We took a path less traveled at Russell Lake, walking by Amphitheater, Marianne and Otter Lakes.
Jorden Lake.
This is our camp at Jorden Lake.
On the way to Snowbank Mountain.
Anchor Lake.
Desolation Lake with Pilot and Index Peaks on the far horizon.
Bill siloutted.
Snowbank Lake with Summit Mountain (left) and Snowbank Mountain (center).
Summit Mountain (left) and Snowbank Mountain (center).
We went up the small snowfield angled from lower left to upper right, then proceeded up the ridge.
The summit ridge is this huge plateau.
Bob and Bill on the summit of Snowbank Mountain
I asked John for a humorous pose on the summit. What I got was pretty impressive, just after a tough 4 hours up.
Corbin and Pat in the lotus pose.
This small unnamed lake with its unusual pea soup color is the catch basin for the melt from the Snowbank Glacier.
Summit Lake feeds Whirlpool Creek which drops into Rainbow Lake in the main East Rosebud Drainage.
Boot and Alice Lakes to the west of Snowbank Mountain. Tempest Mountain and Granite Peak frame the horizon (from the right).
Patrick looks down from the Snowbank Mountain ridge on Snowbank Lake and the multiple mountain valleys stretching out to the far horizon.
The last glacial age left this huge boulder precariously perched.
Jorden Lake
Leaving Jorden Lake for Farley Creek, its outlet.
John and Bob contemplating one of multiple Farley Creek crossings in our vain search for a trail early on. (Memo: don't trust the little dots on the map suggesting a trail).
Small lake not on the map, fed by Farley Creek.
Farley Creek watered lush valleys with waist deep flowers and grasses.
Bob getting his feet wet.
Bill and Pat came down the rock buttress just to the right of the overhang behind them.
Mature puff ball.
Odd.
A lovely mushroom.
Elephant Head flower. The tiny individual blooms appear to have the head and upraised trunk of an elephant. Okay, a very small elephant.
This moss was just neon-colored. The variety of colors, textures and smells of plants growing in this harsh environment is astounding.
