Pack from Twin Crater Lake over Grassy Pass to Rawah Lake 2

Last water source before we get to our campsite, we filter 24 oz each. Kathi scared up a buck and he jumped the entire creek without a blink. I think we are easily talking 20 feet...

After taking our the map and doing some bearing readings with a compass, we determine that the bump with the snowfield is the correct tallest bump of "South Rawah Mountain"  Sitting below it is a massive "rock glacier" or frozen pile of rock talas/scree that is the remains of the glacier that formed the valley we just climbed up

Nearing the top of the switchbacks we can see a hazy view, the middle ground valley ridge is what we were on the other side of when we started.  Twin Crater, the ridgeline in the far distance in the ridgeline that we were on the other side of when we were at Island Lake

Although we are walking up a steep pass, the trail is switchbacked and in good condition.

On the top saddle of Grassy Pass

Kathi and I up at the trail junction, The Cirque for Rawah Lake #4 is the snowfield behind my head.

Rawah Lake #3

Peaking at Lake 4, remains of the glacier that formed the valley and chain of Rawah Lakes, 4,3,2,& 1

Looking back down the valley, rain is in the distance.

Water is flowing from lake 4 towards lake three, this is the creek valley that we took to find our way to lake 4

On our scramble back we see a great view of lake 3

What we just scrambled through to get to lake 4, yes, up over around and through to get back to that snowfield area.

Back from our side trip, packs back on we pause for a photo.  A small alpine pond right behind us as well as the mountain drop cirque of Rawah 4

Heading down to Lake 2

Lake 2 in the foreground, meadows of yellow flowers in bloom, we are around 10,900 feet and the flowers look wonderful

Trying to find a flat campsite, a trail around the lake is to the right

Before supper, we went for a little stroll along the lake looking for moose.  A quick rain shower (Yes, the sun is still shining) made us take cover in the pine trees.

Pat's rain tree shelter

Some people wonder why one would put on a backpack and wonder in the woods for a week,  it is merely to see and touch the beauty 

Rawah Lake 2 campsite, we have our kitchen down the lakeside

The view from our kitchen.  

We are up an packing up this morning around 6:20.  Not really early, but earlier than we have been.  We have a nice oatmeal breakfast and coffee and then tear down camp and make it disappear into our backpacks.  Just before leaving, I decided that I really should go take the bathroom supply bag and head back to the trees.  We carry a bag with baby wipes, a super lightweight shovel, hand sanitizer, and a ziplock for used baby wipes.  We do not leave any paper or baby wipes behind, pack them out.  Like I said, grabbed my supply bag and headed to the woods, I was walking up past my secluded wooded shower area and through an open space roughly the size of a volleyball court.  This space has some luscious tastee greenery growing on it.  As I was passing through, my eyes noticed something very dark and large to my right, I turned and sucked in a breath.  The very dark and large something also sucked in a breath!  I was standing on the very luscious green dinner plate of a bull moose and I did not have a tree between me and him!  While the moose and I each held our breath, my mind calculated how far to the closest tree.  7 to 10 feet 45-degree angle to the left.  Go there NOW!  Mr Moose was calculating fight or flight distances...60 feet forward I've got her or 10 feet 90 degrees to the right and I disappear.  As if someone said go, we each made our choices.  I headed to the tree and Mr Moose disappeared into the trees.  I stood behind the tree watching him gracefully lope away.  For such a large body, moose move so gracefully and I might add quickly.  As I dig my hole with my little shovel, I am wondering how many other moose are standing close by.

When I return to what is left of camp I have a big smile on my face.  Of course Pat and Kathi think it is because I was so successful with what I left to do...Nope, I just encountered Mr Moose!  I share my story and we will just have to be ok with the fact that I do not have supporting photos of this moose.  I just did not think to take my camera along to go take care of "business" :)  LOL

This morning we are hiking 4.06 miles up over Grassy Pass gaining 1197 feet of elevation and will lose 859 feet down to the lake 2.  The pass is at 11,227 feet of elevation.  We leave Twin Crater at 9 and arrive at lake 2 by 2 pm.  We have to hike down out of the Twin Crater valley and get onto the Valley were Bench lake drains to move towards Grassy Pass.  The trail is well defined and we hike slow and steady on up the switchbacks.  We run into a few Ptarmigan hens and chicks that are the same color as their surroundings.  After about an hour and a half of hiking up, we stop for a pack and snack break.  This is a good time to take off the packs rest and have a little snack.  We pull out the topo map and compass.  Between the three of us, we manage to remember all of the details on how to triangulate your location on the topo map, then take site bearings to determine what mountain is what set of squiggly lines on your topo map.  It is a very good idea to be able to handle a topo map and compass and not think that your phone app or GPS unit is going to save you...We determine which bump of the mountain face is really the top of South Rawah Mountain.  Sitting below her is the remains the glacier that dug out the valley we just climbed through. 

We gain the top of the pass.  It is in fact grassy.  Sheep Mountain is just off to our right.  There is a scramble up to the top of the mountain which would be just another 600 feet of elevation gain.  We continue on to find a place where we can take a scramble hike back to Rawah Lake #4.  There is not an official trail back to the lake, but reading the map we feel that a trip to the lake is very doable.  At a trail junction, we stop and drop our packs.  We look up the valley towards the cirque where the lake is seated.  We visually determine a possible pathway, Pat is going to sit at the trailhead while Kathi and I scramble up and take a peek at the lake.  Due to the weather which looks like rain is possible, we are up in the alpine which is not a great place to be when a storm is coming.  We decide that Kathi and I would hike back in and get as far as we could in 30 minutes, then hike back out. So we have 60 minutes...  Kathi and I head off with our rain jackets and head towards a pathway we had determined to be the best choice.  In practice, the scramble is up and over and around to find our way up to the lake.  We are watching our time and scrambling quickly.  So quickly, that I huffing an puffing!  At the 30 minute mark, we are in site of the lake and shoot a few photos before turning back.  We must come back and spend some leisurely time back here!  We cut a quick scramble back to where we left Pat.  We are so proud of the fact that we made it out and back in 59 minutes.  Like there might be an award for this...nope, totally forgot that Pat does not have a watch.  She reads "the sun...".  She would not have known if we took 75 minutes, rats, we could have gotten a bit closer. 

Pat was standing a chatting with "the Llama Ladies".  The llamas carry all of the gear, hence, the elaborate camp set up.  They just carry a Camelbak water pak on their back and the llamas carry everything else.  Pat gathered that they own a company that "rents" out these llamas to people so they can take a trip without carrying the weight.  So they were out taking a trip that they help other people take.  Well isn't that refreshing to know that they are experiencing first hand what their clients want to experience? 

We head on down past lake 3 and find a super campsite by Rawah 2.  While crossing the creek coming from lake 3 into lake 2 we meet two fishermen.  They are staying up at lake 3 and were fishing lake 2.  They said there was a mama moose with a baby in the area.  Nice.  We keep our eyes open for her.

Super day of views, good adventure, superb campsite.