After what I would have to call a disappointing start to the season, I headed east to the Bighorns via a very scenic but convoluted route up over Beartooth Pass, the Red Grade Road and eventually up thru Tensleep Canyon to the trailhead. The idea was that the popular and easily accessible summit of Cloud Peak would get me back on track. It was easy and perhaps I should have done some additional exploring while in the Misty Moon Lake region, but I didn't so a quick trip up Cloud Peak only took 3 days before I headed back to the Winds and my rendezvous with Chuck, my brother-in-law from Mazama.
STARTING THE MANY SWITCHBACKS UP TO DEAD INDIAN PASS.
SUNRISE AT BEARTOOTH PASS, WYOMING
TWIN LAKES VIEW ON THE BEARTOOTH PASS ROAD, WYOMING
STARTING UP THE RED GRADE ROAD OUT OF THE SMALL VILLAGE OF BIGHORN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RANGE
STARTING UP THE RED GRADE ROAD OUT OF THE SMALL VILLAGE OF BIGHORN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RANGE
CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS FROM RED GRADE ROAD OUT OF THE SMALL VILLAGE OF BIGHORN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RANGE
CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS FROM A CAMPSITE ON THE RED GRADE ROAD, BIGHORN MTS, WY
SUNSET VIEW OF HIGH PEAKS IN CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS
SUNSET VIEW OF PENROSE AND SAWTOOTH PEAKS
MISTYMOON LAKE AND CLOUD PEAK
THE START OF THE TRAIL/USER PATH TO CLOUD PEAK UP IT'S GENTLE SOUTHWEST RIDGE
MY CAMPSITE AT THE CLOUD PEAK HIGH CAMP
ANOTHER VIEW LOOKING OVER AT MISTYMOON PASS FROM CLOUD PEAK HIGH CAMP
LOOKING OVER AT MISTYMOON PASS FROM CLOUD PEAK HIGH CAMP
NUMEROUS TENTS AT THE CLOUD PEAK HIGH CAMP
EARLY MORNING VIEW OF THE USER PATH/TRAIL JUST ABOVE CAMP
DISCOVERING THE FACT THAT THE ROUTE TO CLOUD PEAK IS NOT A LONG ENDLESS TALUS PILE
MORNING SUN ARRIVES ON THE SW RIDGE ROUTE TO CLOUD PEAK
INTERESTING CLIFF ON THE WAY UP THE SW RIDGE OF CLOUD PEAK
ABOVE ROCK CREEK ON THE LONG GENTLE SLOPES ON THE SW RIDGE OF CLOUD PEAK
A SEAM OF GRASS THRU A WHOLE LOT OF TALUS ON THE SW RIDGE OF CLOUD PEAK
MORE PLEASANT WALKING ON THE SW RIDGE OF CLOUD PEAK
LOOKING BACK DOWN TO THE VALLEY BELOW WHERE CAMP AND THE SOLITUDE TRAIL ARE.
AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE CLOUD PEAK SUMMIT RIDGE, THE WAY FORWARD IS ALL ROCK AND BOULDER HOPPING.
LOOKING DOWN INTO WILDERNESS BASIN FROM THE SW RIDGE OF CLOUD PEAK
GLACIER LAKE AND SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE WALLS FROM THE SUMMIT OF CLOUD PEAK
ANOTHER VIEW GLACIER LAKE AND SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE WALLS FROM THE SUMMIT OF CLOUD PEAK
LOOKING PAST THE EAST FACE OF CLOUD PEAK TO BLACKTOOTH AND WOOLSEY
ANOTHER RAPIDLY FADING GLACIER - THIS ONE ON THE EAST FACE OF CLOUD PEAK
THE CLASSIC VIEW OF GLACIER LAKE AND THE GLACIER ABOVE FROM THE SUMMIT OF CLOUD PEAK
BLACKTOOTH, WOOLSEY AND THE INNOMINATE FROM THE EDGE OF THE NORTH FACE OF CLOUD PEAK
A DIGITAL ZOOM (NOT OPTICAL) OF THS SOUTH SIDE OF THE INNOMINATE FROM THE NORTH SLOPES OF CLOUD PEAK
A DIGITAL ZOOM (NOT OPTICAL) OF WOOLSEY, INNOMINATE AND HALLELUJAH FROM THE NORTH SLOPES OF CLOUD PEAK
LOOKING DOWN THE REALLY BIG EAST FACE OF CLOUD PEAK
STARTING THE RETURN TRIP TO CAMP.
ANOTHER VIEW OFF THE SW RIDGE OF CLOUD PEAK DOWN INTO WILDERNESS BASIN
AFTERNOON CLOUD BUILDUP ON CLOUD PEAK
CLOUD PEAK FROM HIGH CAMP
LEAVING CLOUD PEAK HIGH CAMP AND HEADING FOR MISTYMOON LAKE
SHORELINE MISTYMOON LAKE, CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS
CLOUD PEAK FROM MISTYMOON LAKE
A BIT OF A CROWD AT MISTYMOON LAKE, CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS, WY
CLOUD PEAK FROM MISTY MOON LAKE
MORNING, CAMPSITE AT MISTY MOON LAKE
STARTING THE MODERATELY LONG WALK OUT TO WEST TENSLEEP TRAILHEAD
A BULL MOOSE ALONG THE SHORELINE OF HELEN LAKE, CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS
A VERY SCENIC TRAIL UNTIL YOU ENTER THE WOODS SOUTH OF HELEN LAKE
CLOUD PEAK WILDERNESS IN ALL ITS GLORY