Rocky Mountain NP-Wild Basin Trip report

“Go away, if you don't want to read a long trip report, its as much for me as it is for you all...

Unable to attend the 2 Scoops hike, I decided to hike the Wild Basin area. The trail up to the backcountry was the 7.5 mile Thunder Lake trail, base camp there for 2 nights, do a day hike up to Trio falls (all cross country, R/T 7 miles) then hike up Mertensia Falls and go up the pass to the Continental Divide, hike over a mile or so to Coney Pass, down that pass to the Finch Lake campground, @ 9 miles and then hike out on the 7.5 mile Finch Lake Trail back to Wild Basin TH...3 nights 3.5 days...that was the plan, but did that come to pass???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! oh, the first part came out well enough...

Thursday July 31:
Got to the trail head at Wild Basin at 10:30, got the pack on and hit the trail. I started up, the day was blue and fantastic. I stopped at Calypso and then Ouzel falls and shot my first round of water fall photos, I played till I figured out how to make the picture look like a cascade of water. I think they turned out perty good. Upon reaching Thunder Lake at 4;30, there was a volunteer HS group performing trail maintenance. The trail was in amazing shape and condition, They were camped out at Thunder Lake for 4 weeks doing TM. AWSOME!!! These kids were from all over the country and were led by summering teachers from the area. very cool. It was their last night and were preparing to head into the backcountry for 5 days of fun, after a month of hard work...neat and way cool. Since there had been that bear attack in the park (the bear is now dead) I made sure that all food and smellable items were hung securely and safely. It felt great to be up in the mountains again. I slept like a baby.

Friday Aug 1-Day hike to Trio Falls:
My hike to trio falls was spectacular. I hiked up the North St Vrain Creek, following through the woods and up the valley to Thunder Falls. Neat lil water falls that cascades @ 40 foot. From the top, I got my first glimpse of Thunder Lake. Very pretty and sparkling...(I'm always amazed with water...there in lies hidden in water, all the magic that there is left in the world)... I continued climbing to treeline at Lion Lake #1. and crossed the meadows to Trio Falls. The name totally is on the money, 3 falls right next to each other, with there very own glacier cave that the stream rins right through. I took a well deserved shower in the falls and got very cool and refreshed quickly. EXCELLENT!!!. As I was deciding whether to hike up to Alice (13110') the clouds started coming in, REAL THICK and dark. My decision made (head back down) I bagan the decent when the clouds opened up and the wind and lightening began. I spotted a cave of rocks and made for it and huddled under its shelter and cooked lunch on the stove. Very nice and cozy. After the rain abated, it began to clear up and I was almost gonna try for the summit, but I decided upon the course of prudence and headed down, after all...its not about summits, its about gettin out there and enjoying oneself, and I had certainly enjoyed myself...time to return to basecamp. So I did and made a supmtious dinner and then went to the Thunder Lake for the first time and made music on my flute on the shores of the lake to apease the Mountain Gods, I then returned to camp and went to sleep, relaxed and happy. My dreams were sweet!

