CDT Day 45: More Weminuche Wilderness

Daily Miles: 20.0, Total Miles: 767.2

I was cruising pretty good today until I reached Knife Edge, the trail perched high up on a steep-sloped mountain. Made it past the first steep snow crossing but wasn’t willing to risk the second one. Way too vertical and ran along way down the mountain. I backed up and found a trail down to Trout Lake far below and then bushwhacked back up the steep mountain back to the CDT.

I saw several more elk today and one was bugling.

In a thunderstorm drizzle, passed Willams Lake far below, climbed another pass before dropping down to Squaw Pass. Looking hard for a flat spot to set up camp in the rain and saw a tent. A hiker out for a few days – first person I have seen since leaving Wolf Creek.

Since leaving Wolf Creek, vast sections of forest have been decimated by the pine beetle and forest fires.