Home»All Photographs»2013 Hikes»Consolation Pass 06-29-13

I underestimated the difficulty of this trip. The idea to go to Consolation Pass from Boom Lake came to me last year when I peered down into this verdant valley from the summit of Mt. Bell. All was fine and well as far as Boom Lake. The trail ceases there and the rough track along the north shore of the lake quickly diminishes to nothing. I took the option of a bushy avalanche slope to gain quick elevation and put an end to the bushwacking - for now.
The upper plateau of the valley is without any trails as far as I could tell, and provided beautiful sub-alpine wandering...over knolls, around tarns, and across rushing meltwater streams. The final approach to Consolation Pass is highlighted by a climactic view of Mt. Temple and the Consolation Lakes. I napped here...no breeze, no boots, no shirt. I woke to find the biggest wolf spider I have seen yet sunning itself on a rock.
On my return, I couldn't resist the quick (and knee-saving) descent of a loose, gravelly avalanche slope. It was a cinch, but put me at the very western corner of Boom Lake. The next section was savage bushwacking. And if you ever thought you get a lot of face cobwebs being the first one on a morning trail, the woods is ten times worse (good that the spider population is not in any danger though). Add belly-poking branches, bloody knuckles, a twice-torn shirt, and thickets of young conifers that reject your forward progress like a ball bouncing off a wall, and you get the picture. If I ever return to this upper valley, I would never take this route through the trees again, but rather return high along the ridge and drop down closer to where the trail starts at the east end of Boom Lake.
A wonderful day to a pristine location.