Saturday Aug 2-Day 3 backpack to the other side of Copeland Mountain, via Mertensia Falls:
Awoke in time to see the sun rise above Thunder Lake and the lighting of the Thunder Valley...simply majestic!. I headed out with a light breakfast of granola bars that the TM team had provided me. I wanted to really make an early move up the falls and the hillside, as I had a big hike planned with even bigger elevation gain (2880' in 2 miles) I headed down the trail, till I spotted Mertensia, across the valley. I turned into the woods and desended 880' to the St Vrain North fork and found a way across the frothing mass...It was a leap of faith and knowledge that If I slipped on the rock, I was gonna be hamburger, the water was CHURNING!. I made the leap, landed on the rock in the middle of the creek and bounded to the opposite side...no misstep...whew, first hurdle down...now onto and up the falls. As was now on the north side of Mertensia (I eventually needed to be on the south side) I hiked up the vertical alley that parelled the falls. The falls were a wonder of frothing churning white water, looking to eat anything that might venture into its mass...I made sure that I had good distance from it as I was hiking up sheer woodland....then I saw the SKAT!!! big, lumpy and soft...YIKES BEAR!!! It wasn't warm to the touch, but it was soft, maybe 3-4 hours old and the bear had big paws, bigger than my hand and the ground was soft and the print fresh...YIKES!!! and going in my direction...I walked VEWWWWWY softly and kept my eyes very peeeeeled. I didn't spot him and I climbed ever higher and finally reached a wonderful flat area where I could go right out and safely touch the falls, I filtered fresh water and ate some late breakfast bars and rested for the next push upwards to Eagle Lake. I made Eagle Lake by 12:30 and had to detour through the marshes around the lake and then climb the slopes and rock hop to the far pass where I began the next ascent to Frigid Lake and Momaw Glacier and then the final push to the Divide, just below The Cleaver, which is one of only 2 technical blockages of the Divide. Experience climbers only please...I'd pass on the Cleaver, but I wanted a photo of it. I caught it just perfect. The final climb up to the pass was to be hard and treacherous. I was above Isolation Lake and had to make my way around it up on the side of mahana Peaks and Isolation Peaks...I was like a spider on the wall...500' above me to the peak of Isolation and a grand slide of 1000' below me to the lake...It was at least a 70% grade, and I was gripping everything like it might be my last grip...to say I was anxious and nervous would be an understatement...I kept repeating the mantra..."don't look down, don't look down...and don't let go" I wasn't scarred, but I didn't want to risk removing my hands from anything long enough to reach for hte camera and snap any photos from the side of the wall...so, consequently, no scarry photos of the moment...I finally made the pass and climbed to the divide, It took over 1.5 hours...WOW!!! The view was righteous! Directly to my west and below me was the vast Paradise Park Research Natural Area...no camping. and to the south...Ogalla and the north Meeker and Longs. I took a short, deserved break and ate some food and rested my legs...they were pumpin and workin overtime, but nothing compared with what was to come.

I walked easily and leasurly on the divide and was looking for Coney Pass and Copeland Mtn. Copeland is 13176, and my goal was to summit and hump it and then hike on down to Finch Lake and Pear Lake Trail to finally come to Finch Lake Camp site. I went down the wrong side of Coney Pass and wound up hiking down Upper Ouzel Creel and past Junco Lake. By the time I realized my error, I was half way down and now too tired to hike back to the top. I spotted a creek coming in from my left, and looking on my map, I was able to confirm my suspicion and locate myself on the map...Upper Ouzel Creek. BUT!!! the vertical descent in this pass was 2960' in less than 2 miles...more scarry and intense climbing, this time down! it was late...2:30 before I began. I needed to move and move quickly as the sun would go behind the mountain long before dark and make my travels even more difficult...now my goal was to get to a trail by dark and then hike out to somewhere...I climbed down everything, glaciers, rocks, scree...I even slid on my butt for over 50' and bounced over an exposed rock...not fun. I hiked over moving boulders, thiking about possible sawing my arm off in an emergency, you see, my big fear was that something would happen and the rangers would look for me not in this canyon, but in a different one, but never mind that, I knew that that was not gonna happen...I followed the creek as best as I could, sometimes being 60 to 70' above the frothing churning twisting monster. At one point, I had to go down, as I had run out of flat area...I lowered myself over the sheer wall and jammed my hiking stick into a small groove in the rock and tried to lower myself 4' down to a small step that would allow myself to continue down, I was toatll streteched and holding myself by my right hand and still 3 foot short of the step. At this point, I said "its now and do it right, or fall 50' into the creek below and die. my hand was slipping and I just let go and landed and stuck the foot and it slid 3" and I came to a screaching stop...nerves shaking and legs straining, I had done it and was able to continue down, still hard, but with much less difficulty. after the merger of the 2 streams, I decided I had to get to the opposite side of the stream, there really was no safe way, so I took off my shoes and wded across, making every effort not to slip and be swept down in the white water. safely across, I spotted FRESH BEAR SKAT!!! gooey, slightly warm and lots of crushed grasses and flowers. CRAP!!! another bear. I hike on in the growing darkness, knowing that there was a big bear in the vacinity, I stayed as close to the stream as I could, determined to make Ouzel Lake and its camp site before dark, which I did, at just the right time, I was out of water and very hungry and extremely tired, mentally and physically. I stood on the south side of the lake and was yellin "hellooooooo, anyone out there?" there came a voice saying "whatcha need"...I was there...I walked around the lake to where they were camped, related my story and they loffered to let me stay at there camp site ( I was gonna anyway). I set up camp, hung the food as best as I could and made dinner, went to sleep, right away at 9:30....so ended a very, very intense, wonderous day.

