3 Highlights:
1. Deer encounter in the morning
2. Glacier lake swim
3. Camping by a glacier lake
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 29 km
• Starting point: 1 km from South Willow Creek
• Ending point: Small lake, 8 km from Silverthorne
• Weather conditions: Mixed
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
Woke up early, got in some meditation and old man gymnastics, then prepared breakfast. We hit the trail around 9 am, and it was straight uphill. I met 5 curious deer on the way up. At the summit, I braved a dip in a glacier lake – absolutely freezing but worth it. Had some coffee waiting for Wild Flower as she came up. We had lunch with a view. The last part of the climb was tough, and Wild Flower got pretty angry – not a usual sight.
Things got better as we descended, though, of course, there was another 600m peak waiting for us. We were both pretty worn out by then, but we made it. Decided to camp early by a peaceful lake.
At camp, just as we were settling in for the night, I saw it—the moon rising slowly above the mountains, casting this soft, silver glow across the landscape. It was stunning, almost surreal. The peaks looked like they were dipped in light, and everything around us seemed to pause for a moment. Even the wind felt like it was holding its breath.
I crawled back into the tent, still thinking about that moon. It’s nights like this that make the climbs, the tired legs, and the freezing swims all worth it.
We exchange some photos and are looking forward to a warm breakfast in the morning.
Exhausted now, but feeling accomplished. Night!
