BACK ON TOP (OF THE WORLD)
The wind was still howling when I got up Monday
morning. It was still smoky, too. At least the weather forecast looked good. I packed up and headed back up Senecio
Creek. This time I stayed on the River
Left side to avoid deadfall, which was much smoother. I climbed up to the Continental Divide and
followed it south. The wind was brutal,
and the howling was deafening. I climbed
over a couple of peaks and passed through the intervening gaps, fighting the
incessant wind the whole time.
I climbed up to the overlook of Tri County Lake,
which was just as lovely as it had been the previous day. From there I continued following the divide
south, passing the point where I’d joined the Continental Divide the previous
day. The wind was really pushing me
around along this stretch. I felt like a
human pinball, just getting bounced around as I fought my way along the crest
of the western United States.
By the time I descended to the gap at the head of
the North Fork Buffalo I was beginning to go insane. Imagine hours of non stop howling right into your ear! Normally I look for a scenic spot for lunch,
but on this day I settled for a bit of shelter under a
clump of dwarf fir trees.
That afternoon was probably the most scenic stretch
of the whole trip. The persistent wind eventually
cleared the smoke away, and the views were spectacular from the meadows along
the undulating Continental Divide.
My favorite views were out over Ferry Lake. The lake sits on a plateau, with waves of
mountains in the distance. The views
were stunning, and the smoke gradually dissipated as the afternoon stretched
on.
The walking was mostly easy, aside from the wind
knocking me around. The only real hazard
was the danger of stepping in a rodent hole, which
happened frequently. Late that afternoon there was one
steep descent. The normal route would
have been straight down the ridge, but it was steep
and snow covered. Instead of risking it,
I veered left and picked my way slowly down a steep hillside covered in small
rocks and scree.
I picked my way down carefully, reaching a gap and a junction with the
Woodard Canyon Trail.
I picked up an actual trail there, which I followed
down to the Marston Pass Trail. I
followed that one down to the base of a pretty waterfall. I climbed to the next ridge, and I headed out
to a spot where I’d camped back in 2022.
It’s not a very comfortable spot, due to the lumpy ground, but it has a
great view of that waterfall!
I had originally hoped to hike beyond Marston Pass and
on to the headwaters of the South Fork of Yellowstone River so that I could
climb Younts Peak the next morning.
However, I’d spent so much time exploring elsewhere that I didn’t really
have the time or energy to include that in this trip. Instead I would get
a head start on the hike out the next day.
Back to Wyoming
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!