Sunday Aug 3:
Awoke to a wonderful day on Lake Ouzel, extremely hurtin...stiff, sore, swollen feet and 1 blister on a callus that I had failed to attend to the week prior, I ate 6 ibuproen, breakfast, drank coffee and broke camp and started down the REGULAR trail to my car and eventually, a shower in Estes at Dads, and a huge lunch and onto the airport and eventually home.

nothing broke, nothing maimed, nothing lost...gained tremendous self respect and knowledge of personal limits...I messed up, but remained calm and proceeded on a determined course and excelled in the physical aspects that were demanded of me...can't wait for the next adventure...

Photos of my trip”

“Go away, if you don't want to read a long trip report, its as much for me as it is for you all...

Unable to attend the 2 Scoops hike, I decided to hike the Wild Basin area. The trail up to the backcountry was the 7.5 mile Thunder Lake trail, base camp there for 2 nights, do a day hike up to Trio falls (all cross country, R/T 7 miles) then hike up Mertensia Falls and go up the pass to the Continental Divide, hike over a mile or so to Coney Pass, down that pass to the Finch Lake campground, @ 9 miles and then hike out on the 7.5 mile Finch Lake Trail back to Wild Basin TH...3 nights 3.5 days...that was the plan, but did that come to pass???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! oh, the first part came out well enough...

Thursday July 31:
Got to the trail head at Wild Basin at 10:30, got the pack on and hit the trail. I started up, the day was blue and fantastic. I stopped at Calypso and then Ouzel falls and shot my first round of water fall photos, I played till I figured out how to make the picture look like a cascade of water. I think they turned out perty good. Upon reaching Thunder Lake at 4;30, there was a volunteer HS group performing trail maintenance. The trail was in amazing shape and condition, They were camped out at Thunder Lake for 4 weeks doing TM. AWSOME!!! These kids were from all over the country and were led by summering teachers from the area. very cool. It was their last night and were preparing to head into the backcountry for 5 days of fun, after a month of hard work...neat and way cool. Since there had been that bear attack in the park (the bear is now dead) I made sure that all food and smellable items were hung securely and safely. It felt great to be up in the mountains again. I slept like a baby.

Friday Aug 1-Day hike to Trio Falls:
My hike to trio falls was spectacular. I hiked up the North St Vrain Creek, following through the woods and up the valley to Thunder Falls. Neat lil water falls that cascades @ 40 foot. From the top, I got my first glimpse of Thunder Lake. Very pretty and sparkling...(I'm always amazed with water...there in lies hidden in water, all the magic that there is left in the world)... I continued climbing to treeline at Lion Lake #1. and crossed the meadows to Trio Falls. The name totally is on the money, 3 falls right next to each other, with there very own glacier cave that the stream rins right through. I took a well deserved shower in the falls and got very cool and refreshed quickly. EXCELLENT!!!. As I was deciding whether to hike up to Alice (13110') the clouds started coming in, REAL THICK and dark. My decision made (head back down) I bagan the decent when the clouds opened up and the wind and lightening began. I spotted a cave of rocks and made for it and huddled under its shelter and cooked lunch on the stove. Very nice and cozy. After the rain abated, it began to clear up and I was almost gonna try for the summit, but I decided upon the course of prudence and headed down, after all...its not about summits, its about gettin out there and enjoying oneself, and I had certainly enjoyed myself...time to return to basecamp. So I did and made a supmtious dinner and then went to the Thunder Lake for the first time and made music on my flute on the shores of the lake to apease the Mountain Gods, I then returned to camp and went to sleep, relaxed and happy. My dreams were sweet!

