Wind River Range Day2 no.3

We started hiking to Titcomb Basin. A lot of wild flowers were welcoming us on the way. They were so colorful, living, and lovely.

Somehow most hikers seemed to stop Island lake to camp for the day and not many people were hiking beyond Island Lake. 

While we were walking quietly on the peaceful trail, we saw horses and mules coming back from Titcomb Basin direction. We yielded the way for them (Horses/mules have the right of way). Horses and mules were very cute. Usually a one horse is at the head, then 4-5 mules follow, then one horse at the end. A horse carry a human, and mules carry stuff. Each mule is connected by rope. Clearly some mules don't want to walk, because some are dragged by rope.

After we let pass mules/horses and walked for 5 minutes, we saw a bunch of (really, A LOT!) backpacks/packages along the trail. Obviously those were carried by mules here. Then, we saw hikers along the stuff. Those old dayhikers (I mentioned on a previous entry). I thought that those old guys were so hardcore to hike a long way as a dayhike. After I saw those guy had mules carry the stuff, no. They were not hardcore hikers. Actually I thought that they were spoiled. Well I still admire them for getting out in the wilderness at 70s, but making mules carry not only their backpacks, but many packages which were probably beer, wine, fancy snacks...

When we passed those bunch of stuff and guys, the park ranger was with them and talking about 200 feet rule. Because stuff was dropped by mules just along the trail, they must have been unhappy to know they had to carry the stuff at least 200 feet. Indeed when I saw the guys, their facial expressions were like "sigh"

Getting closer to Titcomb lakes, the view got more and more stunning. When we came to the second (north) Titcomb lake, there was nobody anymore, all was ours. Over the basin, magnificent peaks were now big in my view. Glacier was getting sun very beautifully. 

I was very grateful that I could be in such a hidden, marvelous place. 

Titcomb Basin

I wanted to stare at the view forever. 

However, at the same time I was tired since I hiked 15+ miles. It was time to go back to our campsite. We started walking back to our site. On the way I looked back Titcomb basin and peaks a lot. It too beautiful and can't help looking back.

One point we took another break to sanitize water and contemplate Titcomb basin. 

Peaks over the Titcomb basin (The Buttress, Buchtel Peak, Mount Arrowhead??? form my map, but not sure which is which peak), Fremont Peak with many needles, blue sky and big clouds which seems specific for this area, winds, sounds of stream. All come into my body and it was really nice time. 

Looking at the view in the wilderness, which is shown in the picture above, I was thinking, "sugoi place". 

Sugoi is a Japanese word that doesn't have a good translation. Sugoi can have all the meaning of wonderful, amazing, stunning, magnificent, great, breathtaking, etc. It contains many meaning, but one thing in common in the definition is feeling extremely moved. Sugoi was the just right word at that particular place when I was sitting there. 

After 18 miles of hike this day, we had a great dinner, cup ramen, with pretty Island Lake. I don't eat cup ramen at home, only real ramen (if you don't know this is a real meal!), because cup ramen is kind of junk food and not very good at home. However, it is so tasty in the wilderness. 

While we were eating dinner, we noticed that there was a fire on the other side of Island lake. From the picture, the other side of lake is pretty far. I was surprised how far the fire can be seen. Well, as I wrote on a previous entry, campfires are prohibited in this area. In this region, fires are allowed below treeline but not above timberline. Island lake is above treeline. In fact the rangers were on the trail along the lake and told hikers not to have fire. However, hikers till had it. Because rangers didn't talk to all the hikers (the ranger was walking around here and there and talked to hikers), the specific hikers who had fire might not see the ranger. Oh well.

To be continued...