and called Shelly. Somebody heard me talking, and a couple came to investigate. I think they were going to try and get a little closer to attempt the summit tomorrow, so they didn't camp nearby.
A strong breeze was glowing, but the mosquitoes were still really thick. I may hike tomorrow just because of the bugs, since I don't want to have to stay in my solo tent all day. My original plans were to not hike on Sunday, but to take a day off. I see in the morning how I feel about hiking or staying.
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