Saturday Aug 2-Day 3 backpack to the other side of Copeland Mountain, via Mertensia Falls:
Awoke in time to see the sun rise above Thunder Lake and the lighting of the Thunder Valley...simply majestic!. I headed out with a light breakfast of granola bars that the TM team had provided me. I wanted to really make an early move up the falls and the hillside, as I had a big hike planned with even bigger elevation gain (2880' in 2 miles) I headed down the trail, till I spotted Mertensia, across the valley. I turned into the woods and desended 880' to the St Vrain North fork and found a way across the frothing mass...It was a leap of faith and knowledge that If I slipped on the rock, I was gonna be hamburger, the water was CHURNING!. I made the leap, landed on the rock in the middle of the creek and bounded to the opposite side...no misstep...whew, first hurdle down...now onto and up the falls. As was now on the north side of Mertensia (I eventually needed to be on the south side) I hiked up the vertical alley that parelled the falls. The falls were a wonder of frothing churning white water, looking to eat anything that might venture into its mass...I made sure that I had good distance from it as I was hiking up sheer woodland....then I saw the SKAT!!! big, lumpy and soft...YIKES BEAR!!! It wasn't warm to the touch, but it was soft, maybe 3-4 hours old and the bear had big paws, bigger than my hand and the ground was soft and the print fresh...YIKES!!! and going in my direction...I walked VEWWWWWY softly and kept my eyes very peeeeeled. I didn't spot him and I climbed ever higher and finally reached a wonderful flat area where I could go right out and safely touch the falls, I filtered fresh water and ate some late breakfast bars and rested for the next push upwards to Eagle Lake. I made Eagle Lake by 12:30 and had to detour through the marshes around the lake and then climb the slopes and rock hop to the far pass where I began the next ascent to Frigid Lake and Momaw Glacier and then the final push to the Divide, just below The Cleaver, which is one of only 2 technical blockages of the Divide. Experience climbers only please...I'd pass on the Cleaver, but I wanted a photo of it. I caught it just perfect. The final climb up to the pass was to be hard and treacherous. I was above Isolation Lake and had to make my way around it up on the side of mahana Peaks and Isolation Peaks...I was like a spider on the wall...500' above me to the peak of Isolation and a grand slide of 1000' below me to the lake...It was at least a 70% grade, and I was gripping everything like it might be my last grip...to say I was anxious and nervous would be an understatement...I kept repeating the mantra..."don't look down, don't look down...and don't let go" I wasn't scarred, but I didn't want to risk removing my hands from anything long enough to reach for hte camera and snap any photos from the side of the wall...so, consequently, no scarry photos of the moment...I finally made the pass and climbed to the divide, It took over 1.5 hours...WOW!!! The view was righteous! Directly to my west and below me was the vast Paradise Park Research Natural Area...no camping. and to the south...Ogalla and the north Meeker and Longs. I took a short, deserved break and ate some food and rested my legs...they were pumpin and workin overtime, but nothing compared with what was to come.

