The rugged Santa Fe is ready for its 2 week trip to Wyoming and Montana
A look into the back seat. Who put that beer back there? Thanks Guido!
Thumbs up...I'm ready to roll
Brad, a.k.a. "the Canadian Dude" looking hard at a South Dakota rest area
Just starting out from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead
West Tensleep Lake
West Tensleep Creek
Dorf entering the Cloud Peak Wilderness
Dorf looking for something? IDK.
Lake Helen. The weather looked like it was about to head south so we started looking for a place to camp
First night's camp between Lakes Helen and Marion
Mistymoon Lake
Misymoon Lake
Dorf at Mistymoon Lake
We really didn't have a clue as to where we were going but continued off trail north of Mistymoon
We thought about setting up camp down below but would later come up with a better idea
Hey, lets climb up those rocks and see if that dinky tarn on the map has any camp sites close by!
Looking back at some decent camp sites
Well how about that...level ground and grass to pitch my tent!
After we got set up, I climbed a bit higher and caught this view of Mistymoon from about 11K
Looking west from above our campsite
The next day we ventured west across a minor pass in hopes of finding some adventure
Beautiful drainage between Bomber mountain and Cloud Peak
We were ready to camp down here but spotted a bench across the valley that had potential
Paint Rock Creek obscured by snow
Our bench and stairway up to Cloud Peak
Yeah, we're heading up that way
Just scaring my wife
Brad trying to find an easier way up. The truth is, Cloud Peak is essentially a walk up with hands needed infrequently
An opening looking across toward Bomber Mountain
We met a couple of guys also trying to summit who snapped this pic of Brad and I
Getting there
More fun defying gravity
Taking a break
Looking into wilderness basin, just west of CP. The next time we're out this way THAT will be our destination
Another look back
First summit shot! Glacier lake below
Glacier Lake
I'm pretty proud of this one, taken by me
Brad and his pretzels at the summit
A more typical summit shot
Looking across at Bomber
Middle Cloud Peak Lake
A view of the Bighorns. You can easily see the smoke from the Red Lodge fire burning 100 miles to the West
Panorama
Heading back down to camp was easier with a few short glissades
Back at camp
Brad pondering the day's events while cowering from the mosquitos
Evening alpenglow
Breakfast!
A view from camp
Time to head down Paint Rock Creek to see what else we could find
Brad making the treacherous crossing of Paint Rock Creek!
I said "screw it" and went for the snow. It would prove to be a common theme later on in the trip
A good place to camp, but it was only 10:00 AM
Looking back towards Cloud Peak
Pretty Falls at Paint Rock Creek
Paint Rock Creek meadows
Wide open meadow below the falls
Good camping down there but hot
We decided to hike back to the area just north of Mistymoon and set up camp there
A cooking epiphany: Tuna melt!
Oh yeah. My appetite was back
Looking back towards Cloud Peak. We decided Bomber would be anti-climatic and started back to the trailhead
View looking south from the north shore of Mistymoon
Lake marion
We took a three hour break at the shore of Lake helen...
...and I got bored
Pretty pool along West Tensleep Creek
View from the Lake Helen outlet stream
More backcountry cuisine: beef stick and cheddar quesadilla
A view from my tent
Lake Helen from near our camp
Packing up for the short hike out
Meadows along West Tensleep Creek
Made it back. From here we drove back to Buffalo for a shower, real food and to pick up our third hiker, Ward, before heading over to the Beartooths
Back in Buffalo we sorted gear and prepped for our week-long trek through the Beartooths
Buffalo's city pool
That night we had a delicious dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Blue Sage
Video from the summit of Cloud Peak
