The trail starts at the end of the Taylor Fork Road, about 10 miles from US 191. We got started around 10:20 am, and I figured we had a full day ahead of us.
After less that two miles, the trail coincides with a road to some private cabins.
Here is Joe negotiating a crossing of Lightning Creek, one of the many tributaries of Taylor Fork. Yeah, his feet got a little damp.
After a brutally steep climb out of the Lightning Creek Valley, and a lunch stop, we finally enter the Taylor-Hilgard section of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.
After maybe 4.5 miles, the trail reaches Sedge Meadows, a lovely spot. We saw two guys with horses down by the creek. These would be the last humans we would see for two days.
The trail sign that Joe is standing behind shows the trail heading off across the meadow, but you have to have a very good imagnination. It is a great example of why you have to use a map in the backcountry.
After finding the trail again, and another short but very steep climb and a nice rest stop, we followed the trail thru another meadow. At the end of the meadow, the trail faded for good.
Clearly people get to the lakes, but it did take some route finding. Having a GPS helped us confirm where we are, but the key to getting to the basin was to follow "the concept" of the old trail, keeping oneself between two outlet streams.
Whew!! Another steep climb, and we break out into the lower basin. We are all moving pretty slow at this point.
Susie is making the final climb, looking for campsites. I made a slightly sharper turn, and found a really nice site.
We arrived at the campsite at 4:45 pm, taking about 6.5 hours to go the 7.5 miles (later confirmed by GPS) to the basin. Time to get some water and clean up.
Nothing like a bath and dinner with a nice view to make you feel better. Susie started looking at this slope, which forms the south side of the basin, and wondered if she could climb it the next day.
Previous users had made a fire ring, and with tons of dead wood lying around, it seemed only right to have a small campfire. Here are Joe and Rachael posing.
After a cool evening, the sunshine on Imp Peak provided a nice reflection in one of the 15 or so lakes in the basin.
Susie could not stand it any longer. She HAD to go for the saddle above camp, following an old goat trail across the scree field. If you look closely, she is dead center of the photo.
Susie is now above the scree and talus, and just has to climb a steep meadow to the saddle.
She made it!!
Susie's photo looking back at the two larger lakes in the basin.
Looking across to the south into Hilgard Basin. Echo Peak is to the right of the photo.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, this is a photo of mostly Mountain Bluebells along one of the inlet streams into Alp Lake.
Susie met us higher up in the basin, taking an easier, less hairy route down. Some more wildflowers in front of one of the many peaks surrounding the basin.
Our camp is dead center of the photo.
What a spectacular view. Electric Peak, in Yellowstone, is to the right in the distance. We could see peaks of the Gallatin, Absaroka, and Beartooth ranges from the head of the basin.
Just poking around, looking for a lunch spot. Despite the fact that is late August, there were still plenty of winged tormentors around.
Susie viewing one of the lakes. That may be Woodward Mountain in the distance.
Another view of Imp Peak.
Heading back to camp.
Some flowers along one of the outlet streams.
Looking the other direction up into the basin.
The more I looked at the route Susie used to get off the saddle above camp, the more it looked like not TOO much work. Susie offered to guide Joe and I to the point where there is an animal path across a talus slope. The key is the curved track in the left of the photo.
Joe is now above the talus, making the climb to the saddle.
Joe is calling Rachael, who elected to stay in camp to nurse a muscle pull, on his ham radio.
Susie and Rachael (in the white, center photo) keep an eye on us, just like we did with Susie. Nice to have a 300 mm lens to take long shots.
A wide angle view of Imp Peak and the upper Basin from the saddle.
Finally, a little shade on our tent in the late afternoon.
Susie and I relaxing after dinner. Notice how lightly we are dressed.
Morning alpenglow on Imp Peak, after a warm night. We knew it would be a warm day. Were WE right!!
When you have breakfast in the shade, rather the sun, in the mountains, you know it will be getting toasty.
OK, Susie is pointing to what she thinks is the best route to follow. We took a slightly different and better off-trail route than we had used coming up.
Crossing an outlet stream/talus fall.
Here, we are descending thru open woods, following horse tracks and a very modest path.
After descending a few hundred feet, the route opens out into a small meadow, filled with lupine still blooming. Like I said, a late summer.
Hard to beat lupine. Such are one reason why we let parts of our front yard go wild.
Finally, out into the large meadow, to pick up the trail again. You could feel the air heating up. Whew!
Starting to cross Sedge Meadow.
Rachael, who had fallen in one creek already today, takes her time negotiating a log across Lightning Creek.
Roger is attempting the log that Rachael just successfully crossed. The fact he is wearing long pants in this heat says something about the bugs.