I walked easily and leasurly on the divide and was looking for Coney Pass and Copeland Mtn. Copeland is 13176, and my goal was to summit and hump it and then hike on down to Finch Lake and Pear Lake Trail to finally come to Finch Lake Camp site. I went down the wrong side of Coney Pass and wound up hiking down Upper Ouzel Creel and past Junco Lake. By the time I realized my error, I was half way down and now too tired to hike back to the top. I spotted a creek coming in from my left, and looking on my map, I was able to confirm my suspicion and locate myself on the map...Upper Ouzel Creek. BUT!!! the vertical descent in this pass was 2960' in less than 2 miles...more scarry and intense climbing, this time down! it was late...2:30 before I began. I needed to move and move quickly as the sun would go behind the mountain long before dark and make my travels even more difficult...now my goal was to get to a trail by dark and then hike out to somewhere...I climbed down everything, glaciers, rocks, scree...I even slid on my butt for over 50' and bounced over an exposed rock...not fun. I hiked over moving boulders, thiking about possible sawing my arm off in an emergency, you see, my big fear was that something would happen and the rangers would look for me not in this canyon, but in a different one, but never mind that, I knew that that was not gonna happen...I followed the creek as best as I could, sometimes being 60 to 70' above the frothing churning twisting monster. At one point, I had to go down, as I had run out of flat area...I lowered myself over the sheer wall and jammed my hiking stick into a small groove in the rock and tried to lower myself 4' down to a small step that would allow myself to continue down, I was toatll streteched and holding myself by my right hand and still 3 foot short of the step. At this point, I said "its now and do it right, or fall 50' into the creek below and die. my hand was slipping and I just let go and landed and stuck the foot and it slid 3" and I came to a screaching stop...nerves shaking and legs straining, I had done it and was able to continue down, still hard, but with much less difficulty. after the merger of the 2 streams, I decided I had to get to the opposite side of the stream, there really was no safe way, so I took off my shoes and wded across, making every effort not to slip and be swept down in the white water. safely across, I spotted FRESH BEAR SKAT!!! gooey, slightly warm and lots of crushed grasses and flowers. CRAP!!! another bear. I hike on in the growing darkness, knowing that there was a big bear in the vacinity, I stayed as close to the stream as I could, determined to make Ouzel Lake and its camp site before dark, which I did, at just the right time, I was out of water and very hungry and extremely tired, mentally and physically. I stood on the south side of the lake and was yellin "hellooooooo, anyone out there?" there came a voice saying "whatcha need"...I was there...I walked around the lake to where they were camped, related my story and they loffered to let me stay at there camp site ( I was gonna anyway). I set up camp, hung the food as best as I could and made dinner, went to sleep, right away at 9:30....so ended a very, very intense, wonderous day.

Sunday Aug 3:
Awoke to a wonderful day on Lake Ouzel, extremely hurtin...stiff, sore, swollen feet and 1 blister on a callus that I had failed to attend to the week prior, I ate 6 ibuproen, breakfast, drank coffee and broke camp and started down the REGULAR trail to my car and eventually, a shower in Estes at Dads, and a huge lunch and onto the airport and eventually home.

nothing broke, nothing maimed, nothing lost...gained tremendous self respect and knowledge of personal limits...I messed up, but remained calm and proceeded on a determined course and excelled in the physical aspects that were demanded of me...can't wait for the next adventure...

Photos of my trip”

“sorry for the duplication...too impatient and hit the button twice.”

“I'm gonna stop posting them. Who freakin cares...lets all start talking about BS all the time...this is becoming less and less about backpacking and more about crap. Thank goodness I made some friends that really like to hike and swap stories...I'll save it for the campfire...”

“yo stikmon - do you think a GPS would have helped to keep you on track on your trip?”

“Hey stik, don't get your panties in a wad. ;)
I've found trip reports only get big readership if a lot of TTers go on the trip, or if you do something REALLY dumb.
I read this report and enjoyed it.
Uh,... your not going to lead and Rocky's trips next year, are you?”

“and=any”

“is my way of thinning out the herd...ooops...there goes another one.

yes...gps is the next toy purchase...but, I never really was lost...just decended a mile early.

