August 11th, 2024
Mile Marker: Cirque of the Towers Alternate
Miles Hiked: 25
We woke up this morning to a sopping wet tent and sleeping bag from condensation. We knew it was going to happen as it had just rained and we were in a meadow next to a lake. I was however surprised that it got this drenched. We even had ice starting to form at the corners of our tent because it got chillllly!
Journey and I without question decided to do breakfast in bed to help warm us up and get us moving for the day.
A little before we left camp, the sun made it over the mountains and we could start to thaw but we needed to move. We set out around 8 AM.
After .5 of a mile we came to a large river crossing with no rocks to hop. Journey and I decided to go ahead and get our feet wet. No point in sitting outside freezing, we needed to move. Surprisingly the water felt warmer than the air, which was a pleasant surprise.
I very quickly felt lethargic. I didn’t sleep well last night, not sure what is going on with my body but I feel like it is fighting something as sleep is evading me.
The first part of today was fairly flat with minimal elevation. We past multiple lakes and even saw a sign for another Lake Isabella! The PCT also had one, who knew there were two!
The terrain was rather rocky for majority of the day however and Journey and I realized that it slowly starts to drain you. Your feet hurt worse and you have to stare down instead of enjoy the views.
Around lunch time we started to get views of more big mountains in the wind river range. We were headed right for them as we planned to do the Cirque of the Towers alternate. This alternate had more elevation and passes to cross through but we were told it’s beautiful and well worth it.
We also ran across two marmots. The small young one ran to be closer to its mother but stopped short close to trail. I started chatting to it, letting it know I will not hurt it and admiring its claws. It was adorable how the marmot moved its head as if it was trying to figure out what I was saying. Eventually I felt like I was only a couple feet from it before it ran further to hide. They are just the cutest things.
At noon we stopped for lunch and dried out all our gear. Our gear is surprisingly heavy when wet.
We spent about an hour eating/drying things out then continued to move. Originally we had thought about doing a 27 mile day and getting over two passes in the alternate but after lunch it was obvious that wasn’t going to happen. We were just moving a bit slower which is okay.
Around 3 we came up on a bald climb and had gorgeous views of the Winds. They seem like they are fake, a backdrop placed there. These huge giant mountains! The shuttle driver into Pinedale told us that the Winds have been discovered in the past 3 years, that beforehand they had almost been a hidden jewel. It’s no wonder people want to come visit here, I’m surprised it’s not a national park!
The closer we got to the alternate the more people we started to see. We were told this is a popular route so I felt fully prepared.
Once we turned on the alternate we actually had some nice trail that we were able to fly on. It’s crazy how much of this trail is slow going because of the rocks etc. It’s just no wonder the PCT can be finished so fast.
As we started getting closer to Texas Pass (the hardest pass) we were getting higher in elevation and getting great views of the mountains. These things are huge and rugged.
I was loving the views today, I mean this was just incredible. I kept feeling a little nervous for the pass because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that there could be snow and that it was extremely steep but still I was unsure what it looked like. As we rounded a few bends, eventually we came to Texas lake and had a clear view of the pass, yep we are going straight up.
We expected to meet up with Captain here but couldn’t see him. Eventually we heard his holler and he was almost done with the climb, he got way far ahead of us today.
So Journey and I started the climb and kept a good pace. We could feel the altitude as we rose to 11,443 feet.
The climb went straight up with short switchbacks. Thankfully there was some kind of trail to follow.
As we neared the top, I turned around and felt like I was in a rugged middle of nowhere where feel.
I was also feeling proud of myself and us. We were climbing this pass like it was nobody’s business. We were crushing it.
We got to the top and the sign looked like it had seen better days as not much was readable.
Then we noticed the other side and holy smokes. My jaw dropped as I let out a wow. I mean just wow.
This was the coolest mountains I have seen.
Then as we started the descent I noticed snow. I could feel a spike of adrenaline but I took a deep breath that allowed me to analyze the scene. It wasn’t much snow and there was deep tracks across that felt safe. This was nothing like what I had done. I crossed peacefully, thankfully.
The descent was nothing like the ascent which we were very thankful for. It was still steep and long but it wasn’t as bad. I was thankful for two trekking poles.
We moved quickly and made it down to the lake fast. Journey and I decided we would stop here for the night instead of continuing over the next pass as originally planned. We didn’t see Captain so we assumed he went on there.
We noticed a ton of people camped around the lake and found ourselves an awesome campsite! Thankfully it wasn’t being used by anyone.
We then went to the lake for dinner and views. What an incredibly beautiful day.
And Journey had an awesome bear hang on this massive tree! Ain’t no bear getting our food!
We then read comments in the app about an algae in the lake and to not drink it so Journey and I made the trek back to where the water flowed into the lake to try and avoid the algae. The water looked clear so hopefully it’s okay!
We caught this view on our way. 😍
We were able to get in our tent by 8:30 which is a great time. Journey and I both agree that we enjoy getting to camp earlier and not always rushing with big miles. It’s definitely needed so that we can enjoy more of this trip.
Hoping for a solid night of rest.
Iz and Oz
Izzy + Ozzy 