Home»All Photographs»2012 Hikes»Ball Pass-Gibbon Pass 07-14-12

This was a great trip that I set up for myself as a two-day hike with a bike shuttle. I stashed my heavy pack at the trailhead, drove back to the trail end, and then biked back to my pack at the trailhead. Then I stashed my bike in the woods, changed into hiking gear, and away I went.
There was an unbridged stream crossing that I wasn't expecting, but after that was out of the way, I had enjoyable walking the rest of the day. With only 4 hours of sleep, the drive, and the bike shuttle, I was getting pretty conked-out by Ball Pass. The campsite was only an hour or so farther, and after eating and a quick, cold birdbath in the creek, I was asleep by 8:45.
I got up at 5:30 the next day and broke camp by 7:00. I saw lots of fresh bear signs along this next section, and was calling out often so that they would hear me coming. The staff at a backcountry lodge said that there was a collared grizzly in their front meadow 30 minutes before I came along. Soon I crested Gibbon Pass (a steady grunt with a heavy pack) and was in Twin Lakes campground by lunch. Rather than set up camp this early with rain in the forecast anyway, I continued on to my vehicle some 7km away.
The weather was overcast during the days, and poured rain overnight. There was a haze (smoke?) in the air too, so the pics aren't stunning, but rather muted.
All-in-all a very satisfying trip having accomplished a self-powered circumnavigation (24km bike/32km hike with 1600m elev. gain) of Storm, Ball, Stanley, Isabelle and Vermillion Peak.