I love my trips...especially when I get to live to tell the tale.”

“Dang. What a trip report. I'm glad you made it out okay and have a great story to share with the rest of us.

How did you miss your trail? I'm not familiar with hiking out west, are the trails not marked?

Nice pictures too.

Thanks for sharing - don't get yer panties in a bunch - its a long report and I'm sure people are plodding their way through it!”

“there was NO TRAIL, nor markers...It was way too easy to make the mistake, which I enjoy doing, I guess, as I do it all the time. lol...”

“Aha - that I did not know!

Now I'm confused, a trailhead with no trail? Trail maintainance on a trailless trail? You see my confusion. When in your travels prior to getting lost did the trail end?

Not trying to be a pain in the a$$ - just confused.

See, out here in NYS, most of the trails are so well marked that there has to be alot of snow on the ground before you start lossing the trail. Or you climb trailless peaks.

Just curious as to what I might expect from Western trails....”

“the Thunder Lake trail, ends at thunder lake...then its either up and over or turn and hike out. What I was attempting to do was create a loop situation, which I did, just not on the trail, that I was originally intending. My intent was to go down into the Finch Lake Trail area, what I did was enter into the Ouzel Creek/Lake trail area...one valley over. It was awsome, just nerve wracking...Im sure that the Finch thing would have been the same, but at least had somehting happened to me, the rangers would have known percisly what area I was in. In this respect, I let loads of people know my route, mother, work HQ and Ranger Mike, the Wild Basin Backcounty Ranger. I was not where I told everyone I was going to be, so, if disaster had struck, It would have been not so good...

How's the western trip planning going...If your gonna cruise thruough St Louis or lower...I'd come up and buy ya dinner or lunch or somehting...there are some easy to get to camping areas up in the St Louis area...give me email and I'll give ya call, and maybe we can set something up.”

“That's a great trip report! That better?

I loved you photos. You have a nice eye for composition. Any training in that?”

“Not being critical, but it sounds like you were just a heartbeat away from be the object of a SAR.

Nice report”

“yes, better...thank you. yes, I have had photo training...back in college, I took photography and developing as my free elective selection every semister for 4 years. My professor told me I had a natural eye, I wish I had followed that path...maybe I'd be working for Nat Geo...those dudes and dudettes are THE best. I wish I could do what they do and do it WHERE they do it.

Where's my lizs??? I need her photo critique...she's quite talented in her own right...”

“search and rescue...

Lions, Tigers and bears, oh my!!!

LOL...I had PROMISED ranger Mike that I wouldn't do anything that would require rescueing...LOL...

I told him I knew the drill...save the victim first, then beat the heII out of em, for causing the situation in the first place...he laughed. and then related a story of another man, who went up to the divide and then instead of turning south onto the Divide, he kept going on straight down the other side and kept hiking on till he hit a trail and ranger station...35 miles away from his starting point...LOL...the dude wanted the ranger to come "pick him up" and return him to his car...Mike said "NO WAY, your on your own".

my new favorite expression is "its only fun until someone gets hurt". and, thank god, this remained fun, the entire time.”

“Great trip report Stikmon, the best trips are the ones without trails. I really enjoyed the photos too, especially the double snow arch, very cool. Glad you made it out ok and didn't become bear bait or a SAR case.
I really would like to get back to RMNP someday, I drove through it on my move out here but I didn't have time to get out and hike.

Twinkle Toes,
Most of the trails out west will bring you up a drainage system to a alpine lake. From the lake, there might be a trail over a pass if it connects to another popular drainage system or ridgeline trail. But, if you want to link drainages together to create a loop hike or you want to bag a big peak, then you are on your own without a trail to follow. A lot of the peaks and passes out here have so much snow and rock fall during the winter that trying to maintain a trail is pointless.”

“Nice report and pics!

