This certainly hasn’t been the snowiest winter on record, so I was unsure just how much of the white stuff I’d find in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The Rollins Pass Road was completely clear on the drive in, but the trail was snow-packed (if thin) and fresh flakes were starting to fall as I left the trailhead.
Continuing pass the trail junctions for Forest and Crater Lakes, I headed further up the main valley than I’d ever been before. While my shoulders protested the heavy pack, my ego was stroked by all the day trippers who seemed impressed that I was going to spend the night.
Around 11,000 feet the trees started to thin and I figured I should pick a semi-sheltered spot now before continuing higher and risking a windier camp. The perfectly flat and sheltered bench appeared and I stomped out a tent platform and setup camp. Hours of watching snow fall while drinking hot beverages kept me entertained until dusk.
Once it was truly dark I left my headlamp in the tent and spent some time trying to capture the next image, all the while wishing for another light source and an off-camera flash.
Just before falling asleep I noticed the nearly full moon shining into the tent and went outside to investigate the clearing skies. The following shot was a 10 second exposure illuminated only by the moon.
With the clear sky came an overnight low of 14F so I stayed in camp through breakfast until it had begun to warm back up to 20F. Then I quickly packed away my night’s home and headed back down the trail through the 5 or so new inches of needed snow.
Theh picture of the tent in the snow is my new wallpaper.
Thanks. Beautiful…..