Mileage: 25.7 miles (1652.1-1677.8)
My pack felt heavier than its been my whole hike. It's the damn bear barrel. They are required in Teton National Park, where I'm headed to meet my dad, so I figured it just made sense to carry it there. A lot of people have warned me about bears, so maybe it's good I have it, but it sure is a pain in the ass. I have to assemble my pack just right so it doesn't sit directly against my back. Eventually I figured out my sleeping bag plus my tent enveloping it was basically the only way to pack it comfortably. It also took up a ton of room because it would only pack vertically. Ugh.
When I wasn't thinking about the weight of my pack, the familiar pair of wild roses and lupine graced my eyes, while fragrant accents of sage and dry pine needles wafted through the air. I climbed up and down in the foothills for the better part of the day, until I turned off for the Cirque of Towers alternate, about 19 miles after I started. The route is supposed to be one of the most spectacular parts of the trail so I was really excited - in fact, many past hikers had told me the Winds were their favorite part of the trip - a lot to live up to!
Once I started heading up the valley I began seeing the sheer cliffs and spires up close for the first time. Some rose over 1,500' from the valley floor, making it no wonder climbers came from all over the world to scale the walls (don't worry, I won't be doing any scaling!). The cliffs to the east were illuminated by the late afternoon sun, accented by the bright blue sky and big puffy clouds moving quickly over the peaks.
The mosquitoes were horrendous, but as long as I kept moving I was okay. I'd swat three of four off my shoulder every five minutes or so, making sure they didn't have enough time to squeeze their needle-like sucker through the fibers of my shirt. It was just when I stopped that they'd almost instantaneously swarm. One such occasion was when I cooked my Mac and Cheese dinner (thanks frisbee friends!). I put on my down jacket and deployed my headnet for the first time on the trip, to keep them from flying into my mouth.
I packed it up before it was cooked fully, letting it finish in my backpack microwave. The microwave consists of wrapping up my pot in my rain pants after the water boils, placing it my pack securely so it doesn't spill, and that's enough to cook the noodles after a half hour or so ... while I'm walking! That way I don't have to waste precious fuel or allow the mosquitoes to turn me into their dinner.
After I ate I walked a bit more and stumbled upon a beautiful glacial lake right below the pass. I setup camp quickly and took an icy bath before bed at 11,000 feet. It was exhilarating to feel the frigid water on my skin. I basically jumped in and right back out, allowed the wind to dry me some and then used my small pack towel to finish the job. I then put on a clean shirt and log underwear, which will make sleep marvelous. Laying down in the tent I can tell the big pack is taking a toll on my legs and I definitely can't make as many miles. Also, there was quite a bit of elevation gain today. It's unlikely I'll make it to Dubois, as I hoped before I meet my dad, but I don't want to rush through the Winds anyways, so we'll see how I do tomorrow.
I'll wake up early and head towards the Cirque of Towers, woohoo!
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