Steps in the Right Direction: Island Lake and Carey Lake

After finding frost on the bear food cans and tent fly the air warmed up quickly and we found a cup of coffee went a good distance to get the body warmed up. We packed up and made our way 3.29 miles and 1596 feet in elevation to find a nice campsite that looked a lot like paradise. Our packs were pretty heavy yet, so we are in no hurry today. When going uphill with a heavy pack we employ the step and lock method of going up in elevation. This helps keep your heart rate down and energy level up. The step and lock: take a step and fully extend your knee so you are standing, rather than bent knee muscling it up.

Looking up at the saddle between twin Crater lakes and Carey Lake. Carey Lake is at the bottom of the dip.

Island lake to the right

Island lake to the left

While hiking slow and steady we were passed by a guy who was on a day hike. We heard him coming from a long way away! He had music pumping out of his backpack. Not sure why you need music pumping when you are in the middle of nature? When looking for a place to camp you need to consider flat area near water. We had studied the topo map before leaving this morning so we had a good idea on when to start looking for a spot. We camped close to a creek on some very nice flat ground. We were walking along the trail with the creek on the left and trees on the right. A small doorway opened up in the trees and on the right side was a beautiful flat area. Perfect for two tents and a separate kitchen area. We arrived around 1 pm and snacked on our lunch while setting up camp.

Pat's tent requires her to use her poles to stand it up. This means that when hiking after setting up her tent she needs to do so without the aide of hiking poles. At around 2 pm we started up to the trail to go up to Island Lake and Carey Lake. Pat found herself some nice hiking "branches" to use as poles. About halfway up the climb to the lake, Pat stopped and said Kathi and I should continue on as she was not having the kind of fun that she should be having. Her five-hour window of hiking had been reached, and it was time for her to tap out. So we stopped to talk about this. The hiking rule is you do not break up your group. You stay together. Kathi and I reminded Pat that we knew the rule and would be willing to turn around and go back down. Pat laughed and said she was not testing us, she was capable to head back down and we were capable to continue to head up to the lakes. After double and triple checking that Pat was not testing us, we parted ways and continued to climb up to the lakes.

When we arrived at the top we were standing above Carey Lake, Island Lake was up over a rise. On the map, it appeared that the trail leads to Island Lake, but there was no trail, just an assumption of where the lake could possibly be. Good news is we saw the "backpack singing" man come up over the rise leaving where we thought we should head. So we headed to that area. Island Lake has a big pile of rocks in the middle of the lake. the far shoreline looks like if you would hike over there the late would be right at eye level. Hmm would have made for a great photo, but we did not hike around the lake to see. We sat and had a little lunch and then started heading back. It was getting late and we needed to hike back down to make dinner.

The hike down was much steeper than I remember hiking up. BUT then Kathi and I prefer hiking uphill as it is easier on my knees. Pat said her knees feel better hiking down.

We found Pat waiting for us by a Blue Lake trail junction. Our camp was just up and around the bend. We ate supper and planned our next day, read the topo's and told stories. During our chat time, a doe deer came wandering through our camp snacking on the grass. She did not seem bothered by our tents being on her dinner plate! By dusk, we were tucked into our tents. We camped around the 10,700-foot level because we were worried about camping too high due to the chilly temps the night before. During the dead of the night, my eyes flew open as I heard a "noise" that woke me up !!! click here to hear the sound... I laid there and tried to think what it could be...It could be a deer, elk or moose. Sounds smallish. Of course, it is in the middle of the night and everything sounds BIG...Really BIG!! It sounds as if whatever it is, is walking back and forth on the trail just in front of our area. Kathi is sleeping through it and I do not hear that Pat is moving. Perhaps it is a deer or elk. I try falling back to sleep and keep thinking of things like...What should I do if I hear a bear in camp? What should I do if I think a bear is outside of the tent? These are thoughts that make you think you should know the answer to immediately!!! The sound returns for a second go round. Kathi is still sleeping and no rustling from Pat's tent. I think either Pat is laying with her eyes wide open or sound asleep like Kathi. I will try to wait for answers to my questions until morning. I have to go to the bathroom, but have decided that I will wait until morning light! No need to unzip the safety net of my thin walled tent.

Morning finally dawns and I can't wait to ask Pat if she heard that "noise"? She said yes! She felt it was a fawn, baby elk, or baby moose looking for it's mother. A fawn does not sound too imposing does it... I thought it sounded bigger!!! It really sounded just like the youtube video I attached. We laugh and then wonder how Kathi might have slept through it all. I brought up my list of "bear what if's" we decided that if the sound was "bear-like" we are supposed to get up and out of the tent, stand together and make a BIG noise. (I decided that I do not need to camp where there are Grizzly! A black bear seemed closer to my "limit".

Oh yes, frost on the Bear cans and tent again this morning.

We pack up and head for our next destination. Twin Crater Lakes.