summer_jackel

Back from a truly fantastic week in the mountains. It certainly did me a world of good.

nesting and her dogs were excellent trail companions, the weather was great (even during the thunderstorm) and the beauty of the place eludes description.

And there are lots of pics; this post may kill your dialup. The DSLR is an extravagantly heavy toy to carry on a backpacking trip (and we both had one; between the two of us I hesitate to imagine how many pics came out of this trip), but it was worth it. Snake lovers in particular take note!

So hopefully I'll be a lot calmer for awhile. I am still overwrought about Osbick, but---it happens, I guess. I gave him the best care I could, I make a point of staying educated as to how, and he seemed happy with me. I just wish I could have known him better and for longer.

Trucker drama is also averted, thank goodness. Mom has yet a different living situation now and doesn't want Trucker back any more. If it comes up again, it will be even easier for me to just say she's settled into my home and is now my cat. Which she is.

Trucker, for her part, has been granted leave to explore the house, but so far has shown no inclination to leave the bathroom. My existing cats are not thrilled with the idea but haven't bothered her, probably because her attitude towards dogs and cats alike can be pretty much summed up as "if you stay about a cat-length from me, I will ignore you completely, but any closer and I will kick your ass in a very serious way." None of my animals have ever had to fight for resources in earnest, as you'd have to in a feral cat colony, and are pretty taken aback about how quickly and efficiently she enters and leaves butt-kicking mode.

So here's where I went.

Let's start with this lovely young Western Rattlesnake. Allison spotted her, and the snake permitted us a good long look (at a respectful distance). This was a very snakeful trip.

Those wonderful markings!

The higher up the mountain you go, the earlier in the year it seems. The meadows below the high alpine lakes which were our destination were in full bloom, especially near the many tiny streams. Indian paintbrush is particularly striking flower.

I believe that these are Pearl Crescent butterflies (based on field guides), but if anyone knows more about bugs and I got it wrong, please correct me. There are clouds of them in the high meadows; I have never elsewhere seen butterflies in such profusion.

I haven't IDd this flower, but it's pretty.

Trail, dry meadow, peaks

Weathered trailsign at the junction to the Caribou Lake trail, which is probably the most difficult trail I've ever hiked. It goes straight up a mountain and there is no shade. I have done it 3 times and may not do it again; we went to different lakes this trip.

Peaks

leopard lilies

Awwww, Hobie loves being a pack dog, and his girl! (I am proud of this pic; I think it's one of my better dog pictures).

Coba being a noble alipne housefox. (tentfox?) He took to it beautifully and seemed to love it, and of course he was full of yearling puppy energy. Few things bond one to a dog like a backpacking trip.

I love how well camouflaged the grasshoppers are.

Miners cut this trail in the mid-1800s, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Alps. A ranger I asked once told me that they didn't find much and weren't there for long. It must have been so much work. Their abandoned equipment is full of enticing gears, cables and rust.

Sapphire Lake.

Coba being photogenic.

...And silly.

Rogue is more sedate in camp than Coba.

Pretty Dodger!

Sapphire Lake

climb us

Mirror Lake is about 2 1/2 miles up the mountain from Sapphire, and there is no trail. I've made it there once and failed once, and it was harder to get to than I remembered. I made it, although I made several failed attempts before I finally found a way up. Even then, the final bit involved about 10 feet of what I suppose you could term free-climbing (which I did 3 times, the last two boosting the shelties up one at a time. Yes, the shelties climbed this with me). Once there, I found the better way down.

There were lots of lovely wildflowers up there, in small patches at the outlet stream. Beyond that, everything is bare granite or impassable manzanita scrub.

Waterfall well below Mirror, whose outlet stream drops in two dramatic falls. These cliffs are part of the reason the lake so darn hard to get to.

This is a Phoebus butterfly. I'd never seen one before, and according to the field guide it is rarely seen due to its remote high-mountain habitat...apparently, its caterpillars feed on the little stonecrops that grow up there. So apparently, not only did I spot something precious and rare, I got a good photo of it.

Mirror Lake itself.

Looking over the cliff side.

Neat little islands with stunted trees.

Going back down.

The Western Fence Lizards look like granite here, too.

I can't help but think that this Monarch had gotten blown way off course. It had a slightly deformed wing. The fragility of life is rarely more apparent than in places such as this.