WIND RIVER RANGE - PEAK LAKE AND BOW MT LOOP / AUG 2022

After Chuck left a strong high pressure, a heat dome as it were, arrived in the Winds. It was in fact an opportunity since the stable air mass and warm temps were such that I could do a trip without a tent.. Traveling around in the alpine with just a bivy sack is a luxery we don't often get to enjoy. I should have started a day earlier, but felt I needed at least 3 days rest after the long adventure with Chuck.

I agonized for days thinking about what I could do as compared to what I dreamed I wanted to do. With absolutely no snow left, it was talus talus talus in the alpine. I settled on Bow, when I should have gone for Henderson / American Legion. The smoke confused me. It was the strangest pattern I've ever seen. Days 2,3 and 4 dawned with moderate to heavy smoke. And yet, each day ended with clear skies and the promise of more in the morning. Hard to make a decision on what to do / climb when a blighted smokey sky does little to encourage one to go for a bigger agenda.

So I settled on Bow. The silver lining was found by doing the longer NW ridge. The climb out of the summit ridge notch was actually quite nice and more than made up for the monotonous scree slope from the Stroud - Bow col to said notch. My last night out on a small knoll above the upper end of Lower Jean Lake was spectacular. All three nights were gems, but this last one was one of the best ever.