Reporting the temp of the bear scat is TMI though, lol...”

“dude - i'll die if i move out west!! no freakin' trail markers? what is this? wilderness or something??”

“Nice TR Stikki! I love the photos, especially the waterfall pics.

Check out my Lost in the Wilderness Trip Report. It looks like we were both lost out there.

Did you take any game trails, and or see any game trails? If so, were they really worn and looking like foot trails? Also, did they have posts with no signs at some of the trail junctions? That was the case at Lizard Head. Ranger said they had to remove the signs because the elk kept damaging them.

Glad you are OK, and thanks for the report.”

“If you were following bear scat and knew that the temp of it was the determining factor of near or far...you'd check too...any good backcountry person would have done the same...its not like I played with it or anything like that...if it had been crazy mike, he'd have rubbed it all over himself, so that he would then become invisible and undetectable to the bear...not that that thought didn't cross my mind you know. I saw that in a Tarzan movie once. and Arnold did it in Predator. makes sense.”

“Can we expect that from him as Gov??

Stik, I'll look at photos later. Off to cover a Relay for Life event. So ya tried to do yourself in again? When you have to cut your arm off, just promise **ME!!** the story, OK?? Exclusive book and movie rights, with reprint/video options?? lol

Hey, and you wouldn't meet ME for supper, even in Cape! Hmmm... or maybe Cape was the problem and St. Louey woulda been OK?? pffffffffft!!!”

“Stikky, check all day long, just don't tell us about it....lol....”

“You've got some very nice shots there. I especially liked the good one of the waterfall that was blurry (but that did not have the white blown out, like some do); the water lilies and there was one I really liked with a dead tree laying across the shot, although the mountain in the distance is kinda light (send me that shot and in Photoshop we'll "burn in" the background and it will be great! Probably a lot more like what you saw. And "burning in" is an old darkroom technique, so it's "legal" to purists. lol)

I'm pretty sure I can tell when you were using your zoom to get the shot. It's just not as clear; more "pixely."

How did you get the shot of you on (or was it by) the log crossing? Do you have a minute delay on self-timer, or did someone else shoot that one? lol

I look at those shots and think it's time to get back out to Colorado. Dang! Reminded me a lot of some of the area around Rollins Pass and Indian Peaks... then again, this is that same area, but farther north.

Sounds like a great trip, although a bit hairy for my taste. (and not that I haven't done similar things, but not just trip after trip after trip after trip. lol)

I bet the mt. biking guys from Iowa who went down a wall to see whatever in Canyonlands a few years back figured they could get back out of there or be dead. Hmmm, well, they got "dead" for their efforts. You have to take calculated risks and it sounds like with yours, the odds were way on the side of disaster.”

“Lizs...disaster RUELS!!!

will send you the a cd of the photos, then you can have your way with them.”

“Good report dude. Just another chapter in the book of misadventures. :)”

“what I want to know is where are all of the pics you shot from our Cape Hatteras trip....seems to me that trip came BEFORE this one...looks like you have quite a number of pages of pics on this trip but zilch for the beach....this ain't right....the "Little Lady" is gonna be P...Oh'd....@U”

“don't stop posting them. I read them. I just don't reply because I think no one cares about my comments :)”

“Great Trip Report! I just read it.... 4 years later!”

“And now one week till we hike the same!”

“With nothing better to do than keep plugging away on my monthly sales reports I turn to Trail talk and what do I see to my utter amazement...one of my old trip reports resurrected. Sweet.

Adventurist...I hope you had just as great a time as I did on my trek to wild basin...

It seems like another lifetime ago that I did that trip and what I went through in the doing. LOL. I guess I was lucky to have survived it and even luckier that I did it.

marc”

“We encountered much more snow than normal so we hiked to the Continental Divide above Lion Lakes on Friday and hiked to Bluebird Lake on Saturday.

Here's some pictures:


by feeney3co”

“nice pics!”